AI-generated image
Gamja guk
Potato and onion soup
Gamja guk (감잣국): light Korean potato and onion soup in a kelp broth
Gamja guk is the plain, comforting potato soup that Korean mothers make on busy mornings and quiet evenings all year round, served with rice and kimchi. Thin slices of potato and onion simmer in a clear broth until soft, finished with spring onion and a little garlic. Most homes use an anchovy and kelp stock; this is the vegetarian version, with kelp and dried shiitake. It is mild and soothing, with about 4 g of protein per bowl; crack an egg into the pot at the end, or serve tofu alongside, for more. The common mistake is cutting the potatoes too thick, so the outside crumbles before the middle is cooked; slice them evenly, about 5 mm. Chef's tip: soak the sliced potato in cold water for 5 minutes to rinse away surface starch and keep the broth clear.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 5 cups water
- ⅓ oz dried kelp (dashima)
- 3 potatoesmedium, halved and sliced 5 mm thick
- 1 onionthinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlicfinely chopped
- 1 tbsp Korean soup soy sauce
- ½ tsp saltto taste
- 2 spring onionssliced on the diagonal
- 1 pinch ground black pepper
Shop this recipe on Amazon
Fresh ingredients (4)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Put 5 cups water, ⅓ oz dried kelp (dashima) and 2 dried shiitake mushrooms in a pot and bring slowly to a simmer over a medium heat. Lift out the kelp as soon as it boils; simmer the shiitake for 5 minutes more, then remove them.
8 minStep 2: While the broth heats, soak 3 potatoes in cold water for 5 minutes, then drain.
Step 3: Add the potatoes and 1 onion to the broth and simmer for 8–10 minutes, until a slice breaks easily when pressed against the side of the pot and the onion is soft.
10 minStep 4: Stir in 2 cloves garlic and 1 tbsp Korean soup soy sauce and simmer for 1 minute. Taste and add ½ tsp salt if needed.
1 minStep 5: Add 2 spring onions and 1 pinch ground black pepper, turn off the heat and serve at once with rice and kimchi.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 110 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 23 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does gamja guk take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- What can I use instead of dried shiitake mushrooms?
- Aubergine, diced, same weight.
- What can I use instead of potatoes?
- Sweet potato, same weight (sweeter, cooks a little faster).
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Tiyula itumBlack beef soup
Tiyula itum, 'black soup', is the pride of the Tausug people of Sulu in the far south of the Philippines, cooked for weddings, Eid celebrations and when guests come home. Beef (it is a halal, pork-free dish) is simmered with ginger, lemongrass and turmeric, then darkened with pamapa itum, a paste of grated coconut toasted until almost black and pounded with spices. The broth looks dramatic but tastes smoky, earthy and gently peppery, with heat from chillies. Serve it with plain rice. Chef's tip: toast the coconut slowly, stirring all the time, until it is very dark brown but not ashy; burnt-to-ash coconut tastes bitter and ruins the soup.
Filipino
Ful nabitSprouted fava bean soup
Sprouted beans are ladled out with their cooking liquor in Cairo homes when the weather turns cold or someone is feeling run down, and Egyptians swear by the broth as a pick-me-up. The beans are soaked and left to sprout for a few days, then simmered with onion, garlic and cumin into a light, earthy soup that is sharpened at the table with plenty of lemon. You can eat the beans with a spoon or pop them from their skins. Allow 3 to 4 days for sprouting, although the hands-on work is only about 20 minutes. People with G6PD deficiency (favism) must not eat fava beans. Chef's tip: stop the sprouting when the shoots are about 1 cm long; longer sprouts taste grassy and bitter.
Egyptian
Miso soup
Miso soup (味噌汁) is drunk every day in homes all over Japan, at breakfast as well as dinner, beside a bowl of rice. The base is dashi; this vegan version uses kombu and dried shiitake instead of bonito, which gives it a deep, rounded flavour. Silken tofu and wakame seaweed are the classic fillings. It takes ten minutes; just remember not to boil the miso. Chef's tip: add the miso at the very end and never let it boil. Boiling kills the miso's fresh, fermented aroma; Japanese cooks say the soup should only 'smile', with the surface barely trembling.
Japanese