• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Korean Bapsang logo

  • Start Here
  • Recipes
    • Appetizer/Snack
    • Main Dish
      • Meat
      • Noodles and Rice
      • Seafood
    • Side Dish
    • Slow Cooker
    • Soup
    • Stew
    • Desserts/Sweets
    • Korean-Chinese
    • Vegetables
    • Vegetarian dish
    • Traditional holiday food
      • Chuseok (Korean thanksgiving)
    • Special Event
    • Korean BBQ
  • Pantry
  • About
    • Privacy Policy
    • Featured On
    • Contact
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Start Here
  • Recipes
  • Pantry
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » Soup

    Miyeok Guk (Beef Seaweed Soup)

    Published 12/09/2013. Updated 04/21/2021

    Jump to Recipe

    A staple soup made with miyeok (aka wakame) is delicious and nutritious! It’s most common to make this soup with beef. It’s briny and delicious!

    DSC 3942 e1459309071500 - Miyeok Guk (Beef Seaweed Soup)

    If I had to name my favorite soup, it would be miyeokguk (미역국). I make it 2 to 3 times a month, eat it for a couple of meals and then freeze the rest to eat again later. I love the briny flavor of miyeok (aka wakame) and its slightly chewy, slippery texture.

    Miyeok is a sea vegetable (edible seaweed). Miyeok guk is typically made with dried miyeok, which is a staple in Korean homes. 

    As I explained in my miyeok guk with mussels post, this staple soup also is the soup that new moms eat for the first few weeks after giving birth because of the nutrients contained in miyeok that help with recovery and the production of breast milk.

    In Korea, this soup is part of the hospital diet for new moms. If you’re in America, your Korean mother (or mother-in-law) probably brought a big insulated jar of it to the hospital to feed you after your childbirth.

    Because of this soup’s association with childbirth, it’s also a Korean tradition to eat this soup on birthdays.

    DSC9506 01 2 e1619021390728 - Miyeok Guk (Beef Seaweed Soup)

    How to make miyeokguk?

    Here, I made it with beef. See my Honghap Miyeokguk for a seafood version.

    There are two common ways to make a Korean beef soup base. The method I used here is the quicker method. The thinly sliced beef is seasoned with soup soy sauce and sautéed before being boiled in water.

    The other method boils the big chunk of meat with aromatic vegetables for a long time until tender. The meat is then shredded and added to the soup. I often use the latter method for a deeper flavor when I have time. See my tteokguk recipe for instructions for making the beef broth using the longer method.

    For Korean beef soups, brisket (양지머리, yangjimeori) is the best cut to use. While the brisket takes longer to cook than some other cuts, the resulting broth is much more flavorful. You can certainly use a different cut of beef.

    Tips for making miyeok guk

    1. You can find dried miyeok at Korean markets or on-line sources. Look for the ones with a deep, dark green hue.
    2. Dried miyeok comes in different types and sizes. Most of them are pretty clean these days so it doesn’t require more thorough cleaning we used to do in the past. Some are even ready to use pre-cleaned and pre-cut so you can use it simply after soaking for a couple of minutes.
    3. Do not soak the seaweed too long. You’ll lose some of the seaweed flavor. 10 to 20 minutes should be sufficient, but check the package instructions for soaking time.
    4. Take the time to boil the soup for the specified time for the depth of flavor.
    5. Miyeok guk freezes well if you have any leftover soup.

    More recipes made with miyeok  

    Miyeok guk with mussels
    Miyeok muchim (sweet and sour seaweed salad)
    Oi naengguk (chilled cucumber soup with seaweed)

    DSC 3929 e1459308873549 - Miyeok Guk (Beef Seaweed Soup)

    For more Korean cooking inspirations,  follow along on YouTube, Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

    DSC 3929 150x150 1 - Miyeok Guk (Beef Seaweed Soup)

    Miyeok Guk (Beef Seaweed Soup)

    4.70 from 68 votes
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Soaking time: 20 minutes minutes
    Servings: 6
    Print Recipe

    Ingredients

    • 1.5 ounces dried miyeok yields about 3 cups soaked
    • 6 ounces beef stew meat or brisket
    • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
    • 2 tablespoons soup soy sauce (gukganjang, 국간장) If unavailable, use 1 T regular soy sauce and season with salt to taste
    • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
    • salt and pepper
    • 10 cups water

