Korean seaweed soup is one of the easiest soups to make. It’s also known as the “birthday soup” because it’s traditionally served to a woman who had just given birth. Made using brown seaweed, it provides many nutrients and health benefits for nursing mothers. Because of this association with childbirth, Koreans eat this soup first thing in the morning on their birthdays. But because it’s so comforting and delicious, Koreans also enjoy it throughout the year. Making this soup in the Instant Pot creates deeper flavors in the soup and a softer texture to the seaweed.
Ingredients:
- 1½ grams (0.05 ounces) dried wakame or dried sea mustard
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil, plus 1 teaspoon
- 8 ounces beef brisket, round, or skirt steak, cut into bite-size pieces
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons soup soy sauce (see Daikon Soup, Ingredient Tip)
- ½ teaspoon fish sauce
Instructions:
- Put the dried seaweed in a large bowl, and cover in room-temperature water. Soak for 20 minutes. Then drain and rinse several times in cold running water. Drain once more, and squeeze the water out. Cut into bite-size pieces.
- Press the Sauté button, and set to High.
- Once the screen reads HOT, in the Instant Pot, combine 1 tablespoon of oil, the beef, and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes, or until the beef has browned.
- Add the seaweed. Sauté for 2 minutes.
- Add 6 cups of water, the soup soy sauce, and fish sauce. Turn off the Sauté mode. Lock the lid, and close the steam valve. Set the timer for 20 minutes on High Pressure.
- When the timer sounds, natural release the steam for 10 minutes. Open the lid. Ladle the soup into a bowl.
- Drizzle with the remaining 1 teaspoon of oil before serving.
Variation Tip:
Try this recipe with mussels instead of beef. I like to buy prepackaged New Zealand greenshell mussels in the half shell because they are cleaned and ready to cook. Add 8 ounces mussels along with water after you have sautéed the seaweed.
From: Instant Pot Korean Cookbook