South Korea is famous for its delicious and appealing soup dishes made from soybean. Let’s join cooking right away to make 4 ways to cook Korean soybean soup from the basics to the Itaewon Class standard!
1. Super Simple Soybean Soup
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Preparation
15 minutes
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Cooking
20 minutes
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Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Super Simple Soybean Soup For 2 people
Onion 1 bulb Potato 1 bulb Zucchini 1/2 fruit Soft tofu 1 piece Green onion 1 stalk Soybeans 1 tablespoon Korean chili powder 1 teaspoon
How to Choose Fresh Ingredients
How to Choose Fresh Potatoes
- Choose potatoes that have smooth skin, feel firm, are hard, and have a yellow color, and pick those that are even in size.
- Avoid potatoes that are too large, bruised, soft when pressed, have wrinkled skin, leaking water, or have many deep spots on their surface.
- Absolutely do not choose potatoes that have turned green or sprouted as they can be very toxic and harmful to health.
How to Choose Fresh Zucchini
- Choose those that have shiny skin, are smooth green, hard, elongated, and feel firm.
- Avoid those that are bruised, have cuts, or are soft.
Super Simple Soybean Soup Preparation
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Prepare the ingredients
Wash the ingredients thoroughly, cut the potatoes into bite-sized pieces, and slice the zucchini.
Chop the onion into small pieces and cut the green onion into small sections.
Cut the tofu into small bite-sized pieces.
Note: You can cut the tofu into rectangular or square shapes as you like, but do not cut them too small as they may break apart when cooked.
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Cook the soup
Place a pot on the stove and add 1 liter of water to boil, then add the potatoes and cook for 10 minutes, then add 1 tablespoon of soybeans, 1 teaspoon of chili powder, and stir the mixture well.
Once the potatoes are about 60% cooked, add the zucchini and onion, and when the zucchini is just cooked, add the tofu and green onion, and cook for another 5 minutes before turning off the heat.
Note: Adjust the amount of chili powder according to your preference for spiciness!
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Finished Product
The soy bean soup is super simple and extremely easy to make. You can enjoy it with white rice, feeling the rich and creamy taste of potatoes and tofu, while the spicy and salty flavor of soy beans and chili will make it hard for you to resist!
2. Authentic Itaewon Class Soy Bean Soup
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Preparation
15 minutes
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Cooking
20 minutes
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Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Authentic Itaewon Class Soy Bean Soup For 2 people
White radish 200 gr Green onion 1 stalk Dried anchovies 15 gr Dried seaweed 15 gr Garlic 5 cloves Korean chili powder 3 teaspoons Sesame oil 1 tablespoon Gochujang sauce 50 gr Kimchi 200 gr Soft tofu 200 gr Pork belly 200 gr Chicken eggs 2 eggs Seasoning 10 gr (sugar/salt)
How to choose fresh ingredients
How to choose fresh white radish
- You should choose medium-sized white radishes that are elongated towards the tail, with intact stems and roots, and the stems should be fresh green, firm, and feel solid in hand.
- Choose radishes with bumpy skin, small spots, and an off-white color.
- Do not choose fat radishes; the thick-tailed part will be very bland and fibrous.
- Do not choose radishes that are bruised, soft, have dark spots on the body, or have damaged or wilted stems.
- You should not choose shiny radishes; these are the ones that might have been injected with chemicals.
How to choose delicious dried anchovies
- Choose anchovies that are yellow in color and have a characteristic dried fish smell.
- Choose to buy from reputable places, with packaging that has a recent production date, long shelf life, and is sealed tightly.
- Do not choose fish that are damp, have dark spots, moldy, or have strange odors.
How to choose delicious pork belly
- Choose meat that is bright pink, with layers of fat interspersed with firm meat of a bright color. Touching the meat should feel elastic, with a distinctive smell.
- Do not choose pork belly with thin layers of fat that do not adhere firmly to the skin and lean meat, with a thickness of less than 1cm, as this is meat from pigs raised with lean fat enhancers. Meat fibers with white spots indicate it has tapeworms.
