Miyeokguk – Seaweed Soup

Begin by preparing the seaweed: place the dry seaweed in a spacious bowl and pour warm water over it, ensuring the water level is at least two finger-widths above the seaweed. Let it soak and rehydrate for 10–15 minutes.

Slice the beef very thinly across the grain. The shape of the pieces doesn't matter – they can be strips, like for beef stroganoff, or small squares. The main thing is that they should be small and cook quickly.

Peel the garlic cloves and mince them using any convenient method: crush them with the flat side of a knife and chop finely, grate on a fine grater, or press through a garlic press.

Once the seaweed has expanded, rinse it thoroughly to remove any potential grit. Lightly squeeze it in your hands and cut it into small, edible pieces using scissors or a knife.

Heat a heavy-bottomed, oven-safe pot and pour in the sesame oil. Add the beef pieces and sauté over relatively high heat, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes until the meat turns a brownish color.

Add the seaweed to the meat in the pot and sauté for another three minutes. Then add the minced garlic and continue to sauté, stirring, for another two minutes. Pour in the water and bring the soup to a boil over high heat.

Once the broth boils, add the soy and fish sauces, reduce the heat, and simmer the miyeokguk for about 15 minutes over medium heat. Meanwhile, thinly slice the green onions and toast the sesame seeds in a dry pan until golden.

Ladle the prepared Korean seaweed soup (miyeokguk) into bowls. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and thinly sliced green onions. Serve boiled rice separately.