Korean Spicy Fish Soup or Maeun-tang
A classic Korean spicy fish soup that is hearty and packed with flavor! It’s simple to make as long as your fish is already cut into pieces. Get the recipe
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Recipe
Ingredients
- 1-2 lbs white fish (pollock, bass, cod, halibut, etc)
- 4 cups anchovy broth (4 cups water + 10 dried anchovies, heads and guts removed)
- 1/4 cup Korean red pepper flakes or gochugaru
- 5 minced cloves of garlic
- 1 tbsp dwenjang or Korean fermented soybean paste
- 1 1/2 tsp gochujang or Korean red pepper paste
- 1 1/2 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp fish sauce (or salt to taste)
- 1 1/2 tbsp mirin or soju
- Black pepper
- 1 Korean green onion leek or 5 green onions, chopped into 1-2″
- Bunches of ssuk (daisy crown or watercress)
- 1 firm tofu, cut into medium thick pieces
- Enoki mushrooms
- 1/2 of a Korean or Japanese radish
- 1 red and 1 green chili pepper, sliced
Steps
- In a large pot, add water and prepared dried anchovies
- Heat on the stove until it boils. Then turn the heat to low for 15 minutes.
- Strain out the anchovies and discard them.
- Chop radish into chunks and add to the broth
- Cook for ~20 minutes or until the radish is slightly soft
- Cut the fish into 4 pieces, including the head. Remove any scales, fins, and guts.
- For the seasoning paste, mix gochugaru, garlic, dwenjang, gochujang, soy sauce, fish sauce, mirin, and black pepper
- When the radish is slightly soft, spoon the paste into the soup and stir to mix
- Add pieces of fish and slices of firm tofu
- Cook for another 20 minutes or until the fish is fully cooked
- Add mushrooms, chili peppers, and green onions
- Cook for 2 minutes
- Add ssuk and turn off the heat
- Enjoy!
How to Eat It
Korean spicy fish soup is a must to eat with a bowl of rice! Or I think it is 🙂 The pot of soup is typically served in the middle of the table with a ladle. Each person can serve his, her, or their own bowl of soup.
Side Dishes or Banchan
Any Korean side dishes or banchan works! My favorites are:
- Korean bean sprout side dish
- Kimchi
- Korean spicy cucumber
Store Leftovers
Best to eat it immediately. Store any leftovers in a food storage container and refrigerate them. I would eat it within 2-3 days.
Korean Spicy Fish Soup
Korean spicy fish soup or Maeuntang is hearty from the fish and packed with flavor from the seasoning paste. It's simple to make as long as your fish is already prepared.
Ingredients
- 1-2 lbs white fish (pollock, bass, cod, halibat, etc) Remove any scales, fins, and guts
- 4 cups Anchovy broth 4 cups water and 10 dried anchovies, head and guts removed
Seasoning paste
- 1/4 cup gochugaru or Korean red pepper flakes
- 5 minced garlic
- 1 tbsp dwenjang or Korean fermented bean paste
- 1 1/2 tsp gochujang or Korean red pepper paste
- 1 1/2 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp fish sauce can use salt instead. Add as needed.
- 1 1/2 tbsp Korean rice wine (mirin) or soju
- pinch of black pepper
Vegetables
- 1 Korean green onion leek (daepa) can use 5 green onions
- 1 bunch of Korean ssuk (daisy crown or watercress)
- 1 firm tofu, sliced into chunks
- 1 bag Enoki mushroom
- 1/2 Korean or Japanese radish, cut into thick chunks
- 1 red and green chili peppers
Instructions
- In a large pot, add water and prepared dried anchovies4 cups Anchovy broth
- Heat on the stove until it boils. Then turn the heat to low for 15 minutes.
- Strain out the anchovies and discard them.
- Chop radish into chunks and add to the broth1/2 Korean or Japanese radish, cut into thick chunks
- Cook for ~20 minutes or until the radish is slightly soft
- Cut the fish into 4 pieces, including the head. Remove any scales, fins, and guts.1-2 lbs white fish (pollock, bass, cod, halibat, etc)
- For the seasoning paste, mix gochugaru, garlic, dwenjang, gochujang, soy sauce, fish sauce, mirin, and black pepper1/4 cup gochugaru or Korean red pepper flakes, 5 minced garlic, 1 tbsp dwenjang or Korean fermented bean paste, 1 1/2 tsp gochujang or Korean red pepper paste, 1 1/2 tsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp fish sauce, pinch of black pepper, 1 1/2 tbsp Korean rice wine (mirin) or soju
- When the radish is slightly soft, spoon the paste into the soup and stir to mix
- Add pieces of fish and slices of firm tofu1-2 lbs white fish (pollock, bass, cod, halibat, etc), 1 firm tofu, sliced into chunks
- Cook for another 20 minutes or until the fish is fully cooked
- Add mushrooms, chili peppers, and green onions1 Korean green onion leek (daepa), 1 bag Enoki mushroom, 1 red and green chili peppers
- Cook for 2 minutes
- Add ssuk, turn off the heat, and serve1 bunch of Korean ssuk (daisy crown or watercress)
