Baek Jong Won Beef and Radish Soup

Beef and radish soup is the perfect soup to accompany any Korean meal whether it be with a fancy meal or just simply with a bowl of hot rice and spicy kimchi. My husband’s been busy and can fully feed himself but it’s often pretty unhealthy so I made this soup and left it for him before I went on a girl’s trip to NYC with my friends. It’s so easy and delicious.  The method used by Baek Jong Won is quick so no pre-boiling of the broth is necessary and it doesn’t feel like any steps were skipped!

Thinly sliced beef sautéed with white radish and then simmered together to allow for the deep flavors of the radish to seep into the broth. Korean radish, mu (무), is best during late fall and winter but is a staple vegetable that’s available all year round at Korean grocery stores. While sugar is often not added in this soup, celebrity chef Baek Jong Won adds just a dash which he claims is hit trick to enhance all the other flavors in the soup.

Enjoy for that day you want a warm soup, great in the cold days but really any time of the year because Koreans eat soup all year round.

Print Recipe

Baek Jong Won Beef and Radish Soup

Thinly sliced beef sautéed with white radish and then simmered together to allow for the deep flavors of the radish to seep into the broth. The perfect soup to accompany any Korean meal whether it be with a fancy meal or just simply with a bowl of hot rice and spicy kimchi.

Servings

2 people

Ingredients

• 200 g (7 oz) Beef Brisket or chunk
• 5 cm Korean radish
• 1 green onion or scallion
• 1 Tbsp sesame oil
• 2 Tbsp soup soy sauce 국간장
• 1 Tbsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 Tbsp mirin 맛술
• 800 ml (3 ⅓ cup) water
• Salt as needed

Servings 2 people Ingredients 200 g (7 oz) Beef Brisket or chunk 5 cm Korean radish 1 green onion or scallion 1 Tbsp sesame oil 2 Tbsp soup soy sauce 국간장 1 Tbsp minced garlic 1 tsp sugar 1 Tbsp mirin 맛술 800 ml (3 ⅓ cup) water Salt as needed

Instructions

1. Cut the beef into thin bite size pieces (1 - 1 ½ inch). Tap the beef with a paper towel to dab off excess redness from the meat.
2. Cut the radish into bite size pieces (about ½ cm thick and 3-4 cm size square = or ¼ inch and 1 to 1 ½ inch square) .

   
3. In a medium sized pot, add in the 1 Tbsp sesame oil on medium heat. Once the oil is warm, add in the beef slices and saute until the redness is gone (should not be fully cooked).

   
4. Continue to add in the radish slices and saute for about 1-2 more minutes.

   
5. Add in the water and bring to a boil. Stir in the soup soy sauce, minced garlic, sugar, and mirin. To your taste, if you want the soup with stronger seasoning, add in a little salt. If you add in more soy sauce, it will make your soup too dark.

   
6. Continue to simmer for another 10 minutes or so until the radish is softened. If brownish foam floats at the top from the meat, scoop off with a spoon.
7. If the water has evaporated a lot, add in some more water as needed.
8. When the radish is softened, add in the green onions and cook for another 2 minutes.
9. And then you are done! Enjoy with a hot bowl of white rice and some kimchi.

   

Recipe Notes

*soup soy sauce: do not substitute with regular soy sauce. soup soy sauce is lighter in color, saltier with a more fermented flavor. if you don't have soup soy sauce, you can replace with about 1.5 Tbsp fish sauce instead of the 2 Tbsp of soup soy sauce.