- Do not choose meat that is slimy, soft, lacks elasticity, has a foul smell, or has a pale greenish color.
- For imported, canned pork belly, you should choose reputable places to buy, selecting those with a recent production date and a long shelf life.
How to choose delicious kimchi
- You can buy kimchi at markets, supermarkets, or reputable food stores.
- Packaging should be well-sealed, not dented, open, or bulging,… and have a long shelf life.
- Additionally, to ensure safety, you can make kimchi at home.
How to make Itaewon Class soybean soup
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Prepare the ingredients
Wash the ingredients thoroughly, peel the white radish, and slice it thinly with a thickness of 1 – 1.5cm.
Chop the green onion into small pieces and slice the garlic thinly.
Slice the pork belly thinly or you can buy pre-packaged rolled pork belly.
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Cook the broth and prepare the chili sauce
Put a pot on the stove and pour in 1.5 liters of water, add the sliced white radish along with 15g of dried anchovies and 15g of dried seaweed into the pot and cook for 10 minutes.
Use a strainer to extract the broth for the soup.
Next, prepare the chili powder by putting 3 teaspoons of Korean chili powder and 1 tablespoon of sesame oil into a bowl and mix well.
Tip: Depending on your taste preferences, you can adjust the amount of chili powder accordingly.
Sauté the ingredients
Place another pot on the stove, add one tablespoon of cooking oil, and when the oil is hot, sauté garlic and scallions until fragrant.
Add 200g of pork belly and sauté until it is firm along with 1 teaspoon of sugar and 1 teaspoon of salt. Next, add 200g of kimchi and sauté for another 5 minutes.
Cook the soup
Add the broth prepared in step 2 to the pot with meat and kimchi along with 50g of gochujang, 200g of soft tofu, 2 eggs, the chili powder mixed with sesame oil, and scallions, and cook for 5 minutes before turning off the heat.
Final Product
Bean soup according to Itaewon Class is served with white rice, enjoying the spicy taste of chili, the richness of tofu, and the tender sweetness of each piece of pork belly, sipping with a few cups of soju is truly a Korean culinary experience!
3. Salmon soybean soup
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Preparation
15 minutes
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Cooking
20 minutes
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Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Salmon soybean soup For 2 people
Garlic 4 cloves Ginger 20 gr Corn kernels 50 gr Broccoli 150 gr Silken tofu 150 gr Salmon 500 gr Sesame oil 10 ml Korean soybean 100 gr Green onion 5 gr
How to choose fresh ingredients
How to choose fresh salmon
- Choose fish with gills that are still bright red and not darkened. The scales should be shiny and not peeling, with no scratches or bruises.
- The fish’s eyes should be clear and bright, with a visible pupil that is not cloudy or yellowing.
- For salmon fillets, gently press with your hand to select those that are elastic, have a distinctive smell, and are orange in color.
- Do not choose fish that has an unusual smell, is slimy, has dark spots, or has a pale green color, or is bruised or scratched.
How to choose delicious broccoli
- Choose broccoli that is darker green for better taste, with a firm stalk that is not soft or limp.
- Additionally, broccoli with a higher central flower head is tastier than flat ones.
- It is advisable to choose broccoli with more florets for better value.
- Do not choose broccoli with a soft or limp stalk, dark spots, wormholes, or bruises, or that is slimy.
How to make Salmon Soybean Soup
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Prepare the ingredients
Garlic cut in half, ginger sliced thin, young corn kernels cut and peeled.
Salmon scaled and washed. Broccoli washed and cut into bite-sized florets.
Soft tofu cut into bite-sized pieces.
Tip: You can soak the ingredients in a weak salt solution for 10 minutes, then rinse with cold water to remove dust and dirt. This will effectively eliminate the fishy smell from the salmon.
