Seaweed soup with mussels

Honghap miyeokguk 홍합 미역국

Today’s recipe is very special to me because this is one of my all-time favorite soups! Seaweed soup with mussels, or honghap miyeokguk in Korean. I was born and raised on the seashore, so I love all kinds of fish and seafood: this dish combines the healthy, delicious flavor of dried seaweed (miyeok) with the fresh, meaty, irresistible taste of mussels. The resulting soup has all the best flavors of the sea, is good for you, and is totally addictive!

Some people like to remove the mussels from their shells before cooking this soup, but I think the shells add something special and earthy to the broth, a deep sea flavor that can’t be replicated any other way.

There are many different miyeokguk recipes in Korean cuisine, made with oysters, fresh cod, beef, clams, abalone, scallops, shrimp, or beef like I did years ago in one of my early videos.

This is because miyeokguk holds a special place in Korean culture, as the high levels of calcium and iodine in seaweed make this dish an ideal one for nursing mothers recovering from childbirth. Many new moms eat it for a month straight after giving birth. Because of this it’s also customary for Koreans to eat this soup on their birthday, kind of like the western birthday cake – everyone knows that it’s not really your birthday until you have a bowl of miyeokguk. The nicest thing you can do for a Korean on their birthday is make them a bowl of miyeokguk. They’ll never forget it!

But you don’t have to wait until your birthday, or until you’re pregnant, to enjoy miyeokguk! Many Koreans (especially me!) enjoy this soup year ’round!

Enjoy the recipe! This was a special video for me to film, because I got to eat miyeokguk afterwards. And then when editing the video, it looked so delicious that I made miyeokguk again lol! If you make it, be sure to let me know how it went, and upload a photo of the finished dish!

Ingredients (serves 4)

1 ounce dried miyeok (20 grams), soaked in cold water for 30 minutes
2 pounds fresh mussels, debearded, rinsed, and drained.
5 clove garlic, minced
2 quarts (8 cups) water
2 tablespoons fish sauce (or Korean soup soy sauce or salt)
2 to 3 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
4 -5 green onions, chopped
kosher salt

Directions

Mix 1 tablespoon kosher salt and 4 cups cold water in a bowl to make a salty brine. Add the mussels and soak them for 30 minutes, so they spit out any sand or dirt. Drain and rinse in cold water. Drain.
Drain the miyeok and rinse and drain a few times. Squeeze out excess water and cut a few times into bite sized pieces.
Add the miyeok and 8 cups of water to a large heavy pot. Cover and cook over medium high heat for 20 to 25 minutes until the miyeok turns soft and the water is infused with its flavor.
Open and add the mussels, garlic, and fish sauce. Stir a few times. Cover and cook about 15 minutes over medium high heat. After a bit of cooking the mussels will open up and the broth will become infused with their sweet flavor.
Remove from the heat.
Drizzle 2 to 3 teaspoons toasted sesame oil over top, ladle the soup into serving bowls and sprinkle some green onion over top.
Serve immediately with rice, kimchi, and a few more side dishes if desired.

Posted on Thursday, May 29th, 2014 at 4:18 pm. Last updated on April 26, 2015.
Tagged: 미역국, honghap miyeokguk, 홍합미역국, Korean birthday soup, korean food, Maangchi's recipes, meeyeokguk, miyeokgook, miyukguk, mussel seaweed soup, seaweed mussel soup, seaweed soup, seaweed soup with mussels, wakame soup

17 Comments:

Keepitsimple Kansas City joined 12/15 & has 3 comments
Posted February 16th, 2021 at 2:20 pm | Log in to reply.

I had been flipping through your cookbook looking for the next “new” recipes I wanted to prepare and making a list of ingredients I need to purchase the next time I visit the Asian food market, when I stumbled across this recipe (with beef) on your web site. I happened to have a 2 oz package of wakame and a small package of frozen mixed seafood so I made a giant pot of this soup. It’s delicious! Thank you

See full size image
- Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 112 comments
  Posted February 20th, 2021 at 12:35 pm | Log in to reply.
  
  Wow, the mussels look so plump and delicious! You made perfect looking miyeokguk!
Gertrude Montreal joined 9/14 & has 4 comments
Posted October 27th, 2016 at 10:38 pm | Log in to reply.

Maangchi!

I just made some kimchi, but used mussels instead of oysters, and now I have all these mussels left over, and I just happened to have hoarded some miyeok a few months ago, because I love it so much. Guess what I’m going to do with it all!?!?