    Instructions

    • Soak the dried miyeok per package instructions (usually 10 to 20 min) or until miyeok turns soft and plump. Rinse twice. Drain well, and cut into bite sizes.
      miyeok guk1 e1459307987955 - Miyeok Guk (Beef Seaweed Soup)
    • Cut the beef into thin bite size pieces. Marinate with 1 tablespoon of soup soy sauce, garlic, and a pinch of pepper.
      DSC 1610 e1459308127463 - Miyeok Guk (Beef Seaweed Soup)
    • Heat a large pot over medium high heat. Sauté the meat with the sesame oil just until the meat is no longer red.
      DSC 2211 e1459308235678 - Miyeok Guk (Beef Seaweed Soup)
    • Add the miyeok and 1 tablespoon of soup soy sauce, and continue to sauté for 4 to 5 minutes.
      DSC 2231 e1459308345892 - Miyeok Guk (Beef Seaweed Soup)
    • Add 10 cups of water, and bring it to a boil. Skim off any scum. Add salt and pepper to taste. Lower the heat to medium low. Boil, covered, for 20 to 30 minutes until the meat is tender and the broth is slightly milky.
      DSC 2236 768x514 - Miyeok Guk (Beef Seaweed Soup)

    Notes

    Tips for making miyeok guk

    1. You can find dried miyeok at Korean markets or on-line sources. Look for the ones with a deep, dark green hue.
    2. Dried miyeok comes in different types and sizes. Most of them are pretty clean these days so it doesn't require more thorough cleaning we used to do in the past. Some are even ready to use pre-cleaned and pre-cut so you can use it simply after soaking for a couple of minutes.
    3. Do not soak the seaweed too long. You'll lose some of the seaweed flavor. 10 to 20 minutes should be sufficient, but check the package instructions for soaking time.
    4. Take the time to boil the soup for the specified time for the depth of flavor.
    5. Miyeok guk freezes well if you have any leftover soup.

     

    Tried this recipe?Mention @koreanbapsang or tag #koreanbapsang!

    You may also like:

    • DSC3388 4 1 150x150 - Miyeok Guk (Beef Seaweed Soup)Manduguk (Korean Dumpling Soup)
    • DSC5645 4 150x150 - Miyeok Guk (Beef Seaweed Soup)Galbitang (Beef Short Rib Soup)
    • DSC4719 3 150x150 - Miyeok Guk (Beef Seaweed Soup)Yukgaejang (Spicy Beef Soup with Vegetables)
    • DSC 1909 e1549348877562 150x150 - Miyeok Guk (Beef Seaweed Soup)Tteok Mandu Guk (Rice Cake Soup with Dumplings)
    « Slow Cooker Galbijjim (Korean Braised Short Ribs)
    Haemul Bap (Seafood Rice Bowl) »
    2364 shares
    • Share
    • Tweet
    • Email

    Primary Sidebar

    Welcome to Korean Bapsang

    Korean Bapsang Author
    Hi! I'm Hyosun, and I am a Korean-American mom of two wonderful grown-up children. Here, you will learn how to cook Korean dishes the way we Koreans traditionally eat at home. Read More...

    Never Miss a Recipe

    Popular Recipes

    • a large bowl of red spicy Korean stir-fried rice cakes with serving plates and chopsticks Tteokbokki (Spicy Stir-fried Rice Cakes)
    • 2 quarter-heads of napa cabbage kimchi in a large ceramic bowl Traditional Kimchi
    • Stir-fried glass noodles with beef and vegetables in a square bowl Japchae (Stir-Fried Starch Noodles with Beef and Vegetables)
    • Sundubu Jjigae (Soft Tofu Stew)
    • Korean noodles in a black bean sauce topped with cucumber matchsticks and served in a white bowl Jajangmyeon (Noodles in Black Bean Sauce)
    • A 6-photo collage of 15 Korean vegetable side dishes 15 Vegetable Side Dishes (Banchan)
    • Korean fried chicken nuggets in a sweet and savory sauce Dakgangjeong (Sweet Crispy Korean Fried Chicken)
    • kimchi stew with tofu in an earthen pot with the lid laid on the side of the pot Kimchi Jjigae (Kimchi Stew)

    Popular Categories

    Noodles and rice category banner

    Korean BBQ category banner

    Stews category banner

    As Featured On:

       

    Footer

    Korean Bapsang New Logo

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    Copyright © 2024 · All rights reserved · Korean Bapsang

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required