Seaweed Egg Drop Soup, Korean style

Korean-style seaweed egg drop soup is light, flavorful, and requires just a few unfussy ingredients. This nourishing soup is short to prepare, making it steady for a fast Asian breakfast. The addition of Korean soybean paste (doenjang) adds a rich umami flavor that pairs evenly with a bowl of rice.

Serving soup for breakfast might sound unusual, especially if you’re used to a Western-style morning meal. However, in Korea, Japan, and China, a light soup with rice is a common and short breakfast option.

We grew up enjoying grilled fish with a light seaweed egg soup in the morning, and it remains our favorite way to start the day. It’s nourishing, comforting, and gives us the energy we need.

This seaweed egg drop soup is light and full of flavor. Made with short Korean dashi stock and soybean paste (doenjang), it has a deep umami flavor that evenly complements the seaweed and egg.

A keeper part? It takes only about 15 minutes to make! Enjoy it as a Korean-style breakfast, or serve it as an unfussy side soup with lunch or dinner. Alongside the well-known beef seaweed soup, it’s no wonder this seaweed soup with egg is a beloved staple in Korean kitchens—it might just become a new favorite in yours, too!

Choosing Dried Seaweed

There are many types of dried seaweed available at Korean or Asian grocery stores, each with different names like kelp (dashima or kombu), laver (miyeok), and gim (nori).

For this recipe, we suggest using Korean miyeok (dried laver), a common ingredient in many Korean dishes. It comes in long, ribbon-like strands and feels light and airy. When soaked in water, it quickly rehydrates and expands to about four times its original size.

Korean Dried Seaweed Laver (Miyeok)

This Korean style dried seaweed is great for making seaweed soup, seaweed salad and other seaweed dishes. Produced in South Sea, Korea.

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Other Ingredients

• Anchovy stock — It provides a foundation of flavor and adds umami to the soup. Plain water won’t work. Dried pollock fish adds deeper umami and flavor. If you can’t find it, use bonito flakes. Can’t have dried fish or anchovies? Try with no-sodium chicken stock instead.
• Korean soybean paste (doenjang, 된장) — It seasons the soup as well as adding another layer of umami. Goes well with anchovy stock.
• Egg — Adds protein

How the dish comes together

Step 1: Soak the seaweed in cold water for 5-10 minutes until it expands to about four times its size. Drain the water and cut the seaweed into large pieces.

Step 2: In the meantime, simmer dried pollock (or bonito flakes) and anchovies in a pot of water to create a short broth. Stir in the Korean soybean paste (doenjang) to add flavor to the soup base.

Step 3: Add the sliced seaweed and garlic to the broth. Bring it to a gentle boil, then let it simmer on low heat for 5 minutes.

Step 4:In a measuring cup, beat the eggs with 2 tablespoons of water. Slowly pour into the soup in a swirl. Avoid stirring to keep the egg in larger, ‘flower-like’ pieces.
Step 5: Cover the pot with a lid and take it off the heat. The residual warmth will finish cooking the eggs. Taste the soup and add salt if needed. Finally, sprinkle in the chopped green onion.

Ways to serve it

Serve this seaweed egg soup hot with a bowl of rice. It pairs evenly with our grilled mackerel for a hearty, complete meal. For a lighter option, simply enjoy it with rice and kimchi on the side.

• Yield: 4 people
• Prep: 10 minutes
• Cook: 10 minutes
• Total: 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 0.3 oz dried seaweed (miyeok)
• 7-8 large dried anchovies, see note below for substitute
• 0.3 oz dried pollock fish, shredded, or bonito flakes
• 4 1/2 cup water
• 2 heaping tablespoon Korean soybean paste (doenjang)
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 2 eggs, beaten with 2 tbsp water
• 1 green onion, finely chopped

Method

1. Soak seaweed in a large bowl of cold water for 5-10 minutes. It should quadruple in volume. Drain the water and slice the seaweed in large chunks.
2. Meanwhile combine dried anchovies and shredded pollock fish with 4 1/2 cup of water in a soup pot. Bring the stock to boil, then simmer over low heat for 5 minutes. Remove the anchovies and fish and reserve the stock. Add Korean soybean paste (doenjang) to the stock.
3. Add the chopped seaweed and garlic to the soup stock. Bring the soup to a gentle boil, then simmer over low heat for 5 minutes.
4. Beat eggs with 2 tablespoon of water in a measuring cup. Pour the beaten eggs slowly to the soup in swirling motion. Once the egg is added, do not stir.
5. Cover the soup with a lid and remove the pot from the heat. The remaining heat will cook the eggs. Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning by adding salt if needed. Add chopped green onion at last. Serve the soup hot with rice.

Notes

Can’t have anchovies? Try with no-sodium chicken stock instead.