 Sigeumchi-doenjang-guk (soybean paste soup withspinach) | |
| Alternative names | Soybean paste soup |
|---|---|
| Type | Guk |
| Place of origin | Korea |
| Associatedcuisine | Korean cuisine |
| Main ingredients | Doenjang |
| Similar dishes | Miso soup |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul | 된장국 |
| Hanja | 된醬국 |
| RR | doenjangguk |
| MR | toenjangkuk |
| IPA | twen.dʑaŋ.k͈uk̚ |
Doenjang-guk (Korean:된장국;pronounced[twen.dʑaŋ.k͈uk̚]) orsoybean paste soup is aguk (soup) made withdoenjang (soybean paste) and other ingredients, such as vegetables, meat, and seafood.[1][2] It is thinner, lighter, and milder thandoenjang-jjigae (soybean paste stew).[3] It is similar to the Japanesemiso soup.[citation needed] It is sometimes mild, sometimes strong, and accompanied with rice most of the time.[4]
Doenjang-guk is an example of abanchan, one of several small dishes served with meals at restaurants and in home cooking. Other banchan includekimchi, marinated vegetables, and pickled/salted seafood.[4] This soup is perhaps the cheapest meal in Korea.[5]
In theJoseon period, the royals had five meals (calledsura), and in three of those they had doenjang-guk as a side dish (banchan; 반찬), specifically on a small table on the right side of the main table, together with other Korean traditional foods such as vegetables (chaeso; 채소), meat (kogi; 고기), egg, andsesame oil (chamgireum; 참기름).[6]
The most simple form of this soup is clear soybean paste soup (malgeun-doenjangguk 맑은 된장국). It is mainly composed of a good fermentedsoybean paste andstock. It accompanies more complex one-bowl rice dishes that have many ingredients, likebibimbap with sliced raw fish and avocado, mushroom, and other vegetables. The ingredients for this soup are anchovy-kelp stock, vegetable stock, or unsalted chicken broth; doenjang paste; and optionally some scallions.[7]
The most commonly eaten form of this dish is soybean paste soup with cabbage (baechu-doenjangguk; 배추된장국) and it is eaten at any time of the day. The broth has a deep, comforting flavor, the cabbage adds texture and sweetness, and it is light since there is no grease. The ingredients are dried anchovies;napa cabbage leaves, white-stemmed chard, orbok choy; doenjang; garlic; chili peppers; all-purpose flour or rice water; and fish sauce.[7]
To make the broth for a doenjang-based soup or stew, it is common to begin with the water used to wash rice,ssaltteumul (쌀뜨물). This rice water adds starch to the soup and works as a binding agent between the soybean paste and the broth, while improving the flavor of the doenjang. A substitute can be made by mixing in a teaspoon of flour or rice flour.[8]
