Miyeok guk (seaweed soup)

Photo: My Korean Kitchen

Koreans eat this on their birthday, and new mothers eat it for weeks. Seaweed, beef, sesame oil, garlic. Twenty minutes and very good for you.

From Sue Pressey at My Korean Kitchen · @mykoreankitchen

Korea's birthday soup: seaweed and beef sautéed in sesame oil with garlic and soy, then simmered in water.

You need

• 0.5 oz (15 g) dried miyeok (wakame) seaweed
• 4 oz (120 g) beef chuck or round, thinly sliced
• 1/4 tsp fine sea salt, plus more to taste
• Black pepper
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce (soup soy sauce if you have it)
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 5 cups water

How to make it

1. Soak the seaweed in cold water for 10 to 15 minutes. It will swell a lot. Drain, squeeze out the water and cut into bite-size pieces.
2. Season the beef with the salt and pepper.
3. Heat the sesame oil in a pot over medium heat. Cook the beef until it browns on the outside.
4. Add the seaweed, soy sauce and garlic and stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes.
5. Pour in the water, bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes or longer for a deeper broth.
6. Taste and season with salt. Serve with rice.

Written in our own words from Sue Pressey's recipe, with their quantities. The original: Miyeok guk (seaweed soup), My Korean Kitchen.

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