Miyeok Guk
intro
Nourishing, umami-packed Korean seaweed soup, a traditional birthday staple made with tender beef and briny miyeok, light yet deeply satisfying.
Ingredients
Steps
Rehydrate dried seaweed
Place 20g dried miyeok in a large bowl, cover with 6 cups cold tap water, and let soak for 10 minutes at room temperature until fully expanded and soft. Drain thoroughly, rinse 2 times under cold running water to wash away residual sand or grit, squeeze firmly to remove all excess water, and cut large pieces into 5cm bite-sized lengths.
Prep beef and aromatics
Pat 200g thinly sliced beef brisket dry with paper towels, and cut into 2cm wide strips. Peel and mince garlic to measure 1 tablespoon (≈3 cloves), then set both the beef and garlic within easy reach of the stovetop.
Sauté beef and seaweed
Heat 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil in a heavy-bottomed 3L soup pot over medium heat (160°C/320°F). Add the beef strips, and stir-fry for 2 minutes until the outside is no longer pink and lightly browned at the edges. Add the drained, cut miyeok and minced garlic, then stir-fry continuously for 3 more minutes to coat all ingredients evenly in sesame oil.
Simmer the soup base
Pour 1200ml (5 cups) low-sodium beef broth into the pot, stir to combine, and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium-low (120°C/250°F), set the pot lid slightly ajar to let steam escape and prevent boilovers, and simmer for 15 minutes to let the seaweed flavor infuse into the broth.
Season the soup
Stir 2 tablespoons of Korean soup soy sauce into the simmering soup. Taste the broth, and add up to 1 teaspoon of fine sea salt only if needed, adjusting for the sodium level of your broth and soy sauce. Let the soup simmer for 2 more minutes to fully incorporate the seasoning.
Serve the finished soup
Turn off the stovetop heat, ladle the hot soup into individual ceramic bowls, and serve immediately while piping hot, ideally paired with steamed white rice and kimchi for a complete Korean meal.
Tips
2.For an authentic vegetarian/vegan version, replace beef with 200g thinly sliced shiitake mushrooms, swap beef broth for kelp-based vegetable broth, and use gluten-free soy sauce if needed.
3.Korean soup soy sauce (guk-ganjang) is less salty and more deeply savory than regular table soy sauce; it produces the most traditional, clean-tasting broth, but regular light soy sauce works as a readily available substitute.
OMG this was SO good! I’ve been ordering miyeok guk from my local Korean spot for years and was nervous to make it at home, but this recipe was so straightforward even I couldn’t mess it up. Made it for my husband’s birthday dinner last night and he said it tasted exactly like his grandma used to make. Total game changer for weeknight meals too, since it comes together so fast!
Really solid base recipe! I added a little extra garlic and a dash of sesame oil at the end to punch up the flavor, plus some cubed tofu for extra protein. Great for meal prep, held up perfectly in the fridge for 4 days of lunches. Will definitely be making this again all fall and winter.
My kids are SO picky about soup, they usually turn their noses up at anything that isn’t chicken noodle, but they went back for SECONDS of this! I didn’t even have to bribe them with extra dessert. Only question: can I use dried seaweed that I already have in my pantry from making sushi, or do I need the specific miyeok?
Wait, that’s it? I thought this soup would have a million ingredients but I had almost everything in my kitchen already except the seaweed. Just grabbed a bag on my grocery run today, can’t wait to whip this up for our potluck at work next week. Do people usually serve this with rice on the side?
Game. Changer. I’ve been trying to add more nutrient-dense soups to my weekly meal prep rotation and this checks every box. 35 minutes start to finish, minimal cleanup, tastes way better than the canned soups I used to live off of. I’ve already made this three times in two weeks, no regrets.
I grew up eating this every birthday and for weeks after my little brother was born, and this recipe is spot on. The ratio of beef to seaweed to broth is exactly how my halmeoni made it, I almost cried when I took the first bite. Thank you so much for sharing this authentic version, no weird extra ingredients that don’t belong!
Tried this for the first time tonight, flavor was awesome! I messed up and didn’t soak the seaweed long enough so it was a little chewier than I expected, but it still tasted great. How long do y’all usually soak the dried miyeok for, anyway?
Made this vegan by swapping the beef broth for vegetable broth and using shiitake mushrooms instead of the brisket, and it turned out SO flavorful! I was worried it would taste bland without the beef, but the garlic and sesame oil really carry it. 10/10, will be making this on repeat when the weather gets cold.
Made this for my wife after she got home from having our second baby, I remembered hearing that Korean moms eat this post-partum and she said it was the most comforting thing she’d had all week. Super easy to make even with a newborn taking all my attention, I didn’t burn a single thing! 10/10, added to our regular rotation.
Brought this to our neighborhood fall potluck last weekend and people were asking me for the recipe before they even finished their first bowl! I added a little extra soy sauce because I like my broth a little saltier, and topped each bowl with a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds. Zero leftovers, which is always the sign of a winning recipe.