Korean mushroom soup (Beoseot-deulkkae-tang: 버섯들깨탕) is a delicious, nutritious, savory soup made with mushrooms and perilla seeds powder. The perilla seeds powder makes the broth soft and nutty, and the beef brisket and the mushrooms are chewy, soft, and crispy, giving this soup a very unique taste and texture.
You could make it with just one kind of mushroom but I suggest you use a few different varieties so your soup has different tastes and textures. I used shiitake mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, white beech mushrooms, white mushrooms, and enoki mushrooms, but you could use any other types of mushrooms. Add a bit of beef and this becomes a nutritious, delicious, and hearty meal a family of 4 can enjoy! If you’re a vegetarian, skip the beef and use vegetable stock instead of the water.
Enjoy this soup and let me know how yours turns out if you try it!
Ingredients
- 1 pound of assorted mushrooms, cleaned and sliced into bite size pieces
- 8 ounces (226 grams) of beef brisket (or sirloin steak), cut into small pieces
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 1 medium onion, sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- a few strips of thinly sliced carrot (optional)
- ½ cup perilla seeds powder (or powdered toasted sesame seeds)
- 1 tablespoon glutinous rice flour (or rice flour, all purpose flour)
- 2 ounces (60 grams) of Asian chives (or 3-4 green onions), cut into 2 inch long
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Directions
Serves 4
- Combine the perilla seeds powder, glutinous rice flour, and ½ cup water in a bowl. Mix it well and set aside.
- Heat up a heavy pot and add the sesame oil, beef, and garlic. Stir for 2 to 3 minutes with a wooden spoon until the beef is no longer pink.
- Add 4 cups of water, the mushrooms, onion, and carrot. Cover and let it cook over medium high heat for about 15 minutes.
- Open and stir. Cover and lower the heat to medium, then cook for another 15 minutes.
- Stir in the fish sauce, kosher salt, and the perilla seeds mixture. The broth will turn slightly thick and milky. Cover and let it cook for a minute over medium high heat.
- Add the chives and stir until the chives are slightly cooked.
- Remove from the heat and serve hot.
Ponytail kimchi and kimchi
I’ve made this soup 3 times now and it is quickly becoming one of my favorites! The first time I made it I had to use toasted, ground Sesame seed powder. My first reaction was to add some lime juice to balance out the earthy flavor. I was unable to find Perilla seed powder at the Korean market so I ordered some on-line. Ended up being sent from So. Korea! The real deal. But in the meantime, from one of the comments here, I found the Perilla powder with the rice and wheat flour at the market. However, I saw that it contained corn starch, so I have only used the powder from Korea. It makes all the difference in the world! The Perilla thickens the soup in a way the Sesame does not. Perilla is an acquired taste, but I love it. Now, my favorite way of serving the soup is with a drizzlie of Perilla oil on top to finish and a squirt of lemon or lime. Heaven!
Can you use sesame seed paste or tahini for this recipe? Perilla seed flour or seeds are hard to come by here.
This is one of my many favorite recipes, I make it all the time! Tonight I used fresh king trumpets, cremini, shiitake, and a handful of dried mushroom mix from Costco, including porcini and black trumpet. I’ve used both rice flour and regular flour and prefer regular flour, gives it a creamier texture. Will serve it tonight Italian style, with grilled bread crostini on the side, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with sea salt. We live in Seattle and Abruzzo, Italy, and I finally found a good Korean market in Rome (it’s by the Termini train station.)
I made this for lunch today, Maangchi! It’s delicious! Thanks for all the amazing recipes! ♡♡♡ the kkakdugi is from your recipes, too.
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Hey Maangchi,
Watched since the first time you made Korean wings in…2008( I think).
Your recipes are the only ones I will use when making Korean dishes.
Gonna make this recipe tonight!!
My husband and I absolutely love this soup. The first time I made it, I couldn’t find perilla seed powder. But, we’ve recently discovered a Korean grocery store that carries it. Thank you so much for sharing all your recipes. I’ve probably made dozens and dozens of them, all of which are amazing!
p.s. We went to the meetup you scheduled in Seoul this past May. It was so great meeting you!
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Wow, it looks like mine!
Perilla seed powder makes this stew special, but if you can’t find it, toasted perilla seed powder also works well.
Oh, you came to the meetup in Seoul? I can’t see your face here so I can’t remember you! lol