If you go to a Korean restaurant, you might have tried this spicy Korean soup or at least saw it on the menu. It is a popular Korean soup for people who like spicy food. Cooking different kinds of vegetables in homemade beef broth, along with a spicy sauce, will give you great soup flavor. In Korea, if somebody dies, we visit the funeral house to morn the dead person and comfort the family. They usually start getting visitors for 2 or 3 days before the funeral and they serve food to the guests. Nowadays, this is one of Korea’s funeral foods. I don’t know why, but it is… Of course, we enjoy eating this soup other times as well, especially in cold weather.
Yield: 6 Servings
Short Korean Lesson
- GukMul (국물) = Broth
- YaChae (야채) = Vegetable
Video Instructions
Main Ingredients
- 8 oz Beef Brisket
- 4 Green Onions
- 1½ Handfuls Mung Bean Sprouts
- 1 Handful Dried Fernbrake (1½ Cups Soaked Fernbrake)
- 1 Handful Dried Taro Stems (1 Cup Soaked Taro Stems)
- ½ Onion
- 1 Egg
Beef Broth Ingredients
- 10½ Cups Water (2½ Liter)
- 5 Garlic Cloves
- 2 Green Onions
- ½ Onion
- 7 Black Pepper Corns
Sauce Ingredients
- 3½ Tbsp Red Pepper Powder
- 3 Tbsp Hot Pepper Oil
- 3 Tbsp Soup Soy Sauce
- 1½ Tbsp Sesame Oil
- 1½ Tbsp Minced Garlic
- ⅛ tsp Black Pepper
- 1 tsp Sea Salt
Directions
To make the beef broth, add about 10½ cups of water, ½ onion, 2 green onions chopped in half, 5 garlic cloves, and 7 black pepper corns. Boil for 40 to 50 minutes on medium-high. Beef brisket is the best cut to use for this soup.
If you buy dried vegetables like, GoSaRi (Fernbrake) and ToRanDae (Taro Stems), soak 1 handful of each in water at least one night. If you buy them already soaked in water, prepare 1½ cups of GoSaRi and 1 cup of ToRanDae. Boil the soaked GoSaRi and ToRanDae until they become soft. (About 30 minutes)
If you can’t get ToRanDae, you can substitute to oyster mushrooms, or Enokitake mushrooms since the texture will be similar.
Boil 1½ handful of mung bean sprouts in boiling water for 5 minutes. If you use soy bean sprouts (KongNaMul) instead of mung bean sprouts, you can remove and discard the yellow part of the bean sprout, and then boil for 10 minutes in boiling water.
Occasionally, remove the foam from the surface of the broth. After 40 to 50 minutes, or when the beef is completely cooked, remove the beef from the broth.
Drain the broth. Throw away the other cooked vegetables.
When all of the meat and vegetables are ready, tear apart the beef thinly with your fingers. (Boiled brisket is easy to pull apart.) Since I used a different cut of beef, I had to cut it with a knife.
Cut the green onions, GoSaRi, and ToRanDae into 2-inch pieces. Cut the onion into ½-inch pieces. You don’t have to cut the mung bean sprouts. If you like mushrooms, you can add some mushrooms in it.
In a bowl, combine 3½ Tbsp of red pepper powder, 3 Tbsp of hot pepper oil, 3 Tbsp of soup soy sauce, 1½ Tbsp of sesame oil, 1½ Tbsp of minced garlic, ⅛ tsp of black pepper, 1 tsp of sea salt. I highly recommend using soup soy sauce instead of normal soy sauce for better flavor.
In a large pan, add all of the meat, vegetables, and sauce.
Mix it all together, and set it aside for 20 minutes so that all the ingredients will get enough flavor. 20 minutes later, fry it for about 5 minutes on high.
Pour the broth in the pan. Cook for 20 minutes on medium high.
Break 1 egg, and beat it. After boiling the soup for 20 minutes, reduce the temperature on medium. Slowly pour the egg on the top of the broth, being careful not to distribute it all in one spot. Don’t stir too much, or your broth will not be clear.
Boil for several minutes, until the egg is cooked. Then turn off the heat.
It was a little complex and took time to make, and some ingredients might be not familiar to you or easy to find; however, it is definitely worth a try. Aha, one last thing, this soup tastes even better the next day. 😉 If you have Dashida (Korean beef stock powder), you can add some. It will make your soup tastier. Enjoy!
