Soybean Sprout Soup (Kong Namul Guk)

I made my first batch of Soybean Sprout Soup for lunch today. I have been inspired to cook more Korean dishes this year and experiment with new recipes from my new cookbook, The Kimchi Chronicles. For Christmas this year, I received two copies (what are the odds?) of this lovely cookbook, one from my husband and son and one from my friend. I have been keeping my nose stuffed in this cookbook, reading about different Korean dishes and making a list of which ones I want to make. I went to the Korean market yesterday to get some more ingredients, so I could make Korean spicy braised chicken from The Kimchi Chronicles (hopefully, it will turn out ok). 

This is a new year and of course, the "diet" has to start! I hate using the word "diet," because everyone is on a diet (a diet is what composes your daily food intake!). What's more accurate is to say that I need to watch what I eat and eat healthier food. I am trying to cut out/reduce refined sugars (or, at least I am trying to significantly limit my sweets intake overall) and "bad carbs" like white bread. Anyone who knows me, knows that I would rather have something savory over something sweet anyway! (i.e., I'd rather have an egg roll or dumpling as a treat vs. a piece of cake, so cutting out sweets won't be that hard). I do need to eat more fruits and vegetables though and I need to exercise more regularly. 

Anyway, back to the soup...

I made this soybean sprout soup today because I wanted something light, quick and easy. It was so easy and satisfying! It is very cold in my house, so I have been craving soup a lot these days. I am officially addicted to this soup. My friend made it for me one time and I loved it, but I never had the courage to try to make it on my own. Today, I mustered up the courage to try to make it, since I had just purchased soybean sprouts at the Korean market. I probably ate more than a serving, as seen by this huge bowl, but it was my lunch and I skipped the rice to cut down on carbs. The soybean sprout soup was satisfying and warming, and the broth (which wasn't spicy at all, even though it has a little red pepper powder) filled up my tummy in no time! I figured if I got hungry in two hours, I could have a light snack (which is what I need to do anyway, space out more light snacks throughout the day, instead of having three big meals). 

I cannot take credit for this soup, so I would like to thank Aeri's Kitchen for sharing this recipe for Soybean Sprout Soup. Aeri provides a very detailed, step-by-step video for how to make this soybean sprout soup, so I studied her video and read the instructions several times before I attempted to make it. My goal is to incorporate more Korean dishes into my diet, so this soybean sprout soup marks the beginning of my journey to learn more Korean recipes. I am going to use Aeri's website and my new cookbook as my guides. Aeri makes Korean food very accessible to her audience and makes it less intimidating to tackle these Korean recipes. Since I don't eat beef, I will just have to try to adapt some of the beef recipes and swap out the beef for ground turkey or chicken or just make it vegetarian. I love Aeri's website and I am very grateful that she shares Korean recipes for everyone to try. The soup turned out so yummy! The only thing I didn't have on hand was "soup soy sauce," so I just used regular soy sauce. The next time I go to the Korean market, I will pick up a bottle of soup soy sauce and make this recipe again and see if I notice a difference. But I was very pleased with how it turned out, regardless of the substitution.

Thank you so much, Aeri, for your help!