Spicy Korean Beef Soup
This is probably the best soup I have ever made. I should throw a big old disclaimer on that statement and say that I can't remember the last time I made soup from scratch. That being said, even if I made soup really frequently, I would be pretty pleased with this soup. It's spicy yet refreshing, and has awesome flavor throughout. Best of all, it only takes a little over an hour over the stove to make it happen.
Spicy Korean Beef Soup
serves 4
1 lb beef brisket, julienned
4 C chicken broth
4 C beef broth
2 bunches scallions, cut into 2 inch pieces
1 onion
5 cloves garlic
3 tbsp sweet paprika
1 tbsp red pepper flakes
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
2 C bean sprouts
This seems like a lot of preparation, but read past the ingredients list; in reality it's a fairly simple soup. To top it off, everything happens in the same pot, so there's not a ton of cleanup. Huzzah!
Start by browning the brisket, which you've julienned nicely. To julienne the meat, start by cutting it into inch and a half strips:
Then cut the strips in half horizontally:
Then cut those smaller strips into little pieces:
Toss the cut strips into the pot with about 2 tbsp of oil and cook them for around 7 minutes, until the outside is nicely brown. Take the beef out and set it aside for later.
Then, sautee the onions in the same pot, without cleaning it. They should brown up a little and soften a lot. After about 7 minutes of cooking the onions, toss in the garlic for a minute or less, and then add in the broths. Add in the beef (along with the juice that may have accumulated) and bring the whole mix to a boil. When it's boiling reduce the heat and let it simmer for around 45 minutes.
After 45 minutes, add in the scallion pieces and spices, stirring a few times. Leave partially covered, and simmer for another 15 minutes. When everything is nicely combined and smelling fantastic, take the soup off of the heat and ladle it out into bowls. Toss in the bean sprouts and serve. Spicy and delicious!
