As the weather gets colder, soup gains popularity as a side meal. This Korean fish cake soup (Eomuk-guk, 어묵국 or Odeng-guk, 오뎅국) is a perfect Korean comfort food.
It is quite easy to make and also all the ingredients used are quite affordable. Soju is a Korean distilled alcoholic drink. Maybe that’s why it’s also a popular snack to eat with soju.
Fish cake soup, known as eomukguk (어묵국) or odengguk (오뎅국) in Korean, is a hearty and comforting soup that is incredibly easy to make at home. This soup is a staple Korean comfort food, often enjoyed on cold winter days or as an appetizer alongside Korean barbecue or other meals. The key to amazing fish cake soup is using quality ingredients and taking time to build rich, savory broth. Read on for my complete guide to making authentic fish cake soup at home!
An Overview of Korean Fish Cakes
Fish cakes, known as eomuk (어묵) or odeng (오뎅) are an essential ingredient in fish cake soup. Korean fish cakes are made from a mix of ground white fish, wheat flour, starch, egg whites, onion, carrot, and seasonings. The mixture is shaped into cylinders, squares, or strips and then steamed, boiled, or pan fried before being added to soup.
Store-bought fish cakes can be used for convenience, but I highly recommend making homemade fish cakes for the best flavor. My recipe yields fish cakes with a bouncy, chewy texture and clean flavor that enhances the soup.
The Importance of a Rich Broth
The key to amazing fish cake soup is building a deeply flavored anchovy-kelp broth Good broth takes time but is worth the effort,
I start my broth by simmering dried anchovies and kelp in water for 10 minutes. This extracts flavor from the dried seafood into the water. Next, I add thinly sliced radish and let it simmer for another 10 minutes. The radish enriches the broth and also cooks to a tender texture to enjoy in the soup.
Finally, I strain the broth through a fine mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth. This removes fine particles while retaining all the rich flavor compounds extracted from the anchovies, kelp, and radish
Putting It All Together
Once my broth is ready, I boil it again along with seasonings like soy sauce, rice wine, and minced garlic. This builds even more flavor.
I like to pan fry my homemade fish cakes briefly to give them color and enhance their flavor with searing. Then I add the fish cakes to the seasoned broth and let them simmer for 3-5 minutes until heated through and absorptive.
Just before serving, I garnish the soup with chopped green onions and black pepper. The verdict? An ultra savory and comforting soup that warms you up on cold days.
Tips for the Best Results
Here are some of my top tips for foolproof fish cake soup
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Use dried anchovies and kelp for the broth – they make all the difference in flavor. Supplement with other dried seafood like dried shrimp or fish bones if you want an even richer broth.
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Simmer the broth ingredients slowly to extract maximum flavor. At least 20 minutes total simmering time is ideal.
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Strain the broth through a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth to remove debris and clarify. This makes a cleaner, more appetizing soup.
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Add some rice wine and minced garlic once the broth is done to boost savory umami flavors.
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Pan fry or sear the fish cakes briefly before adding them to the soup to enhance flavor and texture.
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Let the fish cakes simmer in the broth for a few minutes so they can soak up flavor.
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Garnish with freshly chopped green onion and black pepper right before serving.
Customize It!
One of the great things about fish cake soup is how versatile and customizable it is. You can tweak it to your tastes!
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Add mushrooms, zucchini, or tofu for extra veggies and protein.
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Swap different types of fish cakes like crab or shrimp.
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Add kimchi for a spicy kick.
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Mix in rice cakes or ramen noodles for more starch and body.
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Top with a fried egg for extra richness.
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Garnish with sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds.
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Adjust broth seasoning with more or less soy sauce.
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Spice it up with gochugaru pepper flakes or kimchi.
Enjoy Hot and Fresh
Part of what makes fish cake soup so enjoyable is eating it piping hot and fresh. The textures and aromas are best when it is served immediately.
I love pairing fish cake soup with a bowl of steamed rice and Korean side banchan dishes for a complete comforting meal. It also goes perfectly with a cold glass of Korean beer!
