Spicy Kongnamul Gukbap: Easy Korean Sprout Soup [Recipe]

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Hello! Today’s recipe is an easy, homestyle version of spicy kongnamul gukbap, a fiery Korean soybean sprout soup with rice. One of its best features is how flexible it is. You don’t have to stick to any one regional style, so you can simmer it at home and riff on it however you like. A single bowl of this hot, refreshing soup is hearty enough to be a full meal, even without any side dishes. Shall we jump right into how it comes together?

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📋 At a Glance

• Dish: Spicy kongnamul gukbap (soybean sprout soup with rice)
• Category: Korean gukbap (soup with rice)
• Servings: 2
• Main ingredients: Soybean sprouts, rice, anchovy broth, gochugaru
• Seasonings: Salted shrimp, minced garlic, sesame oil, MSG
• Cookware: Pot, earthenware pot, stock strainer
• Time: 10 min prep + 10 min cooking
• Difficulty: Easy (beginner friendly)
• Key tips: Blanch and lift out the sprouts to keep them crisp, season with salted shrimp, swap in dried pollock broth for hangover relief

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What You’ll Need for Spicy Kongnamul Gukbap

Let’s go over the ingredients. At its core, this recipe builds a spicy broth by adding anchovy stock, aromatic vegetables, and gochugaru to the water the soybean sprouts were boiled in. Then it all goes into an earthenware pot with rice. Season with salted shrimp and you likely won’t need any extra salt at all. If you’d rather have it Jeonju-style, feel free to add sliced squid body, kimchi, and seaweed flakes.

[Spicy Kongnamul Gukbap Ingredients for 2]

• Soybean sprouts, two handfuls (180g)
• Water, 1.2L
• Salt, 1 tsp
• Anchovy stock bag, 1
• Green chili, a little
• Green onion, a little
• Minced garlic, 0.5 Tbsp
• Salted shrimp, 2 tsp
• Gochugaru (red pepper flakes), 1.5 Tbsp
• MSG, 1 pinch (or 0.5 Tbsp dashida)
• Firm cooked rice, 2 bowls
• Sesame oil, 2 tsp

[Optional Add-ons]

• Kimchi, a little, minced
• Blanched squid, a little
• Gim (seaweed) flakes, a little
• Egg

[Spicy Kongnamul Gukbap Recipe at a Glance]

1. Rinse the soybean sprouts once and pick out any bad ones. Bring 1.2L of water with 1 tsp of salt to a boil, then cook the sprouts.
2. Meanwhile, slice the green chili and green onion you’ll use as toppings.
3. Scoop out the sprouts to keep them crisp. Leave the water as is, drop in an anchovy stock bag, and let it simmer.
4. Into the simmering anchovy broth, add 1.5 Tbsp gochugaru, 0.5 Tbsp minced garlic, 2 tsp salted shrimp, and a pinch of MSG.
5. Once the broth is bubbling nicely, put rice in an earthenware pot, top with the sprouts, and pour in the broth.
6. Finish with one egg and chopped green onion on top, then drizzle over 1 tsp of sesame oil.

​👩‍🍳 Blanch the soybean sprouts, then lift them out to keep that crisp bite!
🦐 Season with salted shrimp and you won’t need any extra salt.
🥢 Swap the anchovy broth for dried pollock and the soup turns wonderfully clear, perfect for a hangover.

​🥬 Prep time: 10 minutes
🍳 Cook time: 10 minutes

​For two servings, about 180g of soybean sprouts is plenty, though you can add a handful more if you want extra fiber. As for the broth, just grab whichever anchovy stock bag suits your taste at the store. In a pinch, an anchovy stock coin works just as well.

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Prepping the Ingredients

Now let’s start prepping. First, rinse two handfuls (180g) of soybean sprouts once and pick out any bad ones. Put them in a suitable pot and pour in 1.2L of water. Keep in mind that, once simmered down, this yields just about two earthenware bowls’ worth of broth.

Add 1 teaspoon of salt, or a touch less, and boil the sprouts. Blanch them just briefly, enough to cook off their raw smell while letting the water take on a little flavor.

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It takes a little while for the water to come to a boil, so use that time to prep the rest. Start by slicing the green onion for topping and the cheongyang chili that brings the heat. Cut them into thin, even rounds. Keep in mind that too much cheongyang chili can make it seriously spicy, so adjust the amount accordingly.

