๐Ÿฅฉ Easy Spicy Sogogi Muguk — Korean Beef and Radish Soup with Soybean Sprouts and Daepa

Spicy beef and radish soup in a pale ceramic bowl, with soybean sprouts and daepa (Korean large green onion). White rice, napa cabbage kimchi, and cubed radish kimchi sit behind it.

A clear beef and radish soup is lovely when you want something mild, but this spicy version is just as welcome at the table. Gochugaru, Korean red pepper flakes, gives the broth a warming kick, while soybean sprouts and daepa (Korean large green onion) keep it fresh-tasting. Spoon some soup over warm rice and enjoy the beef and radish together—you won't need many side dishes for a satisfying meal.

Allow about 10 minutes for prep. Blot the beef, cut the radish and daepa, and rinse the sprouts. After that, everything cooks in one pot, added in stages.

Two small details shape this recipe. First, gently cook the beef, radish, and gochugaru together in toasted sesame oil. Then add just 3g of oyster sauce alongside Korean soup soy sauce to round out the savory broth.

Building Flavor with Soybean Sprouts and a Little Oyster Sauce

The first detail is cooking the gochugaru gently in sesame oil.

Add 8ml toasted sesame oil, 100g beef, 150g radish, and 10g gochugaru to the pot and cook over low heat for about 2 minutes. Keeping the heat low helps prevent scorching as the oil turns red and the pepper's aroma coats the beef and radish.

The second is just 3g of oyster sauce.

Here, it joins 15ml Korean soup soy sauce. That small amount supports the savory flavor of the beef and radish without making oyster sauce the main taste. Keep it to 3g rather than adding a generous squeeze.

⏱ At a Glance

  • Servings: 2
  • Estimated cooking time: About 10 minutes of prep and about 2 minutes of gentle frying; start checking the radish after 10 minutes of simmering and the sprouts about 5 minutes after the soup returns to a boil. Allow extra time for the water to heat and, if needed, for the beef to become tender.
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Equipment: Soup pot and ladle
  • Flavor: A spicy, fresh-tasting broth with crisp-tender soybean sprouts, soft radish, and savory beef
  • Measures: 1 tbsp = 15ml; 1 tsp = 5ml. Weigh ingredients listed in grams.

๐Ÿ›’ Ingredients

Main Ingredients

  • Beef brisket or shank: 100g after trimming, thinly sliced or cut into bite-size pieces
  • Korean radish (mu): 150g after trimming, cut into thin, flat squares
  • Soybean sprouts (kongnamul): 80g after trimming, rinsed and drained
  • Korean large green onion (daepa): 40g after trimming, about 1/2 stalk, cut into 4–5cm lengths
  • Cheongyang chili, a hot Korean green chili: 8g after trimming, about 1 chili, sliced diagonally; optional
  • Water: 600ml

Seasonings

  • Toasted sesame oil: 8ml
  • Gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes): 10g
  • Korean soup soy sauce (guk-ganjang): 15ml (1 tbsp)
  • Oyster sauce: 3g
  • Minced garlic: 8g
  • Ground black pepper: 0.2g, about a pinch

If you can't find some of these Korean ingredients: use scallions (jjokpa) instead of daepa at the same weight. They are thinner and milder in aroma, so weigh them rather than counting stalks. Daikon can replace Korean radish (mu) at the same weight, though it is less crisp and less sweet. Serrano peppers can stand in for Cheongyang chili at the same weight; Cheongyang is a little hotter, and jalapeรฑos are much milder.

Look for gochugaru and guk-ganjang at a Korean or Asian grocery store or online. Other chili flakes taste different and are much hotter, so they are not a good swap for gochugaru.

Sugar or Allulose Only If the Radish Tastes Bitter

There is no sugar in the basic recipe. The radish's natural sweetness and the fresh flavor of the sprouts balance the broth.

Some radishes taste more bitter than others. Once the radish has cooked, taste the broth first. Only if the bitterness stands out, add a little sugar or allulose at a time to balance it. Neither needs to go in at the start.

๐Ÿ‘ฉ‍๐Ÿณ How to Make Spicy Beef and Radish Soup

1. Prepare the Ingredients

Cut 150g radish into thin, flat squares and 40g daepa into 4–5cm lengths. Rinse 80g soybean sprouts under running water and leave them in a sieve to drain.

Gently blot the surface juices from 100g beef with a paper towel.

2. Gently Cook the Beef, Radish, and Gochugaru

Add 8ml toasted sesame oil to the pot, followed by 100g beef, 150g radish, and 10g gochugaru over low heat.

Stir gently for about 2 minutes, keeping the heat low so the gochugaru does not burn. When the beef loses its red color on the outside and the oil turns red and smells fragrant, move on to the next step.

3. Add Water and Season the Broth

Pour in 600ml water and turn the heat to high. Stir in 15ml Korean soup soy sauce and 3g oyster sauce.

Once the soup boils, reduce the heat to medium. If plenty of foam rises to the surface, skim it lightly once or twice with a ladle. There is no need to remove all the red oil from the gochugaru and sesame oil.

