I am a big fan of Korean food. Besides bimbimbap, bulgogi, and kimchi pancake, there is another dish that I like very much. That is the Korean soybean paste soup.
Soybean paste soup is a popular everyday dish in Korea. It is typically served in a hot earthenware pot and made with assorted vegetables, red meat or seafood and fermented soybean paste.
With the help of fermented soy bean paste – a classic seasoning in Korean cuisine, it is very easy to make this dish at home.
Above is a picture of the paste. It’s available online and in every Korean grocery stores. After opening, keep it in your fridge and seal properly, it will last at least six months or even longer.
Similar to hot pepper paste (Gochujiang), fermented soybean paste is a very thick and concentrated condiment. It can be added to stir-fries, stews, and soups for adding savory flavor. A few tablespoons’ worth usually goes a long way.
Other than meat or seafood, onion, zucchini, enoki mushroom, potato and tofu are the most common ingredients people like to use when making a soybean paste soup.
Serve this comforting dish with a bowl of steamed rice and a side of kimchi for a delicious for your next homemade meal. And if you are a vegetarian, simple omit the meat or seafood from this recipe.
I hope you enjoy making Korean Soybean Paste Soup. If you like this recipe, please leave a rating and share it with your friends!
- 3-4 slices pork belly, cut into big pieces
- ½ potato, thinly sliced
- ½ zucchini, cut into thin slices
- ¼ white onion, chop into small pieces
- 2-3 slices ginger
- 2 cloves garlic, sliced
- 2 stalks green onion, chopped for garnishing
- 2 tablespoons Korean soy bean paste
- ¼ teaspoon sugar
- a touch of sesame oil
- Pan fry the pork belly for 3-4 minutes until browned and crisp, set aside.
- Add potato, onion and zucchini into the pan, stir fry under medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes until soft.
- Toss in ginger and garlic, pour 1 cup of water into the pan and stir to mix well.
- After the water starts to boil, add soy bean paste and sugar and stir to mix well.
- Turn to medium-low heat and simmer for about 10 minutes with lid on, stir occasionally.
- Add the pork belly into the pan, cook for another 2-3 minutes.
- Remove from pan and transfer into a big serving bowl.
- Drizzle with sesame oil and sprinkle with green onion to serve.
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5 comments
Your recipe was the first link to korean soybean pasta 😀 I bought the bean paste a few days ago and excited to cook it for lunch later on today! The photos of the food look lovely
Hi Joanna,
Thanks! Let me know if you have any questions about the recipe 🙂
Could you please be more specific on how much water to soybean paste is used?
Thank you
Kathy
Looks good! Big fan of kimchi , but I had a tooth pulled and too crunchy right now. Looking forward to trying this soybean paste. Does it have to be Pork Belly?
Hi Mark,
Glad you enjoyed the recipe. Feel free to use protein other than pork belly such as beef 🙂