Soybean sprout soup with rice(Kongnamul-gukbap 콩나물국밥)

Ingredients:

1. 1 cup cooked, white fluffy rice
2. 12 large dried anchovies, heads and intestine removed
3. 1 ounce dried kelp
4. 1 package of soybean sprouts (12 ounces: 340 grams), washed and drained
5. 2 ounces onion, sliced
6. 2 garlic cloves, minced
7. 2 to 3 green onions, sliced
8. 2/3 cup chopped kimchi
9. 1½ teaspoons salt
10. 2 teaspoons Korean hot pepper flakes (optional)
11. 2 tablespoons sesame seeds, ground
12. 2 teaspoons sesame oil
13. 2 eggs
14. ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
    salted fermented shrimp (optional)

Directions:

Step 1:
(Prepare the stock)

1. Put 8 cups of water in a pot and bring it to a boil.

2. Put anchovies into a soup strainer or soup pouch and add to the boiling water. Add dried kelp and cover and cook over medium high heat for about 10 minutes until it boils vigorously. Turn down the heat to medium and cook another 10 minutes.

Step 2:
(Add soybean sprouts)

1. Add soybean sprouts, garlic, and salt. Press and stir with a ladle or a wooden spoon so that the soy bean sprouts are submerged in the stock. Cover and cook for 5 minutes over medium high heat.

2. Take out the kelp and the anchovy pouch.

3)Strain the stock and soybean sprouts through a large strainer, into a large bowl. You will get about 6 cups stock.

Step 3:
(Make gukbap)

1. Put two 4-cup Korean earthenware bowls, on the counter.

2. Divide the sliced onion and put a portion into the bottom of each bowl.

3. Add ½ cup cooked rice to each bowl.

4. Divide the chopped kimchi and put a portion on top of the rice in each bowl.

5. Divide soybean sprouts and put a portion into each bowl.

6. Put some chopped green onion on top of the soybean sprouts, keeping back 2 tablespoons to use later.

7. Grind¼ teaspoon of ground black pepper over each bowl.

8. Add 2 cups of stock to each bowl.

Step 4:
(Bubble and serve)

1. Put the bowls on the stove and cook over medium high heat until they are bubbling. It will take longer for an earthenware bowl to heat up, about 12 to 15 minutes compared to a regular pan or pot at 7 to 8 minutes.

2. As the soups are boiling, crack an egg for each and put into the center of each bowl. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes.

3. Spoon ground sesame seeds, hot pepper flakes (if used), and the rest of the chopped green onion on top of each bowl.

4. Drizzle sesame oil over each bowl.

5. Serve bubbling hot directly from the stove. You don’t need many side dishes when you serve kongnamul-gukbap but some vegetable side dishes would go well with it: spinach side dish (Sigeumchi-namul: 시금치나물), bok choy doenjang-muchim (Cheonggyeongchae doenjang-muchim 청경채 된장무침).

6. Koreans usually serve this soup with some salted fermented shrimp (saeujeot 새우젓) on the side in a small bowl. Taste the soup first. We already added salt but if it’s not salty enough, add a tiny amount, a quarter teaspoon of salted fermented shrimp, and mix it in. Add more as needed. You could also use salt instead of salted fermented shrimp.