This soup is very spicy, but it is has great flavor. Maybe the reason they use it for funerals is that the spiciness of it makes people cry. It is one of my favorite Korean soups. A+++
Hi, Honey~~
Puhahaha ~~ That was very cute and funny guessing. to make people cry ?? lol Yep, I remember when you tried this soup for the first time and loved it, I was very very happy. 😉 Thanks for comment !!! <3<3
this is probably my most absolute favorite korean dish of all time!!! this is funeral food? i would have never guessed… i can’t WAIT till you post this video. 🙂
Hi, my friend Farleen~~
Yep~~ When I prepared this page, I thought ‘Arleen will like it!!!’ hehe. Thanks 😀 We got some snow yesterday, it’s still warm over there right. I envy you. =P
i luv this dish! this is better than maangchi’s. i luv gosari! hmmm,yummy!
Hi, layping ~~
Oh~~ you love gosari? haha my husband also loves it. It’s very interesting for me to see if some foreigners (not Korean) like gosari, because it’s unique ingredient. anyway..thanks !! 😀
sis i am drooling! stop doing this to me!!! my keyboard is all my saliva!! lolz!! yucks!! kidding!! I love soup!!! this look so warming .. hahaha cause i am hungry now.. i need soup to warm my stomach! sis send me one bowl!! thanks!!! muakxx!! miss ya!!!
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Hi, ChuiYew ~~
The other day, I missed to talk to you~~ sorry.. oh.. one bowl ~~~ hehe.. I wish I could ~~~~ 😉 Good night, sister ~~~
it’s not funeral food per se – in actuality there’s a wide variety of foods served to people at funerals, although jeon (panfried foods), rice cakes, and fruit are common offerings to guests. More important and specific are the foods for Confucian funeral rites, which are never spicy, and usually include rice, boiled meats, fried foods, wine, and fruits and nuts. After being ritually offered to the deceased, the foods are mixed together into an unspiced version of bibimbap called “jesabap”
Hi, FatManSeoul
Wow~~ Happy to see you on my blog. Yes, you are right there are many kinds of funeral food. I changed my explanation. “one of Korea’s funeral foods” instead of “a common funeral food” actually.. when I wrote “a common”, I meant it’s one of them. Have you ever been to the place (장례식장=JangRyeSikJang), if so what did you eat for soup? I just wondered … hehe usually they serve a meal with rice, soup (like yukgaejang,) sidedishes, rice cakes, fruits, and so on.
About “jesa=Confucian funeral rites” thanks for sharing the information. 😀
P.S. I’m enjoying reading and looking at your blog. Your food pictures look very delicious~~~ I hope to see you often on my blog. Thanks 😀
Hi, Aeri ~
This made me so homesick! I’m from Hawaii where many, many Korean fast food places offer yuk gae jang and it’s been my favorite since I was in high school but never realized how much goes into making it RIGHT! Now, living in San Francisco, I’ve been tempted to try making this with the packaged mixes in the Korean grocery stores (just add water and vegetables) but I loved reading your authentic preparation method.
Consider me a BIG fan and I’ll look forward to your videos and future endeavors. Take care!!
Hi, Eric
Oh~~~ You love yukgaejang~~ Yes, I feel homesick when I think of my mom’s food in Korea. Thanks !!!
p.s Btw, you lived in such a beautiful place. I’ve been Hawaii once for our honeymoon. We loved that place.
Sadly, Fatman has been to funeral halls in Korea and has been served a full meal that included yukgaejang at one funeral, and daehapguk (대합국) at another, and no soup at all at a third (fatman wasn’t there during normal eating hours . . .) You’re right that it does seem to show up as food for funeral guests quite a bit, probably because it’s easy to make in large batches. Ddeok, jeon, rice, and fruit were served at all the funerals, and seem to be pretty indispensable.
Next time you’re in Korea, head to Andong where 헛제사밥 is a local specialty – all the fun of ritual food without the death 🙂 And thanks for the compliment, Fatman will be stopping by often!
Hi, FatManSeoul
See, you know many things about Korean food and food culture. I will not surprise that you know more than me about it. hehe.. Yep.. I researched a little why they serve yukgaejang on funeral recent.. it seems like..(. you are right..)because.. it’s easy to make in large batches. ^^ haha..okay I will remember andong 헛제사밥. I didn’t know that before. REALLY ?? ASSA.. yep..please stop by often !!!
p.s why your name is fatmanseoul?? hehe..I have feeling actually you are not that fat man.. just wondered 😉
The name is because we’re the younger sibling of the fashion blog, FeetManSeoul (www.feetmanseoul.com) and chose the name to match.
