The weather in Ohio has been rainy and cold. This brings back memories of my Oma cooking Miyeok Guk for our family in the fall and winter. The warmth from this very simple yet deliciously nourishing soup would fill our stomachs and radiate heat to the tips of our fingers and to our toes.

Miyeok Guk is a very healing and immune boosting soup, good for everyone and great to eat when you feel run down. It is often served to mothers right after giving birth. Most of the time it is made with beef broth, but Oma often made a vegan version. This is the recipe I will share with you; I've tweaked hers a bit.

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Vegan Miyeok Guk (Korean Seaweed Soup)

Difficulty: Beginner Cook Time 3 hrs Total Time 3 hrs

Best Season: Winter

Dietary:

D Dairy Free E Egg Free G Gluten Free N Nut Free V Vegan V Vegetarian

Ingredients

Servings

• 1 90 g bag dried wakame*
• 12 cups filtered water
• 1-2 bulbs fresh organic garlic (finely chopped or minced; fresh local garlic is best)
• 1 large organic onion (diced)
• 40 g fresh organic ginger (peeled and grated)
• 3 Tbs sea salt
• 1 Tbs freshly ground black peppercorns
• 3 Tbs roasted sesame oil* (Korean or Japanese brand)
• 1 Tbs fermented brown rice vinegar (such as Eden Organic, or organic fermented apple cider vinegar)

Instructions

1. Bring 12 cups of filtered water to a boil in a large soup pot.
2. Add the wakame to the pot. As the wakame rehydrates it will expand. Take clean kitchen shears and cut it into smaller bite size pieces.
3. Add the remaining ingredients to the pot and simmer briskly for 2-3 hours on the stove.
4. Garlic: you may want to add just 1 diced bulb at first, let the soup simmer briskly for 30 minutes, then taste and add more as desired. I love the sweet garlic taste of this soup so I use 2 bulbs.
5. Adjust the spices, seasonings, and sesame oil to your taste, adding extra in small amounts.
6. Serve over cooked whole grains such as brown rice, quinoa, millet, or a combination. Top with gochujang, kimchi, or sesame seeds.

Note

• *Purchase these ingredients at a Korean or Japanese grocer. This recipe is a guide; adjust spices and toasted sesame oil to your taste.
• Crockpot version: cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-6 hours; the longer the soup cooks, the better. Soak the wakame in 4 cups of hot filtered water in the crockpot, cut it into bite size pieces once it expands, then follow the stovetop directions. Depending on the size of your crockpot, you may need less water and wakame.