Kalguksu (Kal-guksu)

Name: Kalguksu
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: South Korea
Ingredients: 300 g plain flour, 140 ml water and salt for the noodles; 10 large dried anchovies and a piece of kelp; 1.6 l water; 1 courgette and 1 potato, cut in strips; 1 onion, sliced; 3 garlic cloves, crushed; soy sauce and salt; spring onion and dried seaweed to serve

Overview

Kalguksu means knife noodles, and it is a Korean soup of hand-made wheat noodles cut with a knife. The dough of flour, water and salt is rolled out thin, folded and sliced into flat strips, which are cooked directly in the broth so that their starch gives the soup a silky body. The broth is usually made from dried anchovies and kelp, though chicken and clam versions are just as popular. Courgette, potato and onion are added with the noodles, and the soup is topped with spring onion, garlic and dried seaweed. It is served with kimchi and is a popular summer dish in Korea.

History

Noodles were a special food for birthdays and weddings in Korea for centuries, because wheat was scarce and expensive. After the Korean War in the 1950s, large amounts of wheat flour arrived as food aid and the government encouraged people to eat wheat, so kalguksu became an everyday food. Today there are whole streets of kalguksu restaurants in Seoul, and many cities have their own version.

Main ingredients

Hand-cut wheat noodles, anchovy and kelp broth, courgette, potato, garlic, spring onion. The soup is built on anchovy and kelp broth and is usually served hot. Diet: pescatarian; not usually gluten-free.

Explore: Fish and seafood soups · Potato soups · Noodle soups · More soups from South Korea

Recipe

4Serves

55 min30 prep · 25 cook

~450kcal / serving

MediumDifficulty

Method

1
30 min
Knead the flour, water and salt into a firm dough, rest it for 30 minutes, roll it thin and cut into strips.
2
15 min
Simmer the anchovies and kelp in the water for 15 minutes, then strain.
3
5 min
Add the potato, onion and garlic and boil for 5 minutes.
4
5 min
Add the noodles and courgette and cook for 5 minutes until tender.
5
Season with soy sauce and salt and top with spring onion and seaweed.
✓
Serve. About 55 min from start to bowl.

Sources

Kal-guksu (Wikipedia)

Description, history and recipe written by SoupWiki and checked against the sources above. Calories and times are rough estimates.