Let’s put it this way . . . we ain’t skinny. How could anyone stay thin with all the delicious eats out there?
Hi, FatManSeoul
hehe.. now I got it !!! I 100% agree !! It’s hard to be skinny, especially if you love food. hehe I think the name is unique but easy to remember..I like it.. haha…feetmanseoul ~~~ I will visit that site.. thanks for answering my question. bye ~~
When I lived in 서울, I found a tiny 기사 식당 in 서대문 that served this stuff for three bucks. Best 육개장 ever! I can’t wait to make some myself.
Hi ^^ 발강
Nice to meet you !!!
Wow, you’ve lived in Korea. I hope you have many good memories in Korea. tiny 기사 식당 oh.. yes.. that kind of small restaurant can be a really good secrect restuarnt..hehe try to make yukgae jang someday by yourself. ^^ thanks !!
I’ve been looking for this recipe… Looks good can’t wait to try it this weekend. 🙂 thanks aeris…
Hi, jhny69
Yes.. try it and I hope you can enjoy it. Thanks !!! 🙂
Tried it today it was so good that it only was enough for 3 people instead of 6. hehehe! thanks aeris…
Hi, jhny69
haha.. you are funny..
sorry for wrong information about yield. =P hehe… Thanks for your comment !!
I don’t think your information was wrong! I think we ate too much! hehehe! 🙂
Hi, jhny69
It’s me again..
haha.. then dangerous recipe for diet ??
but I also eat a lot if I have delicious food. 🙂 Thanks !!!
Yes, it is… hehehe! thanks for all the good recipes… keep it up!
Delicious soup. One thing I do is pressure cook the brisket for about 40 minutes and then shred it by hand.
Hi, cruiser
Good ~~~ I just can’t find “brisket” in the grocery store around here.. anyway.. yep.. shred it by hand is the original way.. 🙂
One Korean market here sells brisket in small packages with almost no fat on it; but once in a while I will pickup a large package from Sam’s Club. I trim off the fat and use it to cook this soup and jang jo rim; and whatever I don’t use, I put it in the freezer for next time.
Hi, cruiser
aha… Sam’s club… we have one here… maybe when I have chance to go there, I will check it. thanks ~~~ 🙂 oh.. you like jang jo rim also..hehe me too.. have a great weekend ~~
haii aeris… i’ve made it before…. even it was a bit different with u cause the ingredients was difficult to find in my hometown so i”ve changed it. ^^ but the taste was great….. LoVe it!! My fav one…
Hi, lina
I can understand your difficulty to find some of Korean ingredients.. since I have same problems sometimes.. I’m happy to hear that.. you had to change some things..but it was still taste great. Thanks !!! 🙂
Hi there: I made this today while snowed in for the day. It was wonderful! I did not have Kosari, but it was still great. I used leeks instead of green onions and added some chile paste in addition to the red pepper powder. Very spicy, so much so that no one else will eat it so I have a big pot of soup to eat over the next couple of days. 🙂
This was delicious.
Thanks,
Mikey
hi Mikey,
Nice to meet you. lol.. you made it extra spicy on purpose to eat all alone.. too greedy.. =P joke.. I’m happy you liked it. thanks 🙂
Hihi Aeri!!! ^^
It is me again ~~!
Hmm! My friend Seul told me she likes this soup… ^^ and that this is her favourite soup! Maybe I will try to make it for her one day.. maybe on her birthday.. heehee=P
Oh! But her birthday is in June.. but this soup is better for cold weather! Hmm.. maybe another day…… >.<
Aeri, I have another question!
Have you ever made cake before??
Do oyu have any good recipes?? 😀
Thanks so much !!!!! XD
Hi Annie,
I can see you have very warm heart.. hehe I can eat this soup anytime a year ..even in the hot summer..hehe what kind of cake are you asking ?? American cake ? or Korean style cake ???
Hi! 🙂
Man that looks SO good!!! Your husband is so lucky to have married such a great cook! 🙂
hi misspookietoodle,
^^ haha.. I hope that my husband feels the same way.. thanks 🙂
Hi Aery,
I am a big fan of yuk gae jang, I always ordered this dish in every Korean restaurant, and finally I decided to give it a try at home.