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Once the water is at a full boil, scoop out the sprouts and, of course, keep the broth as is. The key to that crisp texture is lifting the sprouts out first. You can skip this step if it feels like a hassle, but I’d still recommend taking them out whenever you can. Then drop an anchovy stock bag into the broth.

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Cooking the Soup

Now let’s get straight to cooking. There’s nothing tricky here, since you just toss everything into the broth and bring it up to a quick, hard boil. After the anchovy stock bag has simmered for about 3 to 5 minutes, the broth turns this lovely golden color. Go ahead and lift the bag out.

Into the broth, add 1.5 Tbsp gochugaru, 0.5 Tbsp minced garlic, 2 tsp salted shrimp, and a pinch of MSG (or 0.5 Tbsp dashida), then let it boil. Adjust the gochugaru to your own taste.

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Add the cheongyang chili too, if you like. That said, you can leave it out with no real problem if you want a clean, refreshing bowl for a morning hangover. After the broth has boiled for another 3 to 5 minutes, give it a taste. It probably won’t be lacking, but if it seems a touch bland, adjust with a little seasoned salt, a bit at a time.

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Assembling the Bowl and Toppings

Next, put the rice into an earthenware pot or any suitable bowl first. Lay the sprouts you lifted out earlier on top, then ladle the broth over them so it drizzles down. That way the sprouts warm up a little too. Since you’ll be mixing the rice in anyway, pour in slightly less broth than the height of the rice.

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You can add simple toppings like egg, green onion, or seaweed flakes as you please. Personally, I just drizzle over about 1 teaspoon of sesame oil to finish. If you don’t want the egg to end up soft-boiled, add it to the broth earlier and cook it like a poached egg.

As I mentioned back in the ingredients section, cooking it this way opens up quite a few variations. For a Jeonju-style bowl, simmer it a little less spicy, then stir in squid body and minced kimchi. Just remember: if you’re adding salty toppings like seaweed flakes or kimchi, keep the broth seasoning on the lighter side.

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Finished Dish Gallery

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The Finished Bowl

And there it is, our super easy spicy kongnamul gukbap. The hot, refreshing broth really is delicious. Whisk in a lightly cooked egg before eating, and the heat mellows a bit, making it just right for easing a hangover.

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When you want a quick, simple meal, this comes together in a flash with cheap, easy-to-find ingredients, so the value is excellent too. During seasons full of drinking, you can even make it ahead, then thaw and eat it whenever. When freezing it, I’ve found the easiest approach is to cool the broth once, then freeze the sprouts right in it.

It isn’t pinned to any one country’s style; it’s more of a whip-it-up-at-home kind of dish. Still, it’s so simple to make that it’s pretty much foolproof. If you prefer a cleaner mouthfeel, you can leave out the sesame oil, and you’re welcome to serve the rice on the side instead.

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Because of its spicy kick, it’s also great for when you have no appetite. Personally, I’d recommend serving this recipe alongside jangjorim (soy-braised beef). The pairing of savory, salty meat with the broth is genuinely lovely. Give it a try and put together an easy meal for yourself. It’s the kind of taste you absolutely won’t regret.

Curious about the origins and regional twists of this dish? You can read more at the Wikipedia entry on gukbap, Korean soup with rice.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What if I don’t have an anchovy stock bag?

Simmer dried pollock in the water instead and the broth turns even more refreshing. An anchovy stock coin works fine too. Either way, the key is to reuse the water the soybean sprouts were boiled in as your base.

Q. How long does it take from prep to finish?

Ten minutes of prep and ten minutes of cooking, so about 20 minutes is all you need. You just blanch and lift out the sprouts, then season and boil the broth, which keeps the process short. Since it’s sized for two, it’s easy whether you’re eating solo or with someone.

Q. Can I freeze the leftovers?

Cool the broth once, then freeze the sprouts right in it for the easiest storage. During seasons full of drinking, make a batch ahead of time, then thaw and enjoy a portion whenever you like.

Q. How do I make it Jeonju-style or better for a hangover?

Add squid body, minced kimchi, and seaweed flakes to bring it closer to the Jeonju style. For a hangover version, use dried pollock broth instead of anchovy and leave out the cheongyang chili for a cleaner, cooler bowl. When adding salty toppings, keep the broth seasoning slightly light.