Hello and welcome to my first blog post! I am so excited to share my first recipe which is seaweed soup or miyuk gook. I've chosen this soup to start with because it has a very significant meaning in Korean culture. After giving birth, women eat this soup for several weeks afterwards to help with breastmilk production and restore blood loss from childbirth. This seaweed (wakame) has high levels of calcium, iron, iodine, folate and vitamins. Since seaweed soup is the first meal that mother's have after giving birth to you, it is also a tradition to eat seaweed soup to celebrate your birthday.
Of course you can eat it any day though and I make this soup at least once a month. I have yet to meet a kid (or even an adult) who does not love this soup. It is one of the only soups that my littlest one will eat all on her own to the very last drop. The combination of the salty beef flavor of the soup, the silkiness of the seaweed and the slight nutty hint of sesame seed oil make for such a delicious soup, especially if you mix in some rice with it. It is a simple soup to make using only 5 ingredients. Let's get started!
-2 ounces of dried seaweed (wakame)
-fine sea salt
-sesame seed oil
-10 ounces of beef (any type but preferably ribeye,flank or even short rib) (*you can also use clams or mussels)
-1.5 teaspoons of minced garlic
-optional: 1-2 teaspoons of soup soy sauce (different from regular soy sauce) I have not yet found a gluten-free (GF) version so if you add this then it will not be GF. I just skip this step and the soup is still delicious.
The recipe below will make a very large 8 quart pot of soup for about 12-14 servings so if you do not want to make this much, I would halve the recipe.
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I am always trying to maximize my time so when making meals I always make enough to last 2-3 meals plus some extra to freeze in individual portions. The freezer meals are such a lifesaver on those days when I don't have time to cook, I'm too tired to cook or we have to go somewhere and I have to pack food to go. My favorite....just heat and eat! |
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Take out about 2 ounces of the dried seaweed/wakame. |
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Fill the bowl almost all of the way with warm water and soak for 20 minutes. |
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It will double in size. |
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Add 3 tablespoons of sea salt. Coarse is best but I am using fine grain. |
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Using your hands to mix the sea salt into the seaweed. |
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Wash thoroughly in cold water to get rid of any dirt and the salt. |
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Pull apart and discard any extra thick or stringy pieces of seaweed that you may find. I like the brand of seaweed that I am currently using (pictured above) because it does not seem to contain too many extra thick or stringy pieces like other brands that I have tried in the past. |
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Squeeze out all of the excess water. |
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Cut into small pieces. |
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Put the seaweed into a bowl and add 2 tablespoons of sesame seed oil. |
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Mix well. There should be just enough sesame seed oil to coat the seaweed. Be careful not to use too much or it will overpower the soup. |
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Heat a non-stick skillet (must be non-stick) and fry on medium for 5-7 minutes. Make sure to keep stirring as it cooks so that you do not burn the seaweed. |
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You can use 10 ounces of any type of beef. Today I am using some leftover short rib. I like using flank, ribeye, or short rib because it is tender and easier for little ones to chew. |
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Slice the beef into thin strips. |
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Heat a saucepan with 1 tablespoon of olive oil & add the beef. |
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Cook for 5-7 minutes on medium heat until browned. |
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Add the beef, seaweed and garlic to a large pot and add water until just covered.
Bring to a boil and cook on high for 30 minutes.
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Add more water until the pot is almost full and about 2 teaspoons of salt (add more later on to taste).
Cook on medium heat 1 hour and then on low for another 2-3 hours.The key to getting a delicious beef broth is to cook it on low for several hours.
Serve with rice and enjoy!
Before serving to kids, I use kitchen scissors to quickly cut up the seaweed and meat into smaller pieces.
This soup always taste better the next day so I usually make a big pot of it at night and serve it the next day when all of the flavors have melded together.
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If you have any extra soup, put some in individual serving size portions into Glass-Lock or similar containers. I put Saran Wrap over the container before putting on the lid to keep it clean. |
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Put them in the freezer and now you have nutritious and delicious "heat and eat" meals ready to go! |
As you can tell, this soup is definitely eggi-approved! :)
I hope you and your family will enjoy this seaweed soup soon!
Seaweed Soup (Miyuk Gook)
Ingredients:
-2 ounces of dried seaweed (wakame)
-fine sea salt
-sesame seed oil
-10 ounces of beef (any type but preferably ribeye or flank)
-1.5 teaspoons of minced garlic
-optional: soup soy sauce (different from regular soy sauce) I have not yet found a gluten-free (GF) version so if you add this then it will not be GF. I just skip this step and the soup is still delicious.
1. Place seaweed inside a large bowl of warm water and soak for 20 minutes.
2. Drain and add 3 tablespoons of sea salt and mix well.
3. Rinse well twice in cold water. Discard any extra thick or stringy pieces.
4. Squeeze out excess water.
5. Add 2 tablespoons of sesame seed oil and mix well. Saute in a non-stick fry pan for 5-7 minutes.
7. Slice beef into thin strips. Saute with 1 tablespoon of olive oil until browned.
8. Add seaweed, beef and minced garlic into a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and boil on high for 30 minutes.
9. Add more water until the pot is almost full. Add 2 teaspoons of salt to start. Cook on medium heat for 1 hour and then cook on low for another 2-3 hours. Add more salt to taste.
