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Miyeok guk is a staple in my home. It can be made with beef, seafood, pork, or vegan! It doesn’t matter what source of protein you use because the miyeok is going to be the star of the show anyway. It doesn’t look as good as it tastes but trust me- it is delicious!
My husband is somewhat of a picky eater and I am SO thankful that he loves miyeok guk even more than I do because it is my favorite non-spicy Korean soup!
What is Miyeok?
More commonly known as wakame, miyeok is a type of edible dried seaweed that has a slippery & chewy texture when cooked in soups. In English it is called sea mustard.
Miyeok is a rich source of calcium, iodine, and omega 3 fatty acids. This is an extremely healthy dish that is equally as delicious!
Ingredients
- Miyeok- dried edible seaweed (sea mustard). Korean and Japanese markets will have some for sure. Just make sure you get the right kind, because there are a few kinds of dried seaweed used for different purposes. The bag should say “미역” (see photo below for reference).
- Beef– this recipe calls for beef, which is the version I usually make. However, you can use pork in this recipe the exact same way. You can also make a seafood miyeok guk, but the cooking process will be a little different.
- Anchovy stock- there are a few ways to make anchovy stock. I prefer the anchovy tablets because it’s fast, easy, and tastes good. You can use dashi bags or make it from scratch by boiling dried anchovies & dried kelp with water for 20 minutes. Unfortunately, the brand of tablets I use is not available on Amazon, and only available at Costco once or twice a year (photo below).
- Sesame oil- I always use the Kadoya brand
- Fish sauce- Three Crabs fish sauce is my favorite. you can substitute soy sauce or salt to make this vegan.
- Garlic– I always put garlic in my miyeok guk but it’s totally fine to omit this ingredient if you don’t feel like mincing some garlic!
Why you’ll love this recipe
- It’s SO easy! You don’t need that many ingredients, and it can be ready in 30 minutes or less.
- You can make a large batch and freeze to eat it later.
- It’s healthy, low calorie, and tastes really good!
Korean Birthday Soup
Traditionally, Korean people eat miyeok guk every year on their birthday to honor their mothers for giving birth to them.
Miyeok guk is also traditionally eaten by women for several months after giving birth, to help with the healing process since miyeok is so nutritious.
More Soup Recipes
Miyeok Guk (Korean Seaweed Soup)
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb beef or pork , or omit to make it vegan
- 10 g miyeok, (edible dried seaweed)
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp fish sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 2 garlic cloves
- 3 anchovy tablets
- 4 cups hot water
Instructions
- To make the anchovy stock, combine 3 anchovy tablets with 4 cups of hot water and let it sit to dissolve. *There are other ways to make anchovy stock if you don't have anchovy tablets- use dashi bags or make it from scratch by boiling water with dried anchovies, kelp, and radish.
- Soak the miyeok (dried seaweed) in warm water for 15 minutes or until soft, then rinse a few times and squeeze out all the water. Cut into bite-sized pieces if your miyeok is really long. *Careful not to soak for too long. Miyeok loses it's flavor the longer it is soaked.
- Over medium-low heat, add the beef (or pork) to a pot and sprinkle salt all over. Sauté the beef until it is no longer red on the outside. Use paper towels to wipe up any scum. *You should not need to use any oil to sauté the beef, but if you're using a stainless steel pot then it might stick a little.
- Increase the heat to medium then add the miyeok, garlic, and sesame oil.
- Sauté for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the anchovy stock.
- Add fish sauce to taste- for me 1/2 tsp is good enough.
- Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to medium-low and cover for 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes the beef should be very tender and the soup will have a slightly milky appearance. Serve with rice and kimchi 🙂
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I made this with tofu! So delicious!
I was just thinking about whether I could add tofu to this recipe, Thanks!
Love this recipe! Thanks for sharing it!
This is such an easy recipe to make the Miyeok Gook. The only substitute that I made was, I used Hondashi powder or MSG to make the broth on the side. Other than that, I found this recipe very useful.
I’ve been looking for a good Seaweed Soup as this is one of my daughter’s favorites! My besties mom would make it all the time for my girl but I never got the chance to make it with her. before she passed unexpectedly due to covid. I’ve tried many recipes but it just wasn’t quite right! I made your recipe and when I tasted it, the floodgates opened and I cried like a big baby as it tasted just like hers! I immediately called my before and we cried together as we talked for hours about all the memories we have! Thank you for envoking such fond memories as Ms amassing food to go along with them!
Tried this recently because cooking is my love language and I had so much (dried) anchovy and kim in my pantry left. I did the tofu version since I’m trying to be more healthy ever since I get an allergic reaction to meats. Also, I love experimenting what I can do to people’s recipes to fit my taste or what (in theory) might taste good to my brain.
My all time favorite comfort soup!!! It never gets old and I make this at least every two weeks 🙂