The fact that this is your favourite has me very excited to try!!!

Thank you for sharing!!!
안녕히 주무십시요
medusagurlyeah Adelaide joined 1/14 & has 31 comments
Posted September 7th, 2015 at 7:13 am | Log in to reply.

Hi Maangchi, I’m planning a menu for a good friend who is going to deliver her baby next week. We’re both here alone in Australia without our mum’s for this event and I’d like to feed her something nutritious. I’m gonna make this soup for her to take to the ward. Can you make up a postpartum menu for my friend? Thank you!
- Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,051 comments
  Posted September 7th, 2015 at 9:38 am | Log in to reply.
  
  This is such a good idea to prepare this food for your friend who will have a baby.
  
  After giving birth to a baby, she will need some good nutritious food that’s not heavy or greasy that she can digest well. Here’s my suggestions: miyeok-guk, white or multigrain rice, kimchi
  
  Beef pancakes
  https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/soegogi-jeon
  
  Broccoli salad
  https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/broccoli-salad
  
  Seasoned bok choy
  https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/bok-choy-muchim
  
  Tofu pickles
  https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/dubujangajji
Laineylee Toronto joined 9/14 & has 1 comment
Posted September 28th, 2014 at 7:54 am | Log in to reply.

Hi Maangchi,
Love your site! I’ve been using your miyeok gook recipe for years and everyone loves it, especially the kids. Question: if I only have frozen mussels without the shell, will it affect the recipe very much?
- Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,051 comments
  Posted September 28th, 2014 at 11:38 am | Log in to reply.
  
  It should be ok but I would use more of them. Good luck with making delicious miyeokguk!
NatSuarez USA joined 10/13 & has 8 comments
Posted June 13th, 2014 at 7:02 pm | Log in to reply.

Hi Maangchi!
I am excited to try to make miyeokguk tonight! I will use clams instead of the mussels. How would you call this soup made with clams?
I will let you know how it goes! :)
Thank you for the recipe!
- Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,051 comments
  Posted June 14th, 2014 at 11:02 am | Log in to reply.
  
  I hope your miyeokguk turned out delicious! Jogae(조개) is clam in Korean, so your miyeokguk should be named Jogae-Miyeokguk. : )
Miss Kim78 socali joined 3/13 & has 40 comments
Posted June 9th, 2014 at 7:46 pm | Log in to reply.

Your video totally made me craving some Miyuk Guk , so I totally made some the next morning! Mentioned you on my post too, how your video made me crave it! http://www.behgopa.com/2014/06/miyuk-guk-seaweed-soup-ramblings.html
- Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,051 comments
  Posted June 11th, 2014 at 11:29 am | Log in to reply.
  
  Thank you for mentioning my recipe on your blog. Good luck!
Miss Kim78 socali joined 3/13 & has 40 comments
Posted June 6th, 2014 at 5:22 am | Log in to reply.

Oh I am craving miyuk gook now! I agree that it has a calming effect. I feel so calmed and soothed whenever I eat miyuk guk. I have tried poorly made ones before too! But when made properly, it’s sooo yummy. I don’t like my mom’s miyukguk much, but she always makes it for us on our birthdays. She makes it out of love, so how can we not enjoy it?!
medusagurlyeah Adelaide joined 1/14 & has 31 comments
Posted May 30th, 2014 at 1:58 pm | Log in to reply.

Hello Maangchi,

I happen to have frozen mussel meat and seaweed which was meant for miyukguk, so the timing was uncanny! I decided to make this version last night and it was really yummy – very much the memory of the sea….But I reduced the amount of water because I like my soup a little stronger.
Very happy with your recipe!
- Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,051 comments
  Posted June 11th, 2014 at 11:30 am | Log in to reply.
  
  yay, memory of the sea! “I reduced the amount of water because I like my soup a little stronger.” awesome!
D California joined 6/09 & has 43 comments
Posted May 29th, 2014 at 6:09 pm | Log in to reply.

What other seafood can you use instead of mussels or clams?
- D California joined 6/09 & has 43 comments
  Posted May 29th, 2014 at 6:53 pm | Log in to reply.
  
  Sorry Maangchi. Your answer is writtten above. I can use any kind of seafood and meat.
  Can’t wait to try this seaweed soup because I love seaweed.
  - Maangchi New York City joined 8/08 & has 12,051 comments
    Posted May 29th, 2014 at 9:36 pm | Log in to reply.
    
    no problem! : )