Auk Guk

About the dish

Auk guk is at its very best in spring, when fresh flounder can go into the pot alongside the tender mallow. In this version, a gochujang broth with seasoned beef and minari rounds the humble greens into a full-bodied soup.

Key ingredient

Mallow greens (auk) — vitamin A, calcium, phosphorus and protein support children's growth, while the plant's cooling nature helps relieve constipation and cleanse the system. In season in July, mainly from Gyeonggi Province & Naju.

Ingredients

Flounder 1kg (1 whole), minari (water dropwort) 100g, beef 50g, mallow greens 200g, scallion 35g (1 stalk), water 1.6L (8 cups), gochujang 3 Tbsp, minced garlic 1 tsp, minced ginger 1 tsp, soup soy sauce to taste <Beef seasoning> soy sauce 1 tsp, minced garlic 1/2 tsp, minced ginger 1/2 tsp, sesame oil 1/2 tsp

Simple recipe

1. Peel the mallow stems, rub and crush the greens as you wash them to remove the green juice and grassy smell, then rinse, drain in a sieve and cut into pieces.
2. Trim the minari stems, blanch briefly in salted boiling water and cut into 3cm lengths.
3. Scale the flounder, remove the head and innards, wash it clean, trim the fins and cut into chunks.
4. Slice the beef thinly across the grain and season it.
5. When the water is at a rolling boil, dissolve the gochujang, add the seasoned beef and flounder, and skim off the foam as it boils.
6. Add the mallow, minari and diagonally sliced scallion, then finish with the minced ginger and garlic and season with soup soy sauce.

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