Jjambbong (spicy noodle soup)

Jjambbong (spicy noodle soup)    (Korean Bapsang)

This spicy noodle soup, “jambbong,” is one of the most popular Korean-Chinese dishes alongside “jjajangmyeon” (noodles in a black bean sauce). Adapted for Korean tastes by early Chinese immigrants in Korea, Korean-Chinese cuisine (although called Chinese by Koreans) is a huge part of Korean food culture. 

You will find it surprisingly easy to make this popular bowl of noodle soup at home with easy-to-find ingredients. Restaurants usually use hand-pulled noodles, but for home cooking you can use ready-made fresh noodles sold in the refrigerator section of the store. The soup is typically made with chicken stock for a rich flavor, but you can also use anchovy broth for a cleaner/lighter taste. This soup also incorporates pork, chili-infused oil, and various vegetables and seafood. The combination of all the natural ingredients creates a hearty bowl of soup that is packed with robust flavors. 

Ingredients: (2 servings)
● 400 grams fresh jjajangmyeon/udon noodles

● 1 thumb-size ginger piece, julienned

● 2 scallions, roughly chopped 

● 1 tablespoon gochugaru (Korean chili pepper flakes) (adjust to taste) 

● 1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil 

● 1 tablespoon soy sauce

● 100 grams fatty pork, thinly sliced 

● 1/4 onion, thinly sliced

● 1/2 carrot, thinly sliced into bite sizes

● 1/2 zucchini, thinly sliced into bite sizes

●120 grams cabbage, cut into bite sizes 

● 2 dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked and thinly sliced

● 4 cups of chicken stock 

or anchovy broth (or water)

● 4-6 littleneck clams

(or other small clams)

● 4-6 mussels

● 4-6 shrimp

● 80 grams squid, cut into small sizes 

● Salt and pepper

Have a pot of water ready to cook the noodles. (Turn the heat on when you start cooking the soup ingredients. This way you can time it so that the noodles can be finished cooking at the same time the soup is ready.) While making the soup, cook the noodles according to the package instructions and drain.

Prepare all of the ingredients before you begin cooking. 

Heat a wok or a large pot over high heat. Add the oil, ginger, scallion, gochugaru and soy sauce, and stir fry for a minute.

Add the pork, and stir fry until the pork is almost cooked, about 2 minutes.

Stir in the onion, carrot, cabbage, zucchini and mushrooms, lightly salt, and cook until the vegetables are slightly softened, about 2 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Pour in the chicken stock (or anchovy broth/water), and boil until the vegetables are completely cooked.

Add the seafood starting with the clams, which require more time to cook, followed by the mussels, shrimp and squid. Bring everything to a boil again, and cook until the shells have opened. Add salt and pepper to taste. 

Place a serving of the noodles in a large soup bowl and ladle the soup on top. Serve immediately while piping hot.

Doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew)

Doenjang (fermented soybean paste) is a staple Korean condiment that’s used, among other things, as a base for stew or soup. Its deep, rich flavor is created by several months of fermentation and aging. Doenjang jjigae is a stew, which typically includes meat, tofu and various vegetables. It is one of the most representative dishes of everyday home-cooked Korean meals. Korean home cooks usually save the water used to rinse rice, ssalddeummul, and use it for a stew or soup. The rice water adds starch to the soup and works as a binding agent between the soybean paste and the broth, while enhancing the flavor of the doenjang. This hearty stew is a family favorite and my go-to dish when I want to make a quick, satisfying meal. The distinct aroma of sizzling doenjang makes my mouth water every time I make this dish.

Ingredients:
● 300 grams tofu

● 1/2 medium zucchini (mushrooms and potatoes can be added)

● 1/2 small onion

● 60 grams pork belly or other fatty cut 

● 1 chili pepper (green or red)

● 1 scallion

● 2 tablespoons doenjang, fermented soybean paste

● 1 teaspoon gochugaru, red chili pepper flakes

● 1 teaspoon minced garlic

● Pepper to taste

● 2 cups of anchovy broth or water*

(*Use the water used to rinse rice, ssalddeummul. For anchovy broth, boil about 7 or 8 medium dry anchovies and 17-centimeter square of dried kelp in 3 cups of water or ssalddeummul for 10 minutes.) 

Cut the tofu and zucchini into bite-size cubes. Thinly slice the onion and chili pepper, and roughly chop the scallion. Slice the meat into thin strips.

Preheat a small pot with a little bit of oil over medium heat. Saute the meat, doenjang, gochugaru and garlic for 3-4 minutes. Add the water (or anchovy broth), and stir well to dissolve the bean paste. Cover and boil over medium-high heat for 4 to 5 minutes. 

Add the onion, tofu, zucchini and chili pepper. Boil for an additional 10 minutes. Throw in the scallion with 2 minutes remaining.

Serve with rice while it is still bubbling from the heat.

Beoseot jeongol (mushroom hot pot)

This recipe is a simple version of jeongol (Korean hot pot). Jeongol is a hearty, steaming one-pot meal that’s usually cooked at the table. To make it, you basically arrange a variety of ingredients neatly in a shallow pot, then add a flavorful broth and cook.

Beoseot (mushroom) jeongol is made with an assortment of different types of mushrooms. It’s a great way to enjoy the strong, earthy flavor of mushrooms. Here, I made it simple and completely vegetarian! You can add other vegetables, beef, seafood and/or tofu if you like. The recipe can be easily doubled for more people. It’s a healthy meal that will warm you up on a cool autumn day!

2-3 servings

Ingredients:
● For vegetable broth: 

● 1/2 small onion, cut into big chunks

● 80 grams Korean radish, cut into big chunks

● 3x3-inch dried kelp (known as dashima/kombu)

● A few mushroom stems

● 1 tablespoon guk ganjang (soup soy sauce) 

● Salt and pepper to taste 

For the pot:
● 300 grams assorted mushrooms (button/white, shiitake, oyster, enoki, etc.)

● 2 scallions, roughly chopped 

● 60 grams minari (watercress), roughly chopped 

● 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic (You can also add tofu and/or other vegetables such as mu (radish), napa cabbage, onion and carrots.)

Put 5 cups water and the broth vegetables in a medium-size pot. Bring it to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and moderately boil for about 15 minutes. Discard the vegetables. Season with soy sauce, salt and pepper to taste. 

Cut the mushrooms into bite-size slices. Mushrooms cook down quite a bit, so don’t cut too thin or small. 

Neatly arrange the mushrooms and scallions in clusters in a shallow pot. Add 2 cups of broth. Boil over medium to medium-high heat until mushrooms are softened, 4-5 minutes. You can add more broth and any remaining ingredients while eating if you’re cooking at the table.