Korean Bok Choy Soybean Paste Soup (Dwenjang Guk)

Serve 6         Prep 10 min           cook  30 min

I personally like having my soup clear, so I mix 2 types of Korean soybean paste ( Dwenjang) to have lighter color, and discard the particles from the soybean paste in the sieve, and add red pepper flakes Gochugaru) for soup to be spicy instead of Korean chili paste (Gochujang)

Ingredients

• 12-14 oz bok choy
• 7 cups water
• 1 green pepper (Serrano or jalapeno), sliced
• 2 Green onions, slced
• 2 Tbsp Dwenjang
• 1 Tbsp minced garlic
• 1 Tbsp red pepper flakes (optional), *I used 1 tsp freeze-dried red red pepper
• 1/2 pk tofu, cut into bite size
• 1 kelp ( 3 inch square)
• 10-20 dried anchovies
• 20 dried shrimps 
• salt to taste

*Useful Tool: Miso Soup Strainer, Disposable Dash Bags

Directions

1. Cut away the head off of the bok choy, and any damaged edges of the leaves, rinsed and drained. 
2. Cut the large leave into 2 pieces, and set aside.
3. In a 3qt pot, boil water with anchovies, and kelp, uncovered
4. Remove the kelp when the stock starts to boil about 5 minutes, then simmer 10 more minutes with anchovies, uncovered, and discard anchovies from the soup base. 
5. Add dwenjang through the wire strainer in the pot. break the dwenjang with a wooden spoon, then discard any remain dwenjang inside of wire strainer. Bring the dwenjang soup to boil.
6. Add the bok choy, garlic, and dried shrimps. Cover and cook for 10 minutes over medium high heat.
7. Add the tofu, and peppers, and green onions and gently stir a few times. Cover and cook another 5 minutes over medium high heat until the tofu truns soft.
8. Taste the soup, and add salt to your taste if needed, then remove from the heat.
9. Serve with rice and side dishes.

TIP:

the volume of bok choy decreases a lot once they are cooked so put them a lot if you don't want have too much soup and not enough bok choy!.