Korean Fish Cake Soup (Odeng Guk) is a comfy, street-style broth simmered with fish desserts, Korean radish, and anchovy inventory. This gentle, savory soup captures the heat of Korea’s winter stalls — easy, nostalgic, and excellent for cold days.
Get new recipes by way of e mail:
Abod Odem Odem Odem Guk.
Fish cake soup is understood by a number of names in Korea — odeng guk, eomuk guk, or odeng tang when served proper from the pot. “Odeng” is the outdated time period borrowed from Japanese, whereas “eomuk” is now the native Korean identify.
I nonetheless name it odeng guk as a result of that’s what I grew up listening to. Whatever you name it, it’s the identical soul-warming broth simmered with chewy fish desserts and Korean radish.
What Makes This Soup Special
The secret to a superb odeng guk is the broth — gentle but deeply savory from anchovy dashi and radish. A small splash of tuna sauce (or tsuyu) provides mild umami, and the fish desserts take in it superbly for a mushy, juicy chew.
Key Ingredients and Tips
Fish desserts (eomuk/odeng): Mix flat and spherical varieties for texture. You’ll discover them within the frozen part of Korean markets. Pre-skewered variations are handy, however I choose threading my very own for freshness and suppleness. I typically use the identical fish desserts to make tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes) and eomuk bokkeum (fish cake side dish).
Korean radish (mu): Adds pure sweetness and depth. Don’t skip it — it’s what separates an ideal broth from a mean one.
Anchovy inventory: I take advantage of both a dashi pack or the coin-style stock for comfort — each give a clear, ocean-rich taste that’s good for odeng guk. When I’ve further time, I make it from scratch with giant dried anchovies and a chunk of dried sea kelp (dashima). The home made model has a deeper, rounder taste identical to the broth I keep in mind from my childhood in Korea.
Rice desserts (non-compulsory): Long rice cake logs (garae-tteok) make the soup heartier and further enjoyable to dip within the sauce. You’ll typically see this mix at Korean avenue meals stalls the place fish cake soup is bought — the chewy rice desserts soaking in scorching broth are inconceivable to withstand. I adore it!
Soup seasoning: Korean soup soy sauce and tuna sauce (or tsuyu) give delicate umami with out overpowering the fragile broth.
How to Make Korean Fish Cake Soup (Odeng Guk)
Optional Rice Cake Preparation
Prep the skewers. Thread the fish desserts onto lengthy picket skewers. If your rice desserts (garae-tteok) have been refrigerated, they’ll be fairly agency. Briefly boil them till mushy and pliable earlier than threading; it makes the method a lot simpler and prevents cracking. Keep the skewers soaked in heat water till you’re able to prepare dinner in order that they keep moist and versatile.
Build the bottom broth. Start with clear anchovy inventory simmering gently with sliced Korean radish. As it bubbles, the radish softens and sweetens the broth. Skim the floor calmly to maintain the broth clear and clear.
Simmer and infuse taste. Once the broth is seasoned, gently decrease the skewers in. The fish desserts will begin to puff and take in that savory umami broth. Occasionally ladle scorching broth over the uncovered components so each chew soaks up taste.
Serve street-style. I like serving odeng guk immediately from the pot, with a easy soy-based dipping sauce on the aspect. It’s humble consolation meals — the sort Koreans collect round on chilly days. Add chili slices for a touch of warmth and colour.
Tip: For gatherings, hold the broth heat on low warmth and high up with further inventory as wanted. The taste stays clear, and everybody will get a scorching bowl.
If you’re keen on cozy noodle soups, attempt my Kimchi Udon Soup. It makes use of the identical fish cake skewers and comparable savory broth flavors with a spicy kick.
Keran Fish Cake Soup
A comfortable Korean fish cake soup (Odeng Guk) simmered in a transparent, savory broth with radish and anchovy inventory. Light, comforting, and stuffed with genuine street-style taste.
- 10 oz (300 g) flat fish desserts, skewered, see be aware beneath
- 10 oz (300 g) spherical fish desserts, skewered
- 7 oz (200 g) rice cake logs, non-compulsory
- 2 inexperienced onion, chopped
- 1 recent chili, finely sliced
For soup broth
- 7 cups (1.6 liter) water
- 1 packet anchovy-kelp dashi packet, see be aware beneath
- 7 oz (200 g) Korean radish, sliced into 1/4-inch items
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) Korean soup soy sauce
- 1/2 tbsp (7.5 ml) Korean tuna sauce, or tsuyu
- 1/2 tbsp minced garlic
- salt and pepper , to style
-
To put together rice desserts (non-compulsory): In a pot, boil water over medium warmth. Add rice cake logs, cooking for 1-2 minutes till they’re mushy and tender. Drain and rinse the rice desserts with chilly water to chill them barely. Once heat to the contact, thread them onto lengthy skewers. Soak them in water and put aside.
-
To make the soup broth: In a 4-quart soup pot, mix 7 cups of water, anchovy inventory dashi packet, sliced Korean radish, and Asian leek. Bring to a boil, then cut back warmth to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove and discard the inventory packet and leek, holding the radish within the inventory.
-
Season the boiled inventory with Korean soup soy sauce, tuna sauce (or tsuyu), salt, garlic, and pepper to style.
-
To make fish cake soup: Add fish cake skewers and rice cake skewers to the pot. It’s superb if the skewers aren’t absolutely submerged. Occasionally ladle the new broth over any uncovered components of the fish desserts as they simmer.
-
Once the fish desserts puff up barely, the soup is able to serve. Garnish with inexperienced onion and recent chili so as to add a touch of spicy kick. Enjoy scorching with the ready dipping sauce.
-
To make the dipping sauce: Combine all sauce substances in a bowl. Mix effectively and put aside for serving.
Soup inventory dashi bag: If you an’t discover them, you may simply make anchovy inventory from scratch. See my how to make anchovy stock.
Love this recipe? Rate it and share your expertise within the remarks beneath! On Instagram? Tag me to showcase your creation. For extra scrumptious recipes, subscribe to our newsletter!
