In my opinion, if you see someone who can make delicious kimchi and kongnamulguk, you can say he or she is good at Korean cooking!
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I’m introducing 2 versions of soybean sprout soup to you: a spicy version and a non-spicy version.
One of my aunts who passed away last year made this spicy version of kongnamulguk. When I was young, I used to go to her house during my summer vacation for a few weeks. She had no children so she always welcomed me. I have so many good memories about her.
I watched her making this soup because I really liked the taste. Even though it’s a very simple and easy recipe, since I saw her cooking this soup, I have been using this recipe for decades!
Ironically, she added a little MSG to the soup at the end, but I don’t. I like to enjoy the taste of natural ingredients. Here are my recipes!
Rinse and drain a package of soybean sprouts (500 grams) a few times over. Pick out any rotten sprouts.
Put the soybean sprouts into a pot and add 5½ cups of water.
Add 1½ ts salt, 1 ts soy sauce, 2 cloves of minced garlic, ½ tbs of hot pepper flakes.
Slice half a medium sized onion and put it in the pot.
Add a handful of dried anchovies (about 7 large dried anchovies) after removing the intestines. *tip: this is going to be taken out later, we won’t eat it
Close the lid and bring to a boil over medium heat for about 15 minutes.
When the soup boils over, open the lid and stir the soup with a spoon.
Lower the heat and cook another 25 minutes.
Add 2 chopped green onions and 1 or 2 ts of sesame oil.
Turn off the heat.
Grind roasted sesame seeds in a grinder.
Put the soup in a bowl and sprinkle some sesame seed powder on top, just before serving.
Yes you can substitute mung bean sprouts in place of soybean sprouts. I prefer it myself and generally any bean sprout that is about the size of the soybean. More people are switching to other kinds of bean sprouts other than soy due to the concern of the phyto-estrogen( “phyto” only means that it is plant derived), or estrogen that naturally occurs in soy for those concerned with that issue.
I just made this soup! It’s awesome! I actually made an anchovie/iriko stock with kelp and a dried shiitake mushroom ahead of time since I didn’t have your handy mesh ball. It was really simple, I love it. I’m going to tackle kimchi next… thanks for all the great recipes and videos!
MaangchiNew York Cityjoined 8/08& has 11,825 comments
I’ve been making a soup like this for a long time whenever I get sick. It always helps clear up the congestion. I don’t write down my recipes, so I need to wait until I make it again, but in my version I don’t use salt and just increase the amount of soy sauce, I use fresh peppers boiled with the stock (which I make homemade vegetarian stock), and I’ve never tried putting ground roasted sesame seeds in it (only the oil). Sometimes I throw in tofu or other vegetables, but I love soybean sprouts so those always take the center stage. I must try it your way, though. The ground seeds sound like they’d be good, and of course with radish kimchi (one of my favorites).
MaangchiNew York Cityjoined 8/08& has 11,825 comments
wow .. finally i got to try this soup .. it’s cold outside , and this soup totally warms me up !! My nose is runny now !! LOL , but this soup is delicious , i tried the spicy version , super easy and so yummy !! great for a cold day like today , thanks maangchi !!
although i ran out of soy sauce , ended up using teriyaki sauce LOL and i didn’t grind the sesame seed either , still tasted good !
MaangchiNew York Cityjoined 8/08& has 11,825 comments
I have made this recipe so many times now Maangchi! Thanks so much for posting it. My BF and I both feel like we have a cold coming on so I made it tonight with extra onions and garlic. It’s like a bowlfull of joy :D
MaangchiNew York Cityjoined 8/08& has 11,825 comments
My husband enjoys a sprout soup at a Korean restaurant in Chicago, but they won’t give him the recipe! It did learn it has 5 kinds of sprouts, tofu and pine nuts in it. It’s good for people with cancer. Any ideas what this soup might be?
MaangchiNew York Cityjoined 8/08& has 11,825 comments
Hello!