For parties, fish cake soup makes a fun interactive meal when served steaming hot in a Korean hot pot in the center of the table. Diners can cook ingredients like fish cakes, veggies, and noodles in the broth and enjoy the smells and sounds of this bubbling soup.
Ingredients for Korean Fish Cake Soup (Serves
- 200g (7 ounces) of Korean fish cakes (4 rectangular fish cake sheets) or fish cakes you make yourself
- 30g (1 ounce) green onion, thinly sliced
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp rice wine
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- A few cracks of ground black pepper
- Fine sea salt to taste is optional; I didn’t use any.
- 6 cups water
- 10g (0.4 ounces) dried kelp
- 30g (1 ounce) dried anchovy, head and black innards removed
- 100g (3.5 ounces) white radish/Korean radish/daikon radish, thinly sliced
* 1 Tbsp = 15ml, 1 Cup = 250ml
**If you want to learn more about Korean ingredients, check my 30 essential Korean cooking ingredients list!
How to Make Korean Fish Cake Soup
1.Put the water (6 cups) in a medium/large pot and add the dried kelp and anchovies. (If you can use a large tea infuser, it will be a much neater process later!) Boil it for 10 mins uncovered on medium heat.
2. Take out (& discard) the kelp and add the radish slices. Boil the radish and anchovy for a further 10 mins.
3. Take out and set aside the radish. Sieve through the boiled stock over damp cheese/linen cloth to remove small particles from the kelp and anchovies. You don’t have to sieve the soup if you don’t mind the bits floating in it. Just take the anchovies out of the broth. But I recommend sieving!).
4. (This step should start co-currently as step 1 or step 2 to save your time. ) Run some hot water onto the fish cake sheets to remove the excess oil coating. (Store bought fish cakes are deep fried!).
Slice the fish cakes into small rectangle size. Or slice them in long strips and stick through with some wooden skewers for a fancier look. (I made 6 skewers and each stick has 2 long strips of fish cakes on it. ).
5. In step 3, you boiled the broth and radish. Now, add the soy sauce, rice wine, and garlic and cook for another minute or two. Stir briefly. Once boiled, reduce the heat to medium. Put the fish cakes into the soup and boil it for about 3 to 5 minutes, or until the fish cakes are soft and the soup’s flavor has soaked into them.
If your pot is big enough, you might want to use your ladle to splash some soup over the fish cakes to make the flavor stronger. (Add some salt to taste if you require, but I didn’t add any. ) Sprinkle a few cracks of ground black pepper and green onions just before serving.
6. Serve hot (with freshly cooked steamed rice and side dishes).
- If you can only find dried kelp or dried anchovy and not both, use the other ingredients to make up the difference. You may need to season with salt at the end.
- I also served fish cakes with a sweet and sour soy sauce. You can check out my recipe from here.
Update: This post was originally written in October 30th, 2006 and updated with better instructions, photos and outcome.
Fish cake soup (Eomukguk: 어묵국)
How to make fish cake soup?
Add soy sauce, fish sauce, garlic, hondashi, and MSG. Taste the soup and adjust it with salt and pepper. If you find that the soup is almost there but still lacks something, just wait because once you add the fish cakes, they will release flavor that will make the soup taste better. Add the fish cakes to the soup.
How can I prepare fish for kids?
This is really dependent on the personal preference of your children. Some children will eat fish the same way adults do for others you may need to make this more interesting by creating things like homemade fishcakes, fish burger patties, fish balls or by adding this to toast or even pasta. Involving your children in the preparation and cooking process can also encourage them to consume the fish.
How do you make fishcake noodle soup?
Drain the noodles, transfer to a large strainer and rinse in cold running water, rubbing the noodles by both hands to cool and remove excess starch. Drain and divide the noodles into 2 large soup bowls. Heat the stock and fish cake skewers until hot. Add some fishcake to each bowl and then pour the stock over the noodles.
How do you cook fish cakes?
Quickly blanch the fish cakes in boiling water to remove excess oil, and then drain. Add the radish slices to the broth, and boil until translucent and soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, and season with the soy sauce. Drop the fish cake in, and boil for a few more minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.