Stews & Soups
Eomuk Guk (Fish Cake Soup)
Prep
10 min
Cook
25 min
Servings
3
Steps
- 1
Simmer the kelp and anchovies in water for 15 minutes, then remove both and strain the stock through a fine sieve.
- 2
Briefly blanch the fish cake strips in boiling water for 30 seconds to rinse off surface oil, then drain.
- 3
Bring the strained stock back to a simmer and add the daikon.
- 4
Simmer until the daikon softens, about 5 minutes.
- 5
Add the blanched fish cake and soy sauce.
- 6
Simmer another 5 minutes.
- 7
Add green onions in the last minute, and season with salt and pepper.
Did you know — Korean culture
Eomuk (fish cake) took hold in Korean port cities through Japanese-influenced street food and became a year-round staple — eomuk guk is essentially the same warming street-cart broth people grab on a cold night, made at home instead, minus the skewer.
Straining the anchovy-kelp stock isn't a garnish step — anchovy stock left unstrained carries small bits of fish and grit that turn a clear broth cloudy and slightly gritty, which is the opposite of what this soup is supposed to be. A fine sieve after the simmer is what gets the broth genuinely clear.
Blanching the fish cake before it goes into the soup matters for a different reason: most packaged fish cake is fried, and that surface oil clouds and slicks a clear broth if it goes in unrinsed. A quick 30-second blanch washes most of that off without affecting the texture.
Eomuk (fish cake) itself has roots in Japanese-influenced street food that took hold in Korean port cities and became a year-round staple, especially as a quick, warm street snack in colder months — eomuk guk is essentially that same street-cart broth made at home, minus the skewer.
Troubleshooting
Broth cloudy instead of clear? The stock likely wasn't strained, or the fish cake wasn't blanched first — both steps matter for clarity.
Broth tastes oily? Same fix — blanch the fish cake briefly before it goes into the pot to rinse off the frying oil.
Broth bland? Don't skip the soy sauce, and taste before adding salt — anchovy-kelp stock is subtle on its own and needs that seasoning layer to come through.