Jjamppong (Korean Seafood Noodle Soup)

Serves


6

Total Time


50 min

Difficulty


Medium

Recipe-

Summary

this spicy seafood noodle soup is one of my favorite chinese-korean fusion dishes. this versatile recipe can be adapted to use whatever vegetables and proteins you like, and you can cut back on the gochugaru for a less intense spice level. while my version opts for zucchini, cabbage, and onions, you could choose to add mushrooms or kale for a hearty, earthier flavor. i like to use head-on shrimp for an extra boost of flavor, but if you’re feeling more adventurous, you could swap the shrimp and mussels for clams, squid, or octopus. you could even choose to use ramen or udon for the noodles, but I love the texture and flavor of jjajangmyeon noodles in this soup- just be sure to boil them in a separate pot to prevent the starches from thickening the broth.

Ingredients

  • 2 carrots
  • ½ large zucchini
  • 1 white or yellow onion
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp. ginger, minced
  • ½ head green cabbage
  • 2 tbsp. olive oil
  • ½ lb. lean pork, cut into strips
  • 2 tbsp. gochugaru
  • 4 tbsp. chicken bouillon powder
  • 2 tbsp. soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp. sesame oil
  • 2 quarts chicken stock
  • 1 piece kombu
  • 1 dashi anchovy stock packet
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 package fresh jjajangmyeon noodles
  • ½ lb. frozen mussels
  • ½ lb. fresh shrimp (head-on)

Instructions

  1. begin by chopping carrots and zucchini into matchsticks, then thinly slice the onions and cabbage. set aside.
  2. heat olive oil in an extra large pot over medium heat. add carrots and cook for 3-4 minutes until just beginning to brown, then stir in chopped onion.
  3. stir in the pork and continue cooking for another 5-7 minutes before adding the zucchini, minced garlic and ginger. cook for another 5 minutes, stirring frequently, then add the cabbage.
  4. while the pork and vegetables continue cooking, mix together gochugaru, chicken bouillon powder, soy sauce, and sesame oil in a medium bowl. once well combined, add this mixture to the pot with the pork and vegetables.
  5. stir in the chicken stock, then add kombu and the anchovy stock packet. reduce heat and let simmer for about 15 minutes.
  6. once soup has simmered and flavors are melding together, remove the stock packet and kombu. set heat to medium-low and pour in 2 cups of water, then add shrimp and mussels. cook until the shrimp become pink and the mussels are all open, around 4 minutes.
  7. in a separate large pot, bring water to a boil, then add noodles. cook for 3-4 minutes then remove from heat and strain. add noodles to the soup and serve.

Jjamppong (Korean Seafood Noodle Soup)