Korean Mussel Soup. Who doesn’t like mussels? It’s light on the stomach and fun to pick at. Perfect for your next Netflix binge. Today, I will show you how to prep mussels the Korean way.

Korean Mussel Soup is a very popular type of anju (bar foods) in Seoul. When drinking soju, taking a sip of the mussel soup works well as a chaser. It’s often the first thing that many people order, alongside a few other anju banchans.

One of my favorite dining bars in Seoul also provide a few packets of Spicy Shin Ramen. They use the leftover broth from the mussel soup, throw in the noodles, and instantly make a bowl of spicy seafood ramen. It’s my favorite part! The mussel broth adds a nice layer of umami to the ramen. A few slurps of this spicy ramen and the whole table regains enough energy… for another round of soju 🙂

건배 ya’ll!

Korean Mussel Soup - Killer Broth!

Today, we boil fresh mussels and use its natural flavors to make a light and refreshing broth. Perfect for a light meal. Right before a Netflix binge session!

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Course: Easy

Servings: people

Ingredients

Fresh Mussels - 1 kg Ok to use less, 500-600 grams
Onion - 1/2 a whole
Spring onion - 1 stalk forearm piece
Korean chili pepper - 1 whole if using Jalapeno, use 1/2 a whole
Water - reference notes
Salt - 1/2 Tablespoon
Minced garlic - 1 teaspoon

Instructions

Mussel Prep

Give your mussels a thorough wash under cold water. Then take a quick inspection: Fresh mussels should be tightly closed OR they should close when you tap them. Throw out the shells that are wide-open or unresponsive.
Then pull the "beards" off each mussel. (Some may not have one.) If you see barnacles or other debris on the shell, use another shell to scrape it off.
Give the shells a final rinse under cold water.

Make Pot

Use a large frying pan with high walls or a wide pot. Place cleaned mussels in. Then pour enough water to almost submerge the mussels (reference video).
Cut the 1/2 onion in half again. Then chop the spring onion stalk in half. Use a knife to split the chili pepper. Place all of them into the pot.
Put the pot on high heat and bring it up to a boil.
Once pot begins to boil, reduce the heat to a medium-high. Add in minced garlic and salt. (Note: You will see alot of foam on the surface. No need to skim that off - it will disappear by itself soon)
Once most of the foam disappears, the soup and mussels should be ready to eat. Turn off heat.
Garnish pot with a few slices of spring onion and chili peppers. Enjoy!

Notes

If you want to make ramen, save some of the broth: ~2 cups of broth for every package of ramen.
For Korean ramen, I would recommend Nongshim Shin Ramen or Neoguri Ramen
Reference the video below for more details

Tried this recipe?Tag us at @efutureneighbor with your dish!