Korean Stock Soup - Learning the Basics

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: 2 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.

Anchovy-Kelp Broth (Teabag)

• Take out a pot. Pour water in. Bring up to a boil. 
• Place teabag into the water. Cook for 5 minutes. Take out teabag. Set aside.

Notes

• Make sure to reduce heat to a medium-low (gentle simmer) when boiling the stock.
• See video below for more details

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