I’ve been searching gosari and torandae everywhere, and thank heaven I found it.
I tried your recipe few weeks ago. It was sooo great, and I couldn’t stop eating them, lol. It was such a long time of cooking process (since I bought gosari and torandae in dried package), but I really enjoyed it and it worth. Thank you so much, you made my day :))
I have tried some of your recipes as well, including sogalbi, algamja jorim, bibimbap, and I never fail to finish them all, thank u once again for sharing such great recipes 🙂
Hope to see more of your Korean recipe postings
hi Gigi,
I always love to hear this kind of good news from people.. hehe so happy that you got success to try some Korean food. Thank you very much..yes I will try to post more delicious recipes..
Hi Aeri!
Thank you so much for this great recipe. I love this stew and had tried many recipes before but this one is by far the best. My Korean husband was VERY happy 🙂 He usually always suggests some changes but this time he said it’s absolutely perfect the way it is!
Thanks for taking the time to post all these great recipes!
Hi Caroline,
wow.. what a big compliment.. very excited to hear that your Korean husband liked this.. thank you very much. 🙂
Hi Aeri, I tried this today and like you said it is rather complex but I found the end results well worth it. thank you for your recipe. It was the first time for me to try making this at home ever and for the first time it turned out okay thanks to your clear instuctions 🙂
hi Matoe,
^^ good job !!! since it takes time to make.. I usually make plenty…and freeze some for later.. I love this soup.. thanks 😀
mmm so yummy. even my mom who doesnt really like beef liked it. i made it with the hot pepper oil this time but is there a substitute for it if you dont have any?
hi Samantha,
Wow, you did a good job.. You made your mom happy..hehe aha about hot pepper oil..if you don’t have it.. fry some hot pepper powder in some cooking oil.. ^^ for a short time .. on medium heat.. thanks 😀
Hi Aeri,
Can this be made with turkey or chicken? If so will the cooking step be different. Thanks!
(Also would the name change?)
hi RedRanger123,
yes.. we have almost similar soup using chicken instead of beef.. we call it.. dakgaejang.. yuk means.. beef.. dak means.. chicken..hehe ^^ cooking step will be same..
Hi Aeri,
Is there a way to make Taro stems Namul? Anyway, I’m planning to make this soup day after tomorrow:)
hi RedRanger123,
yes.. we have namul using taro stems..I will add it to my list.. i hope you enjoyed your soup. thanks
I just made this last night & it was so delicious. I thought I made a mistake to use enokitake mushrooms because the flavor was overpowering the first day. But you were right…today, the soup was perfect! I’m so glad I don’t have to buy it anymore. It’s really good comfort food. Thank you sooo much! I just wanted to know if Dashida is a lot different than (Knorr’s)beef boullion cubes because that’s what I used.
I enjoy your well-made videos & I am looking forward on trying more of your recipes!
hi Nancy,
Yes.. homemade soup will be cheaper..healthier..and tastier.. you can freeze them also.. ^^ thanks 🙂
I don’t know about knoo’s beef boullion.. sorry.. but you liked it.. so it will work for you..right ? hehe..
I’ve made this before, using a recipe from a cookbook, but I had a horrible time with the dried gosari. No matter how much I soaked it, it would never get soft enough or lose that dusty taste. So then I tried boiling it, like you have here, but that left it tasting like absolutely nothing. Boiled the taste right now. So now I use gosari that has been preserved in water. I find it in the refridgerated section of our Asian market. It’s a little more expensive than the dried version, but it adds that woodsy taste that I love. On a side note, my mom’s friend makes yukejang with turnips, but when I made it like that one time, all of her other friends were like “no, no, no…no turnips.” Like I had committed a crime or something. LoL.
hi Sandy,
haha.. “Like I had committed a crime or something” that was so funny.. yes I’ve never heard of using turnips for yukgaejang..but if it tastes good..why not using it.. right ??
hehe thanks
Hi Aeri, I just discovered your website and your recipes are so good! Thank you so much! This website so helpful for me and my husband!
hi LK,
Nice to meet you.. thanks..
Hello Aeri,
I made a batch with 24 oz of beef, and I was wondering of a few options.
1. freeze the beef and the broth, and use them in the future and add the other vegetables in it.
