KoreanJeonju kongnamul gukbap
Bean sprout rice soup
콩나물국밥 · Jeonju's bean-sprout rice soup with a soft-cooked egg on the side
Jeonju, the North Jeolla city known for bibimbap, starts its day with kongnamul gukbap (콩나물국밥): a scalding clay bowl of clear soybean-sprout broth over rice, sharp with garlic and chilli, served before dawn to market traders and, famously, to anyone with a hangover. Many Jeonju shops bring a half-cooked egg in a separate cup, which you season with a little broth and crumbled seaweed and slurp first. The usual broth is anchovy based, with salted shrimp at the table; here it is kelp, shiitake and soup soy sauce. Chef's tip: keep the lid on while the sprouts cook and don't open it until they are done; lifting it early is said to give them a raw, grassy smell.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Serves
- 2
- Per serving
- 390 kcal
Ingredients
For the broth
- 5 cups water
- 1 piece dried kelp (dasima)about 10 × 10 cm
- 3 ½ oz Korean radish (mu) or daikonin one piece
- 10 ½ oz soybean sproutsrinsed, tails trimmed if you like
- 1 tsp saltto taste
For the bowls
- 10 ½ oz cooked short-grain riceabout 2 bowls
- 3 cloves garlicfinely chopped
- 2 spring onionssliced
- 1 green chilli (Cheongyang if you can find it)finely chopped
- 2 ⅛ oz vegan kimchi (optional)chopped
For the egg
- 2 eggs
- 1 sheet roasted seaweed (gim)crumbled
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Put 5 cups water, 1 piece dried kelp (dasima), 3 dried shiitake mushrooms and 3 ½ oz Korean radish (mu) or daikon in a pot. Simmer over a medium heat for 15 minutes. Lift out the kelp, shiitake and radish; slice the radish thinly and keep it.
15 minStep 2: Add 10 ½ oz soybean sprouts to the simmering broth, cover and cook for 5 minutes without lifting the lid, until the sprouts are tender but still crunchy.
5 minStep 3: Lift out half the sprouts and keep them aside. Season the broth with 1 tbsp Korean soup soy sauce (guk-ganjang) and 1 tsp salt; it should taste clean and a little salty.
Step 4: Meanwhile, bring a small pan of water to the boil, lower in 2 eggs and cook for 6 minutes. Cool in cold water for 1 minute, peel and put one in each of two small cups. They should be soft and runny inside.
7 minStep 5: Warm 10 ½ oz cooked short-grain rice in two deep heatproof bowls (a microwave or a quick pour of hot broth over and drain works). Top with the reserved sprouts and radish, 3 cloves garlic, 2 spring onions, 1 green chilli (Cheongyang if you can find it), 1 tsp gochugaru (Korean chilli flakes) and 2 ⅛ oz vegan kimchi.
Step 6: Bring the broth back to a rolling boil and ladle it over so the bowls arrive steaming. A common mistake is using fresh rice that is too soft: day-old rice keeps its grains in the hot broth.
Step 7: Spoon a little broth into each egg cup, break the egg up and top with 1 sheet roasted seaweed (gim). Eat the egg first, then stir the soup and rice together.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 390 kcal
- Protein
- 17 g
- Carbs
- 62 g
- Fat
- 7 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does jeonju kongnamul gukbap take?
- About 35 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 2 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of dried shiitake mushrooms?
- Aubergine, diced, same weight.
- What can I use instead of korean soup soy sauce (guk-ganjang)?
- Tamari, same amount (gluten free).
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