Korean style spicy Seafood noodle soup (JJAMPPONG)

This Korean-style spicy noodle soup is loaded with various types of seafood. It tastes very refreshing and comforting. If you like soup and seafood you must try this out. It’s so good. Especially on this rainy cold Spring day. Right now it’s pouring outside and I’m thinking about this soup 😉

I heard Jjamppong is one of the most enjoyed (take-out) delivery food in Korea along with jjajangmyeon.  But one of the best things about making Jjamppong at home is that you actually get to eat a decent amount of seafood.

Typically a restaurant version doesn’t include much of it. If I’m lucky I would get 1 mussel and 1 shrimp! No joke! But my recipe provides a very generous amount of seafood and I think that makes a difference in the soup quality. Also, this spicy noodle soup is particularly suitable when the weather is bit chilly or windy. It’s really hearty and comforting! So try it this weekend and let me know how you go!

So good luck and enjoy 😉

Ingredients:

• 1 small bag of frozen seafood (about 340gr, 12 oz)
• 1 small Korean or Japanese zucchini, thinly sliced into 2-inch lengths
• 1/2 yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 2 stalks of green onions, cut into 2-inch lengths
• 5,6 cloves garlic minced
• 1 tsp ginger, minced
• 1/2 cup sliced green cabbage, cut into 2-inch lengths (or napa cabbage or bok choy)
• 1/2 bag of Enoki mushroom or 5,6 shiitake mushroom, thinly sliced
• some colourful sweet peppers, thinly sliced
• 1 small carrot, thinly sliced into 2-inch lengths
• 2 small bags of udon noodles or egg noodles 
• 1 tbsp Korean cooking rice wine
• 1,2 tbsp Korean soy sauce
• 2 tbsp Korean red chilli pepper flakes (Gochugaru)
• salt and black pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp Korean red chilli paste (Gochujang)
• 1,2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 8-10 cups of water (you can mix with chicken stock)
• some crushed seaweed, optional

Directions:

1. Prepare all the vegetables. 

2. Have a pot of water ready to cook the noodles. 

3. Heat a wok or a large pot over high heat. Add the olive oil, ginger, onion, green onion, garlic, Gochugaru, and Gochujang and stir-fry for a minute. Stir in the carrot, cabbage, zucchini and optional mushrooms. Lightly salt, and pepper and cook until the vegetables are slightly softened, about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. Pour in the water (or anchovy broth/chicken stock ) and boil until the vegetables are completely cooked.

5. Now add the seafood and season with soy sauce, cooking wine, sesame oil, salt and pepper to taste. Bring everything to a boil and cook until the shells have opened. 

6. Meanwhile, prepare the noodles according to the package directions. Distribute the noodles into individual bowls. Ladle the hot soup over the noodles and serve immediately.

Enjoy 🙂

NOTE:

• The soup base is typically made with chicken stock for a rich flavour, but you can also use anchovy broth for a lighter taste. I often make it simply with water, and it still tastes delicious.
• There are many options for vegetables! I used green cabbage, carrot, zucchini, mushrooms, garlic, onions, and green onions.  Napa cabbage or bok choy will be a good substitute for green cabbage.
• As always, the level of spiciness can be adjusted to your taste. You can increase or decrease the amount of Gochugaru, or even add dried red chilli peppers to increase the heat level.
• For a more complex flavour, some people add a small portion of pork loin strips or pork belly strips. If you are going this path, add the meat before adding the seafood in step 4 below.
• If you want to add another layer of spicy flavour, use some Korean chilli oil. Korean chilli oil is commonly used when you make a spicy soup 
• Any leftover soup (excluding the noodles) can be stored in the fridge for a few days. It can be reheated over the stove. (Though, seafood might have a slightly overcooked texture.)