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Dak Gomtang – Korean Chicken Soup!

This is easily one of the best Chicken Soups that we’ve made!

It’s absolutely incredible.

In Korea, we have entered the monsoon season. Every year, from the start of July through the end of September, we get hit with a streak of heavy rains and humid heat.

This heat and humidity causes many elderly people to feel tired, lazy and weak. So its customary to re-energize with a bowl of piping-hot chicken soup.

The rationale is that the hot soup will make you sweat – helping your cool down. While the nutrient-rich chicken soup will fill you up with clean protein and energy.

Typically the go-to soup is Samgyetang – which his similar to this recipe, but prepared differently and boiled with ginseng and other medicinal herbs.

I know many of our viewers don’t have access to these oriental herbs – so I wanted to introduce Dak Gomtang.

It’s just as delicious - and best of all - can be made with everyday ingredients like onion, garlic and spring onions.

Now, Dak Gomtang is made with a whole chicken – the bones in the chicken produce a light but deep-tasting broth.

After the chicken is boiled, its shredded by hand into small bite-sized pieces.

Everyday ingredients, simple to make, and very nutritious!

Cooking notes for Dak Gom Tang

It’s best to make a master-pot for the broth. Then prepare individual servings in a small pot. You can transfer to a bowl before serving to family and friends (especially if you have younger children).

Boiling the rice to the soup is not necessary. You can serve the rice on the side and the chicken soup separately.

I like the method of boiling the two together because it’s easier to eat!

If you’re market doesn’t sell whole chicken - you can make broth using a high-quality chicken stock powder or liquid.

Then add in organic chicken breasts and/or thighs.

But of course, it’s best to use a whole chicken – as it will produce cleaner, lighter and more natural flavor.

One chicken will produce enough for 2 large servings (or 3 smaller bowls). If you’re cooking for a large family, simply boil 2 chickens – keep the water and other ingredients the same.

That’s it for now! If you try it at home, tag us on IG. We enjoy browsing through your photos in the morning heh!

-Daniel out 🕺

Dak Gomtang - Korea's Chicken Soup For the Soul!

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Ingredients

For Making Chicken Broth

1 whole Chicken (800-1000 grams, ~2lbs)
3 liters of Water (~13 cups)
4-5 forearm length pieces of Spring Onion
1 whole Onion
10 cloves of Garlic
2-3 Bay Leaves (optional, skip if you don't have)
1 Tablespoon Salt (season the broth after its reduced)

Seasoning for Shredded Chicken Pieces

1 Tablespoon Sesame Oil
Few cracks of Black Pepper

Spicy Gochugaru Paste (Optional)

2 Tablespoons Gochugaru
1 teaspoon (!) Minced Garlic
3 Tablespoons Chicken Broth (add after your broth is done reducing)

Individual Servings of Soup

Small handful Pre-Soaked Dangmyeon Noodles (Optional ingredient)
1 cup of Cooked Rice
5-6 soup ladles of Chicken Broth (listed above)
Small handful of Seasoned Shredded Chicken Pieces (listed above)
Small handful of Sliced Green Onion
Small plate of Salt & Pepper (for guests to season to taste)

Instructions

Prep Ingredients & Boil Chicken

Soak small handful of Dangmyeon Noodles in cold water. Then set aside for now - we'll use it later.
Let's start prepping our whole chicken. Use a pair of kitchen scissors and trim-off the tail portion. Then cut-off the excess skin surrounding the cavity - as shown in the video. Then use a spoon to gently scrap out the leftover innard bits stuck in the chicken. Afterwards, give the outside and inside of the chicken a thorough rinse under running water.
Now take out a large pot (the biggest one you have!). Place in the cleaned chicken. Then add in 3L (~13 cups) of water.
Cut spring onion stalks into forearm length pieces (we'll need 4-5 long pieces). Cut 1 large onion in half. Gently bash 10 cloves of garlic - so it can release its aromatics into the broth early. Then set aside 2-3 bay leaves (this ingredient is optional - skip if you don't have). The add each of these ingredients into the pot.
Place a lid on the pot. Bring it up to a roaring boil on HIGH heat. Once the pot starts to boil, set a timer for 30 minutes.
Important: After 7 minutes, reduce the heat to a medium. Keep the lid on - and continue to let it boil away on medium-heat for the rest of the 23 minutes.

Make Garnish & Spicy Paste

Dice another stalk of green onion into thin pieces to use as garnish.
Now, we'll make a spicy paste - this is an optional ingredient. Place Gochugaru (2 Tablespoons) and Minced Garlic (1 teaspoon!) onto a small bowl. The third ingredient is our Chicken Broth (3 Tablespoons). But we'll add that once the broth at the end - when it's done reducing. So set this paste aside for now - back to the chicken.

Shred Chicken

After 30 minutes of boiling, turn the heat off on the pot. Carefully take the chicken out of the pot. Let it cool down for 10-15 minutes. Then place on some kitchen gloves. Before you start shredding, gently separate the two wings-and-drumstick piece from the rest of the chicken. We'll keep them whole for plating. Then shred the rest of the chicken with your hands. Make sure to get all the meats that's hiding in the nooks and crannies.
After you're done shredding the chicken, don't throw away the leftover carcass and bones. Carefully place the carcass and bones back into the broth. Now, place the pot back onto a HIGH heat. Then let it boil away for 15 minutes on high heat - WITHOUT THE LID. This way, more liquid evaporates - making the broth taste deeper!
While the broth is reducing, get back to the shredded chicken pieces. Place them into a bowl. Toss them in Sesame Oil (1 Tablespoon) and few shakes of Black Pepper. Set aside for now final plating.

Season Broth

After the final 15 minute of hard boiling, turn off the heat. We'll season the broth with Salt (1 Tablespoon). The broth may taste slightly bland after adding the 1 Tablespoon of salt - but that's fine. Typically, we under-season the master pot. Then offer the guest a small plate of salt & black pepper on the side and let them season-to-taste.
If you've elected to make the spicy paste, now add in the 3 Tablespoons of Broth. Mix the gochugaru, garlic and broth evenly. Then set aside.

Make Individual Bowls.

Take out a Ttukbaegi bowl or a small pot. Add a small handful of the soaked Dangmyeon Noodles. Then add a cup of cooked rice. The pile on a small handful of the seasoned shredded chicken on top of the rice. Next, place a chicken thigh or drumstick piece to the side. Next, pour on 5-6 soup ladles of your delicious chicken broth. Top off with sliced spring onions. And give a few cracks of black pepper.
Turn the heat on and bring the Ttukbaegi (or your small pot) to a boil.
Once it comes to a boil, turn off the heat. Now it's ready to serve to your guests.
When serving the soup, we want to offer some salt & black pepper on the side. Simply mix a spoonful of salt and a few cracks of black pepper onto a small plate. The guest can season their bowls with this if they'd like!
If you have some Kimchi or Kkakdugi, serve that on the side as well. Bon Appetit ya'll!

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