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Cook the broth
Put a pot on the stove, add 10ml of sesame oil and heat it, then add minced garlic and ginger to sauté until fragrant, after that add 1 liter of water to the pot and boil for about 10 minutes on high heat.
Continue to add broccoli and corn to boil until cooked.
When the vegetables are cooked, add 100gr of Korean soybean into the pot and stir until dissolved.
Tip: If you like it spicy, you can add Korean chili powder to enhance the flavor.
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Cook the soup
Reduce the heat, add the salmon and cook for 8 – 10 minutes, then add the tofu and garnish with some chopped green onions to finish.
Note: Cooking the soup on low heat will help the salmon cook tenderly without drying out.
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Final Product
You can take the salmon out, drizzle some soy sauce and sesame oil, and serve it with soybean soup and white rice.
Enjoy the warm soybean soup with salmon, fragrant and rich with the taste of fish and tofu, which will be very appetizing!
4. Vegetarian Soybean Soup
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Preparation
20 minutes
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Cooking
20 minutes
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Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Vegetarian Soybean Soup For 2 servings
White tofu 1 piece Enoki mushrooms 100 grams Potatoes 2 tubers Korean soybean paste 2 tablespoons Bell peppers 2 pieces Korean chili powder 1/2 tablespoon Pink salt 1/2 teaspoon Onion 1 bulb Vegetarian seasoning 1/2 tablespoon
Preparation Tools
Raw Material Image
How to Make Vegetarian Soybean Soup
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Prepare the Ingredients
Potatoes should be peeled, washed, and cut into small bite-sized pieces.
White tofu should be washed and cut into small square pieces.
The onion should be peeled and cut into wedges.
Enoki mushrooms should have their stems removed and be washed clean.
To make the dish more fragrant and appealing, you should simmer 2 liters of vegetable water to create a natural sweetness for the broth.
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Cooking soup
You place a pot on the stove, add 2 liters of vegetable broth to the pot. Wait for the water to boil, then add 2 tablespoons of Korean soybean paste, stir well and cook until the soybean paste dissolves.
Next, add the potatoes and cook for 5 – 10 minutes, then add 1/2 teaspoon of pink salt, 1/2 tablespoon of vegetarian seasoning, 1/2 tablespoon of Korean chili powder and stir the mixture well, simmer for about 15 minutes.
Then, add the white tofu, onion, horn chili, and enoki mushrooms to the pot and cook for another 5 minutes before turning off the heat.
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Final product
You ladle the vegetarian soybean soup into a bowl, add a little sliced green onion on top, and serve hot with white rice.
The soup has a light aroma of soybean paste combined with the natural sweetness from the vegetables and mushrooms along with the creamy softness of the white tofu. This is not only a delicious and appealing soup but also nutritious for the whole family and friends! Let’s get started right away!
How to choose fresh ingredients
How to buy delicious soybean paste and Korean chili powder
- You can buy soybean, Korean chili powder at reputable supermarkets, grocery stores, or TasteVN.
- Choose products with intact packaging, not punctured, dented, or bulging. The production date should be recent, and the shelf life should be as long as possible.
- If you have leftover soybean and chili powder, you can put them in bottles, food containers with tight lids and store them in the refrigerator’s fridge.
See details: Have you learned how to make delicious, authentic Korean chili powder at home?
How to choose good soft tofu, without gypsum
- Choose pieces of white soft tofu that have a fragrant soybean smell; if the tofu is yellow or smells of lime, it contains a lot of gypsum.
- Do not choose pieces of soft tofu that feel firm and are perfectly square.
- You can buy soft tofu at markets, supermarkets, or reputable grocery stores. Additionally, you can also make it at home for safety and convenience.
See details: How to make soft, delicious, clean tofu at home that’s simple and healthy
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The dish Korean soybean soup will make family meals more interesting and delicious. Wishing you success in making it!
*Recipe and image sources from the YouTube channel Culinary Frank, Han Mirae TV, and the channel Tiktok Bếp chay XANH!
