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Korean Stock Soup. It's an essential skill in Korean cooking. In fact, most Korean soups and stews start off with this anchovy-kelp stock base. Learn the technique and let's start cooking Korean stews!

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When I was learning how to cook Korean food, I preferred to use instant beef powder for my stock base. It was simple and I didn't have to peel anchovies. For a long time, I held a (natural) assumption that anchovy stock would make my stews taste fishy - and nasty.

But as I started to develop my culinary skills, I realized how subtle the anchovy-kelp stock soup is. It doesn't overpower any of the ingredients in the stew. Nor does it taste fishy. In fact, the stock is very light and plays more of a 'support' role. It binds the flavor of the ingredients together.

Today, I wanted to do a bit of hand-holding and show you how to make this traditional Korean stock soup from scratch. It's very simple and once you have done it once or twice - it becomes second nature.

For those who are allergic to seafood (or can not find dried anchovies), I also have an alternative vegetarian recipe. This alternative stock builds its flavor from the shiitake mushrooms. Full of umami and taste. Note: If you see me refer to the anchovy-kelp stock in future recipes, you can substitute it with this vegetarian mushroom stock.

Save any remaining stock in a bottle and stick in the refrigerator. This recipe should be enough for a 2-person portion.

Korean Soup Stocks: Anchovy-Kelp Broth + Vegetarian Broth

Making stock is the first step in making Korean soups or stews.

5 from 4 votes

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Course: Easy

Servings: person

Ingredients

Anchovy-Kelp Broth

Dried Anchovies - 10 Large-Sized, Used for Broth
Dried Kelp Dashima - iPhone-sized piece
Water - 5 cups

Shiitake-Kelp Broth (Vegetarian)

Dried Kelp Dashima - iPhone-sized piece
Shiitake Mushrooms - 3
Onion - ½ a whole
Spring onion - forearm-size piece
Water - 5 cups
Korean radish optional- 150 grams (measure up to 2nd wrinkle on pointer figure)

Anchovy-Kelp Broth Teabag

Anchovy-Kelp Teabag - 1
Water - 5 cups

Instructions

Anchovy-Kelp Broth

Clean dried anchovies: Take off the head. Split body in half and remove black innards.
Place a pot on medium-high heat. Once it is hot, place the dried anchovies in. Do not add any oil. Stir around and "toast" them for 30 seconds.
Add water in. Then put in dashima pieces. Bring up to a boil. Once it is boiling, remove dashima pieces.
Reduce heat to a medium-low heat. Cook for 10 minutes
Strain through a kitchen towel. Set aside.

Shiitake-Kelp Broth (Vegetarian)

Take out a large pot and place all of the veggies in. Then place in dashima pieces. Then pour water into the pot. Put on a medium-high heat and bring up to a boil.
Once water is boiling, take out the dashima pieces.
Reduce to a medium-low heat. Cook for 15 minutes.
Strain through a kitchen towel. Set aside.