When I was in Korea, I had Kongnamul guk, but it was cold, I only ever had it cold. How do I do this? just refrigerate after cooking and serve cold? It was very delicious cold, and refreshing!
Thank you for your recipes!
MaangchiNew York Cityjoined 8/08& has 11,825 comments
Maangchi,
I followed your recipe but the soybean spicy soup came out very watery with out much taste! In the pictures, it looks like the sprouts are in alot of water -the amt in the recipe was not enough so I added more. I should have added more of the other ingredients. It looks so flavorful and I was soo disappointed but I will try again. Any suggestions?
MaangchiNew York Cityjoined 8/08& has 11,825 comments
Maangchi,
I think I used too many sprouts. The bag I used had alot of sprouts and 5 1/2 cups of water didn’t even make them float so I added alot more. that’s why it tasted watery. I’ll try less sprouts and use a smaller pan!
shethatisnauLas Vegas, NVjoined 5/10& has 8 comments
Maangchi!! This is delicious! I made it for breakfast two days ago and it makes an awesome first meal with a bowl of rice and natto! The subtly umami anchovy broth, the crunchy bean sprouts, rich sesame seeds~ yummy! I’ve had it two days in a row and can’t wait to make more. Thank you soooo much! This is probably my favorite recipe yet, and it’s so simple! I can’t wait to try more now :}
MaangchiNew York Cityjoined 8/08& has 11,825 comments
Maangchi I made this today and you are sooooo riiight!! The kaktugi is sooo good in the soup! Now I understand why you couldn’t stop eating it in the video!! Instead of Julie and Julia, I feel like this is Elisabeth and Maangchi! :)
MaangchiNew York Cityjoined 8/08& has 11,825 comments
Hi Maangchi, I’m impressed by your videos… I’m a vegetarian who does not take onion and garlic, is there any way that i can modify this receipe to suit my diet??? And for the non-spicy version, could i cooked it with addition of the red pepper flake to make it spicy?? Please advices.. THank you!!! =)
MaangchiNew York Cityjoined 8/08& has 11,825 comments
Yes, you could add the red pepper flakes in non-spicy version recipe. The amount depends on your taste! mild hot, super hot.. or suicidal hot! : ) If you can’t eat garlic and onion, skip them. Without garlic, kongnamulguk is still delcious. But how about green onion? Can you eat it? If so, use it instead of onion.
as long it is onion, i cant eat it… But anyway, really thank alot… I tried cooking your pan-fried tofu with the soya-sweet sauce, it tastes great without any onion and garlic added to it… Thanks alot for your guidance… I shall continue to try other receipes and hope that you will post more vegetarian receipes up on your website… =)
hi maangchi,
this is probably a silly question but how do you make jak ko bap? i call it the purple bap. i usually buy the bag of mixed grain (brown rice, alot of different beans etc..) i soak it for a couple hours and then i cook it in the rice cooker but it never comes out right…should i add regular rice and sweet rice too it? please help!
MaangchiNew York Cityjoined 8/08& has 11,825 comments
1. Combine 1 cup of short grain rice, 1/2 cup of sweet brown rice, 1/2 cup of barley rice, and 2 tbs of black sweet rice
2. Wash and drain a couple of times and put it in a pot with a thick bottom
3. Pour 3 cups of water into the pot and soak it for a few hours and close the lid.
4. Bring the pot to a boil over medium heat for 10 minutes.
5. Open the lid and turn the rice over with a rice scoop or spoon.
6. Simmer it over low heat for another 10 minutes!
Hi, Maangchi, how do you cook the black sweet rice? I want to cook it to go with my kongnamulguk (which is absolutely delicious by the way! I love your recipe! It’s especially tasty if you let the soup soak overnight in the fridge so the flavors seep in more, ive found) and kimchi (which I also love your recipe for! So much better than the kimchi I had at a Korean Restaurant! Yummy!)