Start checking the radish after about 10 minutes over medium heat. It should look translucent all the way through and let a chopstick slide in without much resistance. The thickness of the slices and the heat may mean it needs longer.

Check a piece of beef as well. If it is still tough, keep simmering before adding the sprouts. Add a little water at a time if the broth has reduced too much.

4. Add the Sprouts, Daepa, and Garlic

Once the radish is soft and the beef is as tender as you like, add 80g soybean sprouts, 40g daepa, and 8g minced garlic. If using the Cheongyang chili, add 8g now too.

Once the soup returns to a boil, cook uncovered over medium heat and start checking after about 5 minutes. The sprouts should be cooked through, with a little crunch left in the stems.

For this recipe, keep the lid off from the time the sprouts go in until the soup is finished.

5. Finish with Black Pepper

Just before turning off the heat, stir in 0.2g ground black pepper.

The finished soup brings together soft radish, tender beef, and crisp-tender sprouts in a warming, spicy broth that still tastes fresh.

๐Ÿ’ก Ajumma's Tips

Keep the heat low when cooking the gochugaru.

Too much heat can scorch it quickly and leave a bitter taste. Stir it gently with the sesame oil, beef, and radish to bring out its aroma and tint the oil red.

Use just 3g of oyster sauce.

It is not there to give the soup a strong seafood flavor. A small amount works with the soup soy sauce to support the savory broth.

Skim only as much foam as needed.

If a lot appears as the soup boils, skim lightly once or twice. Removing all the red oil as well takes away some of the flavor you developed at the start.

Wait until the radish and beef are tender before adding the sprouts.

Adding them later, rather than simmering them from the start, helps keep a little crunch in the stems.

๐Ÿš Serve with Warm Rice and Kimchi

Set out a bowl of warm rice alongside the soup. Spoon some broth over the rice, then take a bite with soft radish, beef, and a few crisp-tender sprouts.

Well-fermented napa cabbage kimchi or crunchy kkakdugi, cubed radish kimchi, makes a good side. Their tang and crunch go nicely with the warming broth.

When you feel like a spicy bowl of soup, put on one pot and enjoy it with warm rice.

You Might Also Like

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

๐Ÿฒ Very Easy 15-Minute Doenjang Jjigae - Pork, Beef, or Seafood

Image
Doenjang jjigae is one of Korea's classic home-style stews, but the flavor can change quite a bit depending on what you add to the pot. For this version, I start with 500ml of rice-rinsing water, doenjang, and a small amount of gochujang . Then you can choose one of three directions: pork, beef, or seafood. The pork version is hearty, the beef version gets extra richness from the meat, and the clam or seafood version tastes cleaner and lighter. The basic method stays very simple. One Base, Three Different Stews The vegetables, tofu, and basic broth stay mostly the same. What changes is the main ingredient. Pork gives you a fuller, heartier stew. Beef adds its own fat and savory richness. Clams or mixed seafood take the broth in a cleaner seafood direction. Choose the version that fits what you feel like eating. A Little Gochujang Changes the Base The basic broth uses: 500ml rice-rinsing water + 35g doenjang + 10g gochujang Doenjang is still the main seasoning. The gochujang is o...
Read more

๐Ÿš 3-Minute Korean Gochujang Tuna Mayo Rice Bowl - Spicy, Creamy, and Easy

Image
Canned tuna is one of those ingredients that makes a quick meal so much easier. It is convenient, but when you eat it with plain rice, it can sometimes feel a little dry or simply need more flavor. That is when I like to add just two things: gochujang and mayonnaise . Gochujang, Korean red chili paste, gives the mild tuna a spicy, savory kick, while mayonnaise softens the stronger flavor of the gochujang and makes everything creamy and rich. You do not need a long list of seasonings. Warm rice + tuna + gochujang + mayonnaise. That is really all you need for this simple rice bowl. Why Warm Rice Works So Well For this recipe, warm rice makes a noticeable difference. When mayonnaise touches warm rice, it loosens and mixes much more easily. Gochujang also spreads through the rice instead of staying in thick little clumps. The tuna blends into the warm rice more smoothly too, so the whole bowl feels less dry. This is one of those meals that is best mixed and eaten right away while the rice ...
Read more

๐Ÿฅ› 7-Minute Creamy Korean Milk Ramen - Spicy, Rich, and Easy

Image
Some days you want spicy ramen, but you want it a little softer and creamier than usual. That is when I make this milk ramen. It is one of the simple ramen variations I have been making for a long time, and the method is very easy. Instead of cooking the noodles in milk from the beginning, I parboil them in water for about 2 minutes, drain them, and finish them in milk . That one extra step is the key to this version. The spicy ramen seasoning still gives you plenty of flavor, while the milk makes the broth taste creamier, richer, and milder. A Simple Ramen I Have Made for Years Milk ramen may sound unusual the first time you hear about it. Once spicy ramen seasoning and milk come together, though, the broth takes on a creamy, savory character that feels very different from ordinary instant ramen. You can make the basic version with just: Spicy ramen + milk. That is really the foundation. If you want it richer later, you can add a slice of cheddar cheese. It Tastes More Creamy Than Mil...
Read more