Instant Soup Broth: Anchovy + Kelp + Crab
The most common type of soup broth in Korean cooking is made from anchovies. At its most basic, all you need to buy is dried anchovies from the Korean market. Throw some into boiling water and you’ve got an umami-rich base to make lots of Korean soups.
These convenience soup tea bags are fairly new to me and I found them rather expensive. So I opened one up to see what was inside. There were 10 anchovies, what looks to be a palm-sized piece of kelp cut into small squares and 1 crab claw. I would recommend this as a buy if you’re not so budget-conscious or live alone. These definitely made things super easy- you just pop one into a pot of boiling water and the soup was done.
Personally, I’d rather buy a big bag of anchovies and kelp separately 🤭. The lonely little crab claw was just so… small. It did add some flavour, which OPPA mentioned is ideal for Odeng Guk (Fish Cake Soup) but otherwise not really a needed addition for our everyday meals.
Simply plop a pouch into a pot. I just put mine into the pot I cooked the noodles in (sorry, some noodles stuck to the bottom and floating about). The directions said to use 1 pouch for 600cc (around 2 1/2 C) of water and to boil for only (!) 10 minutes to get soup for 2-3 people.
First, I was surprised how much anchovies go into 1 small pot. If you didn’t know, when TheWife (me) is cooking, you will get the noob info. I usually put in 2-3 anchovies into this pot 😂. Second, I felt it needed a good 20, even 30 minutes to fully get the flavours out.
Don’t forget to season with salt. You can also add a splash of soy sauce if you like.
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised at how awesome I found these pouches. If I wasn’t who I am (lazy), I would DIY these pouches for sure. They’re so handy.
If you are a better organized planner type of person👍, it’s very simple to put this together.
How to Make You Own Korean Soup Broth Pouch
Buy something to diffuse the ingredients in water (disposable bags/reusable bags/steel basket) or you could technically just use a sieve to scoop them out.
Classic broth makers are dried anchovies and kelp. Dried Shiitake mushrooms are my personal fave though.
Boil for 30 mins.
Soup!
But to get a feel for how it should taste or if you only want it once in a while, soup pouches could be the way to go.
Anchovy Only Soup Pouches https://amzn.to/3uMrtc8
Anchovy and Kelp Soup Pouches https://amzn.to/3035rUv
Seafood Mix Soup Pouches https://amzn.to/3zvBaQY
At our house, we use this as a base for Miyeok Guk aka Seaweed Soup which we tend to eat several times a month. I’ve also been told it’s a good base for Doenjang Jjigae aka Soybean Paste Soup but I haven’t done that one much. These soups are served with rice and you can dunk it or just add (the rice) into the soup.
This time, I made it with Somyeon 소면 (also commonly sold as Mak Guksu 막국수) which are the most basic staple of Korean noodles. They are delicately thin like angel pasta but have a much softer yet springier chew. These noodles are made from wheat and contain no eggs.
If you’re not into anchovy or fish-based soups, there is a blogger that feels the same way. Christie at Home makes it fish-free which should give you the freedom to tweak this very simple dish to your liking.
This is a very basic Janchi Guksu (Party Noodles) which have a history as a celebration noodle since the Joseon (Kings and Queens era)- being served at weddings and other parties like significant birthdays (like the big 6-0).
For the 5 and 3 year olds, we kept it mild and gentle. I topped it with some kimchi, thoroughly washing off any red paste and errant Gochugaru (red pepper flakes) to add some refreshing flavour and crunch.
For adults, a seasoning paste is made to add as a topping. With a base of soy sauce, sweeten it up with with a bit of sugar (Koreans use liquid sugars like this or this), then add Gochugaru (red pepper paste) and garlic. Chop in some green onions and Korean spicy peppers and drizzle toasted sesame oil. Mix and add a small tablespoon on top of the noodles when serving and it adds a welcome hit of spice and savoury flavours.
You can also add garnish like julienned carrots and eggs. And toasted sesame seeds. But that’s for another day. A day when OPPA cooks 🤭.