Miyeok Guk
Nourishing seaweed soup with beef and sesame.
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Join HomecookedIngredients
- 30 g Dried wakame
- 200 g Beef flank steak
- 3 cloves Garlic
- 2 tbsp Light soy sauce
- 2 tbsp Toasted sesame oil
- 1200 ml Chicken stock
- ½ tsp Salt
Method
- Soak the dried wakame in cold water until soft and expanded, about 10 minutes, then drain and chop.
- While the wakame soaks, slice the beef and mince the garlic.
- Saute the beef and wakame with the garlic in the sesame oil until the beef colors, about 5 minutes.
- Add the stock and soy and simmer until rich and savoury, about 15 minutes.
- Ladle into bowls and serve with rice.
Nutrition per serving
Estimated from ingredients; varies with exact portions and brands.
About Miyeok Guk
Miyeok guk is a Korean seaweed soup carrying a meaning few dishes hold: it is the soup eaten on birthdays and traditionally by mothers after childbirth, prized for the iron and iodine that dried wakame provides. The dish is defined by that seaweed — soaked until it expands severalfold, then chopped and sauteed in toasted sesame oil with garlic and slices of beef so the seaweed picks up richness before any liquid goes in. This browning-first step is what separates a good miyeok guk from a thin one; it coaxes savory depth into what could otherwise be a plain broth.
On the palate it is gentle and nourishing rather than bold — silky, slippery ribbons of wakame in a light beef-and-sesame broth seasoned simply with soy sauce and salt. The flavor is savory and faintly oceanic, with the sesame oil giving it a toasty warmth that makes it comforting on a cold day or when you want something easy on the stomach. It's almost always served with a bowl of rice, which is meant to be spooned into or eaten alongside the soup. At around half an hour and low in calories, it's the kind of restorative bowl that feels like a favor to yourself.
Miyeok Guk: frequently asked questions
How many calories are in Miyeok Guk?
One serving of Miyeok Guk has about 279 calories, with 19g of protein, 15g of carbs, 15g of fat and 0g of fiber. These are estimates based on the ingredient amounts in this recipe and will vary with your exact portions and brands.
Is Miyeok Guk gluten-free?
As written, no — it contains Light soy sauce. You'd need a certified gluten-free swap for that ingredient to make it gluten-free.
How long does Miyeok Guk take to make?
About 30 minutes start to finish, but only around 11 of those are hands-on — the rest is largely unattended cooking time you can step away from. In the Homecooked app the timers and parallel steps are sequenced for you so the hands-on part feels even shorter.
How many servings does Miyeok Guk make?
This recipe makes 4 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.