Kongnamul Gukbap

Kongnamul gukbap is a beloved Jeonju-style breakfast soup where steamed rice is submerged in a peppery, doenjang-deepened bean sprout broth. Street stalls in Jeonju serve it around the clock, customarily accompanied by raw egg yolk stirred in tableside.

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 400g (14 oz) soybean sprouts (kongnamul), roots trimmed
• 800ml (3½ cups) water
• 1 tbsp (15g) doenjang (Korean fermented soybean paste)
• 2 tsp (10ml) guk-ganjang (soup soy sauce)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp (3g) gochugaru (Korean red chilli flakes)
• 1 tsp (5ml) sesame oil
• 4 portions (700g / 1½ lb total) cooked short-grain rice, warm
• 4 large egg yolks, for serving
• 4 spring onions, thinly sliced
• 1 sheet gim (roasted seaweed), crumbled

Instructions

1. Bring the water to a boil in a medium pot. Add the soybean sprouts and cover tightly — do not lift the lid for the first 3 minutes or the sprouts will smell beany. Cook covered for 5 minutes total.
2. Remove the lid, stir in the doenjang, guk-ganjang, and garlic. Simmer uncovered for 3 more minutes until the broth is fragrant and slightly cloudy.
3. Add gochugaru and sesame oil. Taste and adjust salt with more guk-ganjang if needed.
4. Divide the warm rice among four deep bowls. Ladle the hot soup and sprouts generously over the rice.
5. Top each bowl with a raw egg yolk in the centre. Scatter spring onion and crumbled gim over the top. Stir everything together before eating.

Cook's Notes: The key is using soybean sprouts (not mung bean sprouts) — they are sturdier and give a nutty, slightly bitter depth. For extra heat, add a spoonful of kimchi on the side. Leftover broth reheats beautifully the next day.