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Korean Spicy Fish Soup

Basic Sunday
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.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Course Main Course, Soup
Cuisine Korean
Servings 4

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 anchovies
    4 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 broth
    1/2 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 pepper
    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, 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 tofu
    1-2 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 onions
    1 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 serve
    1 bunch of Korean ssuk (daisy crown or watercress)