Korean Spicy Kimchi Crab Soup

A hearty and vibrant Korean stew featuring fresh blue crab, littleneck clams, and fermented kimchi, all simmered in a complex, fruit-infused umami broth.

Ingredients

• 2 to 3 whole raw blue crabs
• 1/2 apple, sliced
• 1/2 Asian pear, sliced
• 1 onion, sliced
• 2 to 3 small red chilies
• 1 L water
• 150 ml soy sauce
• 50 ml fish sauce
• 50 ml mirin
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp Korean beef seasoning (Dasida)
• 1 piece dried kelp (kombu)
• 1 handful dried bonito flakes
• 2 cups aged fermented kimchi
• 1 cup kabocha squash, sliced
• 250 g fresh littleneck clams
• 150 g seafood mushrooms
• 150 g enoki mushrooms
• 1 bunch crown daisy (ssukgat)
• 1 large green onion (daepa), sliced

Instructions

1. 1Clean the raw crabs

   

   Prepare the raw crabs by carefully removing the top shell and gills. Use a brush to scrub the body clean under running water, ensuring all debris is removed before cooking.

   Tip: Removing the gills is essential for a clean-tasting broth; they often contain grit and impurities.
2. 2Prepare the aromatic base

   

   In a large pot, combine chopped apples, pears, onions, and small chilies. Add 1 liter of water, then pour in the soy sauce, fish sauce, mirin, sugar, and beef seasoning to create the flavorful foundation for your broth.

   Tip: Using a mix of fruits like apples and pears adds a subtle, natural sweetness that balances the savory fermented kimchi.
3. 3Add aromatics and umami

   

   Add kelp and a generous handful of dried bonito flakes to the pot of aromatics. Bring the mixture to a boil and let it simmer for half an hour to extract maximum depth of flavor.

   Tip: Bonito flakes provide an intense umami punch; keep them in the pot just until the flavor is extracted to avoid bitterness.
4. 4Strain the broth

   

   Once the aromatics have simmered for thirty minutes, carefully strain the liquid through a fine-mesh sieve. Discard the solids and reserve the clear, flavorful golden broth for the soup.

   Tip: Use a fine-mesh sieve to ensure the broth is perfectly clear and free of any small vegetable bits or bonito flakes.
5. 5Prepare the kimchi

   

   Place fermented kimchi into a wide, shallow cooking pot. Use kitchen scissors to cut the kimchi into bite-sized pieces directly in the pot for easy serving and eating.

   Tip: Cutting the kimchi directly in the pot saves time and avoids dirtying a cutting board.
6. 6Combine and boil

   

   Add sliced kabocha squash to the pot with the prepared kimchi. Pour in the reserved strained broth and bring the mixture to a steady boil to start building the soup.

   Tip: Ensure the squash is cut into uniform slices so it cooks evenly alongside the kimchi.
7. 7Add seafood and mushrooms

   

   To the boiling kimchi broth, add the cleaned fresh clams and a variety of mushrooms, including seafood mushrooms and enoki mushrooms. Let the mixture simmer so that the seafood flavors infuse into the spicy kimchi base.

   Tip: Ensure the clams are thoroughly cleaned in salt water beforehand to remove any grit.
8. 8Add the crab

   

   Take the pre-cleaned raw crabs and cut them in half using kitchen shears. Gently place the crab pieces into the boiling soup. Allow the pot to boil for 5 minutes, ensuring the crab meat is cooked through and the juices flavor the broth.

   Tip: Use sharp kitchen shears to cleanly cut through the crab shell.
9. 9Garnish and serve

   

   For the final touch, top the stew with fresh crown daisy greens and thick slices of large green onion. Boil for another 2 minutes to wilt the greens slightly before serving the dish hot.

   Tip: Add the crown daisy greens at the very end to keep them vibrant and fresh.

Storage & Reheating

Burn It Off

Frequently Asked Questions