Korean Seafood Soup (Haemul-tang) Recipe

Korean seafood soup, often called haemul-tang, is a spicy, savory Korean stew made with shellfish, fish, vegetables, and a chile-seasoned broth. This version builds flavor with dried anchovy and kelp stock, then cooks the seafood briefly so it stays tender; regional and household versions vary in their seafood mix and level of heat.

Ingredients

6 cups (1.4 L) cold water
4 large dried Korean anchovies, heads and guts removed, about 0.4 oz (12 g)
1 sheet dried kelp or dashima, about 4 by 4 inches (10 by 10 cm; 5 g)
12 oz (340 g) live clams, such as littlenecks
12 oz (340 g) live mussels
8 oz (225 g) cleaned squid, cut into bite-size rings or pieces
8 oz (225 g) firm white fish, such as cod or pollock, cut into 1½-inch (4 cm) pieces
8 oz (225 g) raw shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails on or off
8 oz (225 g) Korean radish or daikon, peeled and cut into thin half-moons
1 small zucchini, about 7 oz (200 g), cut into half-moons
½ medium yellow onion, about 2½ oz (75 g), thinly sliced
2 green onions, about 2 oz (55 g), cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces
7 oz (200 g) firm tofu, cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes
1 tablespoon (15 ml) neutral oil, such as canola
1 tablespoon (6 g) Korean gochugaru, plus more to taste
1 tablespoon (18 g) gochujang
1 tablespoon (15 ml) fish sauce
1 tablespoon (9 g) finely chopped garlic, about 3 cloves
½ teaspoon (3 g) fine salt, plus more to taste
¼ teaspoon (0.5 g) freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Prepare the seafood and vegetables. Scrub the clams and mussels under cold running water. Pull off any mussel beards, and discard shellfish with broken shells or shells that stay open when tapped. Keep the cleaned shellfish cold while you prepare the rest. Cut the fish, squid, tofu, radish, zucchini, onion, and green onions as listed. This preparation takes about 25 minutes; do not leave raw seafood at room temperature while you work.
Make a quick anchovy-kelp stock. Put the water, dried anchovies, and kelp in a medium pot. Bring it just to a boil over medium-high heat, then lower the heat and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Remove the kelp after about 5 minutes so it does not make the stock overly strong or slippery. Strain out the anchovies and keep the stock hot. If the pot boils hard, lower the heat; a gentle simmer gives a clean, savory base.
Build the soup base. In a wide, heavy soup pot, warm the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring so the garlic does not brown. Stir in the gochugaru and gochujang for about 30 seconds, then add the radish, hot stock, fish sauce, salt, and pepper. Bring the liquid to a boil, reduce to a steady simmer, and cook for 6 minutes, until the radish is beginning to soften. Add the zucchini and tofu and simmer for 2 more minutes.
Add the shellfish and seafood in stages. Raise the heat until the broth is bubbling. Add the clams and mussels, cover the pot, and cook for 2 minutes. Uncover and add the fish and squid, arranging them gently in the broth; simmer for 2 minutes. Add the shrimp and green onions and cook for another 2 to 4 minutes, just until the shrimp are opaque and firm, the squid is opaque, and the shellfish have opened. Check a piece of fish at its thickest point with an instant-read thermometer: USDA FSIS lists 145°F (63°C) as the safe minimum internal temperature for fish. Discard any clams or mussels that remain closed after cooking.
Finish and serve hot. Taste the broth and add salt, fish sauce, or a little more gochugaru if needed. Keep the seasoning measured rather than adding everything at once: shellfish can release salt into the pot, and the broth becomes more savory as it cooks. Ladle the soup into warm bowls, making sure each serving gets a mix of seafood, vegetables, tofu, and broth.

Tips

Choose fresh shellfish carefully. Buy live clams and mussels from a reliable seafood counter and keep them cold. Discard broken shells and shellfish that do not close when tapped before cooking, then discard any that remain closed afterward. If you use frozen seafood, thaw it in the refrigerator and drain it well so it does not dilute the broth.
Use the traditional stock ingredients if you can. Dried Korean anchovies and dashima (kelp) give the broth a clear, rounded sea flavor. If they are hard to find, use 6 cups (1.4 L) of low-sodium fish stock or mild vegetable stock instead. The result will be less distinctly Korean and may need a little extra fish sauce, so taste before adding more salt.
Keep the seafood tender. Add the fish and squid after the shellfish have had a head start, and add shrimp near the end. Overcooking makes shrimp rubbery and fish prone to breaking apart. Use a wide pot so the seafood sits in a fairly even layer and cooks in the gently bubbling broth instead of being crushed by stirring.
Adjust chile thoughtfully. Gochugaru is Korean red-pepper powder and tastes different from generic crushed red pepper. Start with the listed tablespoon, then add more at the end if you want a hotter soup. If using ordinary red-pepper flakes, use less at first; they can taste sharper and more seedy, and the broth will not have quite the same color or flavor.

Serving Suggestions

Serve haemul-tang as soon as it is cooked, while the shellfish are open and the fish is still in tender pieces. Steamed short-grain rice is the classic accompaniment: spoon some broth over the rice or alternate bites of rice and seafood. A simple bowl of rice also helps balance the chile and makes the meal more filling without competing with the broth.