MaangchiNew York Cityjoined 8/08& has 11,825 comments
Thank you for your interest in my recipes! Here is the recipe for my multi-grain rice including the black sweet rice:
1. Combine 1 cup of short grain rice, 1/2 cup of sweet brown rice, 1/2 cup of barley rice, and 2 tbs of black sweet rice
2. Wash and drain a couple of times and put it in a pot with a thick bottom
3. Pour 3 cups of water into the pot and close the lid,and let it sit for a few hours
4. Bring the pot to a boil over medium heat for 10 minutes.
5. Open the lid and turn the rice over with a rice scoop or spoon.
6. Simmer it over low heat for another 10 minutes!
Made with:dried anchovies, dried kelp, garlic, green onion, hot pepper flakes, onion, salt, sesame oil, sesame seeds, soy sauce, soybean sprouts, water,
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thank you maangchi you helped me so much to lern how to cook korean…. for my husbond
Can I make this with mung bean sprouts? I have a bunch in the fridge that will go bad soon …
Yes you can substitute mung bean sprouts in place of soybean sprouts. I prefer it myself and generally any bean sprout that is about the size of the soybean. More people are switching to other kinds of bean sprouts other than soy due to the concern of the phyto-estrogen( “phyto” only means that it is plant derived), or estrogen that naturally occurs in soy for those concerned with that issue.
For those who don’t know, the mesh ball Maangchi uses is called an infuser.
I just made this soup! It’s awesome! I actually made an anchovie/iriko stock with kelp and a dried shiitake mushroom ahead of time since I didn’t have your handy mesh ball. It was really simple, I love it. I’m going to tackle kimchi next… thanks for all the great recipes and videos!
“I actually made an anchovie/iriko stock with kelp and a dried shiitake mushroom ahead of time..” very wise! I hope your kimchi turns out delicious!
I’ve been making a soup like this for a long time whenever I get sick. It always helps clear up the congestion. I don’t write down my recipes, so I need to wait until I make it again, but in my version I don’t use salt and just increase the amount of soy sauce, I use fresh peppers boiled with the stock (which I make homemade vegetarian stock), and I’ve never tried putting ground roasted sesame seeds in it (only the oil). Sometimes I throw in tofu or other vegetables, but I love soybean sprouts so those always take the center stage. I must try it your way, though. The ground seeds sound like they’d be good, and of course with radish kimchi (one of my favorites).
Thank you for sharing your version of kongnamulguk (soybean sprout soup) recipe with us!
wow .. finally i got to try this soup .. it’s cold outside , and this soup totally warms me up !! My nose is runny now !! LOL , but this soup is delicious , i tried the spicy version , super easy and so yummy !! great for a cold day like today , thanks maangchi !!
although i ran out of soy sauce , ended up using teriyaki sauce LOL and i didn’t grind the sesame seed either , still tasted good !
The spicy version of soybean sprout soup is a good choice for home remedy for colds. I hope your runny nose stops running now. : )
I have made this recipe so many times now Maangchi! Thanks so much for posting it. My BF and I both feel like we have a cold coming on so I made it tonight with extra onions and garlic. It’s like a bowlfull of joy :D
wow, extra garlic and onion sounds great!
Hi Maangchi,
My husband enjoys a sprout soup at a Korean restaurant in Chicago, but they won’t give him the recipe! It did learn it has 5 kinds of sprouts, tofu and pine nuts in it. It’s good for people with cancer. Any ideas what this soup might be?
I don’t know what it is. They must have invented their own soy bean sprouts dish! It sounds like salads, right?
Hello!
When I was in Korea, I had Kongnamul guk, but it was cold, I only ever had it cold. How do I do this? just refrigerate after cooking and serve cold? It was very delicious cold, and refreshing!
Thank you for your recipes!
yes, When it cools down,(especially non spicy version),keep it in the refrigerator. Delicious!
Maangchi,
I followed your recipe but the soybean spicy soup came out very watery with out much taste! In the pictures, it looks like the sprouts are in alot of water -the amt in the recipe was not enough so I added more. I should have added more of the other ingredients. It looks so flavorful and I was soo disappointed but I will try again. Any suggestions?