2. To add the vegetables now, and freeze them.
Which method would you recommend? And do you happen to know how long they’ll last in the freezer? Thank you so much . 😛
I LOVE your recipes!!!!!!
hi Millie,
I usually make enough to freeze… what I do is.. make the soup.. and freeze… which will be second one you mentioned.. it will last months.. unless you eat often since it’s very delicious. hehe
It’s very convenience to eat for your meal. 🙂 Enjoy ~~~
How much Dashida should be added if you have it?
hi Cody,
Start from about 1/2 tsp..and add more if you want.. 🙂 thanks..
Hi Aeri,
I’ve had yookgaejang with the clear noodles in it. Is it the same noodles used in japchae? And if i do put it in, when is the best time to put it?
Thank you!
hi heejo,
Yes, you are right. It is the same noodles you use for japchae. When your soup is almost done cooking (about 5 minutes left), add the noodles and cook several minutes until the noodles become soft. Soak the noodles in hot or warm water ahead that helps to cook the noodles faster. 🙂
Aeri! Please help!!!
I soaked the dried gosari for a day but most of them looked really dark still and thin! So I thought it would go away once I cooked them but they have been boiling for 40 minuted and they still look super dark and tough! How is this possible! Is this okay? Thanks in advance :DD
hi cobugi,
Depending on.. how long it’s been dried.. it takes longer to boil to them soft.. some gosari it can easily take more than hour to make them soft.. so keep boil until they become soft.. thanks
hi Aeri,
can I replace the beef with chicken so that it becomes chicken’s broth?
thanks!
hi azee,
Yes you can ^^
that looks soooo good! 🙂 i will have to make this recipe. i have tried a couple different recipes, as it’s one of my favorite korean soups. 😀 thanks, Aeri! <3
Hi, Aeri! 🙂
I’m half-Korean, my mom is full Korean, and this is definitely one of our favorite soups! I had a question about this recipe.
I know that some Korean restaurants serve chap-jae noodles in this dish as well, and my mom and I both like the soup with these noodles. How would I adjust the recipe in order to have the noodles in it?
Thanks! 🙂
hi Nicole J.,
Nice to meet you. 🙂 About your question.. you can soak or boil the japchae noodles seperately .. (to make it softer)..and add it to the soup at the end of cooking step..and finish cooking and eat.
or… You can also just add the hard noodles in the soup and cook with the soup too.. it will take more than 10 minutes to cook the noodles.. so consider that. 🙂
Hi Aeri,
I made this for the first time today and it was awesome!!! My husband loved it and ate three bowls of it.
Thank you. One of my goals for this year is to practice cooking Korean dishes and I have a feeling I’ll be visiting your website frequently. I also watch your YT videos.
Hi Aeri,
I LOVE your website, and I am excited to try this recipe. I have 2 questions:
1. If I use the mushrooms, do I need to soak those before I cook them? They are fresh, not dried.
2. I found the dry fernbrake but it was $10 for the bag, so I tried finding it packaged in water and found “boiled royal fern in water”…can I use that instead?
I really do appreciate all of your hard work!
hi Yvette,
Thanks for your comment. About your questions, here are my answers.
1. If they are fresh, you don’t have to soak them.
2. Yes.. it will be easier to use that fern in water since you don’t have to soak and boil them before cooking.
This was SO good. Husband and I ate it all up in 2 days!!
HI Heejin,
That’s awesome..hehe good job.and thanks 🙂
Hi Aeri..thanks for the recipe. I will try it one day. I love your blog
hi ainimsuju,
You are welcome. Thank you. ^^
Hi, i have tried this receipe at Korea restaurant and i love it. I want to make this soup but how can i do if i dont have soy sauce for soup. Any thing can subtitle
hi Annie,
You can also use normal soy sauce instead. ^ ^ Thanks.. I hope you like this recipe. ^^
Hello,
After you make the beef broth, how many cups of broth are actually made? I get that we start with 10.5 cups of water but evaporation and all that leads to about how many cups of finished broth? I don’t always have time to make broth from scratch so I buy prepared broth and add ingredients but I don’t want the sauce ingredients to taste too weak or too strong. Thank you.
hi Raelin Fullmer,
I’m sorry.. I didn’t measure the broth for this recipe and it’s been too long time ago, I can not give you the exact amount for the broth.. btw… normal American store bought beef broth has a lot different flavor from this beef broth in this recipe… so you might not get the similar result for the flavor… I’m sorry again… When I make this recipe again next time, I will measure and update the broth amount. Thanks