Set out small portions of Korean banchan if you have them, such as kimchi, seasoned spinach, or pickled radish. Their crisp, tangy, or fermented flavors contrast with the hot seafood soup. Keep side dishes modest because the stew itself has a range of textures and a generous amount of seafood. Provide soup spoons and small plates or bowls for shells, and warn diners that shellfish can be hot inside immediately after cooking.

For a shared meal, place the pot on a heat-safe trivet at the center of the table and ladle into individual bowls. Avoid keeping it at a hard boil while people eat; prolonged boiling can toughen the seafood and make the broth too salty as it reduces. If you want a fuller table, offer a mild vegetable side or sliced cucumber rather than another heavily seasoned dish.

Variations

Choose a different seafood mix. Haemul-tang is flexible, and the exact combination can change with the market or household. Replace the squid with an equal weight of scallops, or swap the cod for pollock or another firm, mild white fish. You can leave out one type of shellfish and use more of another, but keep the total seafood amount close to the recipe so the pot still has enough broth for four servings. Add delicate scallops near the end, like the shrimp, to prevent them from becoming tough.

Make the broth milder or hotter. For a gentler soup, use half a tablespoon of gochugaru and omit the gochujang; the broth will be less red, less spicy, and slightly less rounded. For more heat, add gochugaru a teaspoon at a time after the seafood cooks. Gochujang adds fermented savoriness as well as chile, so adding more of it makes the broth thicker and sweeter, not simply hotter.

Use seasonal vegetables. Korean radish is pleasantly crisp and mild, while daikon is a practical substitute with a similar texture. If neither is available, use about 8 oz (225 g) of peeled turnip; it is a little earthier and may soften sooner, so check it as it simmers. Napa cabbage or a handful of enoki mushrooms can also be added with the zucchini, though extra vegetables may make the soup less seafood-forward.

Make it without shellfish. For a shellfish-free version, omit the clams and mussels and use an additional 12 oz (340 g) of fish and 8 oz (225 g) of shrimp. Replace the anchovy stock with mild vegetable stock, since dried anchovies are fish. Check ingredient labels on gochujang and other condiments for any seafood ingredients if cooking for someone with an allergy; this variation is not suitable for a fish allergy unless all fish ingredients are also removed.

Storage and Reheating

Cool leftovers promptly and refrigerate them within 2 hours in a covered, shallow container. For the best seafood texture, eat the soup within 1 to 2 days, although cooked leftovers are generally refrigerated for no more than 3 to 4 days. If possible, remove shellfish from the broth before storing, and keep the broth and seafood together or in separate covered containers. Discard the soup if it has been left out longer than 2 hours, or 1 hour in temperatures above 90°F (32°C).

Reheat only the amount you plan to eat, bringing the soup to a gentle simmer and stirring carefully so the fish does not break up. Use a food thermometer to confirm leftovers reach 165°F (74°C), the USDA FSIS reheating temperature. Avoid repeated cooling and reheating, which can further damage the seafood’s texture. Freezing is possible for up to about 2 months for quality, but shellfish and fish may become softer after thawing; thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat to 165°F (74°C).

Frequently Asked Questions

What does haemul-tang mean?

Haemul means seafood and tang refers to a soup or stew in Korean food names. Haemul-tang is generally a hot, savory seafood soup served with a mix of seafood in broth. Recipes differ in heat, stock, vegetables, and seafood selection, so this version is one practical home-style approach rather than a single fixed formula.

Can I use frozen seafood?

Yes. Frozen shrimp, squid, and fish work well when thawed safely in the refrigerator and patted or drained so excess water does not thin the soup. Frozen clams or mussels may already be cooked or removed from their shells, so follow the package directions and add them only long enough to heat through. Do not expect precooked shellfish to open as a doneness signal.

Do I have to make anchovy-kelp stock?

No, but it gives the soup its characteristic savory foundation. A mild, low-sodium fish stock is the closest convenient substitute; low-sodium vegetable stock works if you do not eat fish. Avoid strongly flavored chicken broth, which can cover the delicate shellfish flavor. Since prepared stocks vary in saltiness, reduce the added salt and fish sauce at first, then adjust the finished broth.

How can I tell when the seafood is done?

Clams and mussels should open during cooking, and any that stay closed should be discarded. Shrimp should turn opaque and firm, while squid should become opaque rather than translucent. Check the thickest piece of fish with a food thermometer for 145°F (63°C). Start checking as soon as the seafood has simmered for a few minutes, because pieces of different sizes cook at different speeds.

Can I make the soup ahead?

You can prepare the vegetables and clean the shellfish shortly before cooking, keeping the shellfish refrigerated, or make the anchovy-kelp stock a day ahead and refrigerate it promptly. For the best texture, cook the seafood just before serving rather than simmering it in advance and reheating it. If the soup is already cooked, cool and refrigerate it within 2 hours, then reheat leftovers to 165°F (74°C).

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Safety notes: safe minimum internal temperatures from USDA FSIS; raw and undercooked fish guidance from the U.S. FDA. Food safety notes

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