Last Updated on January 29, 2021
Today I’m taking inspiration from that staple of Korean households with my kimchi soup recipe. This fermented delicacy is made from vegetables, garlic, ginger and fish sauce which gives it a wide flavour profile encompassing sweet, sour and spicy.
Kimchi also has great health benefits. “Kimchi is a fermented food that provides the body with vitamins A and C (antioxidants that can help fight disease) and B vitamins for energy release and fibre. It’s a great way to add some extra vegetables into your diet,” explains Priya Tew, Specialist Dietician. “It can also help improve your gut health by providing lactoacid bacteria.” It’s also said to prevent cholesterol and hardening of the arteries. Plenty of good reasons to eat it regularly, then.
Cabbage is the most common vegetable used, although carrots, radishes and cucumber are also popular. My local Korean store sells a fabulous cucumber version that I often buy. Kimchi is truly versatile. It is traditionally eaten as a side dish but also works as a condiment or a cooking ingredient mixed into stir fries, salads and soups, which is what I’ve done here with my tasty pork belly kimchi.
I started off by dry frying the bite-sized pieces of pork belly so they are browned all over. This improves the overall flavour of the dish. Transfer the cooked pieces to the bottom of your pan on the stove top.
Next it’s time to add the water, vegetables, garlic and chilli sauce to the pan. Along with my cabbage kimchi and pork belly I used spring onions and chestnut mushrooms – you could use pretty much any vegetable, like carrots, celery or even bamboo shoots or water chestnuts to add more Asian flavours.
The final step is to add the noodles. I used pre-cooked egg noodles which really only need heating through.
Once the noodles are heated through you are ready to serve.
Here’s a printable version of my oh-so-simple and delicious kimchi soup with pork belly. I’m certainly going to make kimchi a staple ingredient in my cooking, too.
For more tasty recipes using kimchi visit www.k-foodfan.com
Or try our recipe for a spicy Vietnamese Pho.
Kimchi soup recipe
Ingredients
- 250 g pork belly chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 1 cup cabbage kimchi chopped
- 750 ml water
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tbsp hot chilli sauce
- 4 spring onions
- 5 chestnut mushrooms
- 200 g egg noodles
Instructions
- Fry the pork belly pieces in a pan for about 10 mins until well browned on both sides.
- Add the water, kimchi, sugar, chilli sauce and garlic to a pan and bring to a simmer.
- Add the spring onions, mushrooms and pork to the mixture. Simmer for 20 mins until the pork is tender
- Add the egg noodles, bring up to the boil then simmer for a few minutes until the noodles are cooked through.
Looks really delicious and a perfect winter warmer!