Did it turn out too watery? Then add less water.
Maangchi,
I think I used too many sprouts. The bag I used had alot of sprouts and 5 1/2 cups of water didn’t even make them float so I added alot more. that’s why it tasted watery. I’ll try less sprouts and use a smaller pan!
Maangchi!! This is delicious! I made it for breakfast two days ago and it makes an awesome first meal with a bowl of rice and natto! The subtly umami anchovy broth, the crunchy bean sprouts, rich sesame seeds~ yummy! I’ve had it two days in a row and can’t wait to make more. Thank you soooo much! This is probably my favorite recipe yet, and it’s so simple! I can’t wait to try more now :}
yeah, this is very basic everyday Korean soup. Every Korean loves it. So do I! Which version do you like better: spicy or non-spicy?
Maangchi I made this today and you are sooooo riiight!! The kaktugi is sooo good in the soup! Now I understand why you couldn’t stop eating it in the video!! Instead of Julie and Julia, I feel like this is Elisabeth and Maangchi! :)
oh, you thought about me when you had the soup with radish kimchi! You are enjoying the soup just like one of Koreans! Nice!
Hi Maangchi, I’m impressed by your videos… I’m a vegetarian who does not take onion and garlic, is there any way that i can modify this receipe to suit my diet??? And for the non-spicy version, could i cooked it with addition of the red pepper flake to make it spicy?? Please advices.. THank you!!! =)
Yes, you could add the red pepper flakes in non-spicy version recipe. The amount depends on your taste! mild hot, super hot.. or suicidal hot! : ) If you can’t eat garlic and onion, skip them. Without garlic, kongnamulguk is still delcious. But how about green onion? Can you eat it? If so, use it instead of onion.
as long it is onion, i cant eat it… But anyway, really thank alot… I tried cooking your pan-fried tofu with the soya-sweet sauce, it tastes great without any onion and garlic added to it… Thanks alot for your guidance… I shall continue to try other receipes and hope that you will post more vegetarian receipes up on your website… =)
hi maangchi,
this is probably a silly question but how do you make jak ko bap? i call it the purple bap. i usually buy the bag of mixed grain (brown rice, alot of different beans etc..) i soak it for a couple hours and then i cook it in the rice cooker but it never comes out right…should i add regular rice and sweet rice too it? please help!
I make my multi-grain rice this way using a pot.
1. Combine 1 cup of short grain rice, 1/2 cup of sweet brown rice, 1/2 cup of barley rice, and 2 tbs of black sweet rice
2. Wash and drain a couple of times and put it in a pot with a thick bottom
3. Pour 3 cups of water into the pot and soak it for a few hours and close the lid.
4. Bring the pot to a boil over medium heat for 10 minutes.
5. Open the lid and turn the rice over with a rice scoop or spoon.
6. Simmer it over low heat for another 10 minutes!
Hi, Maangchi, how do you cook the black sweet rice? I want to cook it to go with my kongnamulguk (which is absolutely delicious by the way! I love your recipe! It’s especially tasty if you let the soup soak overnight in the fridge so the flavors seep in more, ive found) and kimchi (which I also love your recipe for! So much better than the kimchi I had at a Korean Restaurant! Yummy!)
Thank you for your interest in my recipes! Here is the recipe for my multi-grain rice including the black sweet rice:
1. Combine 1 cup of short grain rice, 1/2 cup of sweet brown rice, 1/2 cup of barley rice, and 2 tbs of black sweet rice
2. Wash and drain a couple of times and put it in a pot with a thick bottom
3. Pour 3 cups of water into the pot and close the lid,and let it sit for a few hours
4. Bring the pot to a boil over medium heat for 10 minutes.
5. Open the lid and turn the rice over with a rice scoop or spoon.
6. Simmer it over low heat for another 10 minutes!
This is very helpful! Thank you so much!