Healthy Korean dishes to ward off illness

Korean cuisine isn’t short of amazing dishes. Here are some heartier meal options to keep you going on chillier days.

Bibimbap also makes for a delicious Korean dish all year round. Photo: Vicky Ng/Unsplash

Winter in South Korea can be bracing, with temperatures reaching as low as -20 degrees. These cold climes often mean the common cold thrives, so it’s no surprise that Korean cuisine has so many hearty, warming, and tasty dishes on offer, from Samgyetang to Kimchi jjigae.

Samgyetang 삼계탕

Samgyetang is known for its health benefits, containing root ginseng which is considered to reduce blood sugar and cholesterol levels as well as increase energy and reduce stress. If you’re looking for a dish to help ward off winter colds, this is the one for you. 

Samgyetang is known as ginseng chicken soup in English, and involves a whole chicken stuffed with rice, ginseng, garlic, and jujube. It’s typically eaten during the hottest days of the Korean summer, as the saying of 以熱治熱: 이열치열 (fight fire with fire). So when it’s hot outside you eat hot samgyetang to balance your body heat with the heat outside. However, if you’re not bracing yourself for the oppressive Korean heat, eating samgyetang in the winter is an ideal way to keep you safe from colds, and remain cosy and warm.

Photo: Cyprien Delaporte/ Unsplash

Doenjang jjigae 된장찌개

A personal favourite, and super easy to make in one pot, doenjang jjigae can be seen accompanying Korean BBQ. Similar to Japanese miso, Doenjang is a fermented soybean paste and a byproduct of soy sauce production. Doenjang has a stronger taste than miso, and is often quite a salty dish. So be aware not to add too much doenjang paste to your soup base if you’re not a big fan of salty flavours. 

Doenjang jjigae (also known as soybean paste stew) can include a variety of vegetables, making it a good choice for plant-based eaters. Thickly sliced courgette, onion, garlic, tofu, and pak choi are all great additions to the dish, but feel free to add whatever veggies you enjoy. 

An important tip for making doenjang jjigae is to use the starchy water leftover from washing rice as the base for the soup – this enriches the flavour of the stew and can be a vegetarian substitute for the anchovy broth. 

Kimchi jjigae 김치찌개

Kimchi jjigae is a well-known fan favourite. A more spicy dish, kimchi stew can be a great way to use up any aged Kimchi you have left in the fridge. Like doenjang jjigae, it’s also super easy to make, with all the ingredients being cooked in one pot, usually a dolsot.

A dolsot is a stone bowl that can be put directly over heat to warm the food inside. It’s most commonly used for dolsot bibimbap, the piping hot version of Bibimbap where the rice at the bottom is fried while you eat, leaving a crispy rice bottom to enjoy at the end. 

Kimchi jjigae is typically paired with marinated pork, but it can easily be replaced with tofu and additional vegetables to make it vegetarian. Although beware that, as with Doenjang jjigae, the soup base often includes anchovy so use the rice water trick explained above to make it plant-based!

Korea’s pride: Kimchi. Photo: Portuguese Gravity/Unsplash

Manduguk 만두국/만둣국

Manduguk (also known as dumpling soup) can be a very convenient dish to make as you can use store-bought dumplings. However, they’re pretty fun to make from scratch if you’re willing to give them a go!

Dumpling soup is often served on New Year’s day to welcome in the new year, as is rice cake soup (떡국). Manduguk is especially enjoyed in North Korea as the rice supply can be short, so it can be difficult to make rice cakes for the soup.

Beef broth is a classic soup base for this dish, however, using a vegetable broth will make it plant-based. This soup can be topped with sliced omelette and paired with a side dish of yellow sweet pickled radish (단무지) or kimchi.

Fried Mandu can also be enjoyed on its own as a crispy snack. Photo: Portuguese Gravity/ Unsplash

Kalguksu 칼국수

Kalguksu (or Korean knife cut noodle soup) is very similar to Vietnamese Pho. If you’re not a fan of spice but still want a warming Korean dish, this one is perfect. Kalguksu can also be enjoyed with a variety of seafood including prawns, clams, squid, and baby octopus. However, if you’re not a seafood lover, dak kalguksu (chicken knife cut noodle soup) is a great alternative. 

The history of kalguksu dates all the way back to the Goryeo period (고려시대) when the dish was enjoyed by nobility, as obtaining wheat for the noodles was often expensive. There are many variations of kalguksu in Korea including bajirak kalguksu (바지락칼국수) and previously mentioned haemul kalguksu (해물칼국수) and dak kalguksu (닭칼국수).

Juk 죽

Juk (or porridge) is usually eaten on days when you’re not feeling physically at your best, since it’s healthy and easy to digest. Although Juk can also be enjoyed as a hearty breakfast or snack.

Like kalguksu, there are many variations of juk in Korea, from chicken and pumpkin, to red bean paste and abalone. So whatever you fancy, you can incorporate it into juk. It’s made using a wide range of grains and therefore is packed with protein. Juk can also be made with glutinous rice (찹살) to give it a creamy texture. 

Hotteok 호떡

Hotteok are sweet Korean pancakes filled with honey like brown sugar syrup as well as seeds and nuts. However, like most Korean foods, the recipe can be changed and adapted to make different variations. For a more savoury taste, try the cheese-filled hotteok and vegetable hotteok found in street markets.

Hotteok, like most street food, is usually served in a paper cup and should be enjoyed straight away while still piping hot. When cooking at home, Hotteok can also be reheated in the toaster!

Hotteok enjoyed in Nami Island in mid-winter. Photo: Abby White

Bungeo-bbang 붕어빵

Bungeo-bbang (literally meaning carp bread) is a sweet doughy bun shaped like a fish which often contains a sweet filling such as red bean paste (팥). However, you can find other fillings too such as custard, cream, chocolate, ice cream, and even pizza toppings. Bungeo-bbang originated from Japanese Taiyaki which is also a popular street food. 

To make this yourself will require purchasing a fish-shaped pan which can be found on Amazon or at a nearby Korean supermarket. 

Tornado potatoes 회오리 감자

The final street food we have to introduce is a savoury treat. A tornado potato is a spiral-cut fried potato placed on a skewer and seasoned with garlic, cheese, or honey. It has a french fry taste and can sometimes be found with a hotdog skewered in the middle. 

Once you have the potato tornado cut down (you can purchase a machine to do it for you) the rest of the recipe is easy. Just deep fry the potato and add garlic powder as seasoning.

Tornado potato enjoyed in Incheon. Photo: Abby White

We hope this list of cosy Korean dishes has inspired you to try your hand at cooking some of the up in the kitchen. Let us know in the comments which of these tasty treats are your favourites!

Edited by Molly Raycraft.