15-Minute Easy Korean Potato Soup Recipe (Gamja guk): No Cream!
This Korean potato soup (Gamja-guk) is the perfect light soup if you are looking for something comforting and incredibly fast to make. Unlike heavy, dairy-based Western chowders, it offers a clean, refreshing broth packed with umami. Whether you are feeling under the weather or just need a quick weeknight meal, this easy Korean soup recipe is a game-changer for your kitchen. Best of all, it is a potato soup without cream, making it naturally low in calories and easy on the stomach.
What is Gamja Guk?
Gamja-guk is a Korean potato soup. Because there is no cream involved, the broth remains clear and clean. It is typically seasoned with Korean soup soy sauce and salt. The secret to my specific recipe’s deep flavor is adding a touch of fish sauce. This traditional Korean comfort soup creates a rich broth even without many ingredients. It is non-stimulating, easy to digest, and a warming dish that truly comforts the body.
Why Youβll Love This Korean Potato Soup (Gamjaguk)
Essential Ingredients for a Clear & Light Broth
Ingredients
- 1 Large potato
- 1/2 Green onion
- 1/2 Small onion
- 1/2 tbsp Minced garlic
- 600ml Water
- 0.5 tbsp Korean soup soy sauce (Guk-ganjang)
- 0.5 tbsp Tuna sauce (Tuna fish sauce)
- 1 Korean Seafood stock coin
- 1β2 pinches Salt (adjust to taste at the end)
Substitutions
The Secret to Umami: Seafood Stock Coin & Tuna Sauce
- Korean Seafood Stock: If you are a beginner to Korean cuisine, Korean seafood stock coins and tuna sauce might be unfamiliar. In the past, Koreans had to buy dried anchovies and dried kelp separately to boil for broth. Nowadays, it is common to use a single stock coin that contains all those ingredients at once. It is easier to store and much more convenient for cooking. To achieve the taste of a traditional Korean potato soup, making a proper broth with anchovy or kelp is a must.
- Tuna Sauce: In Korea, we often add anchovy fish sauce to soups to boost umami. It adds a depth of flavor that regular soup soy sauce cannot provide alone. However, many Koreans are now using tuna sauce instead of anchovy sauce. While anchovy sauce can sometimes have a fishy aroma, tuna sauce lacks that fishy smell and provides an even deeper savory flavor. It is the key to this easy Korean soup recipe.
Best Potatoes for Korean Soup
When making this Korean potato soup, you want potatoes that won’t break apart easily. I recommend using “waxy” potatoes like Yukon Gold or Red potatoes. Avoid starchy potatoes used for mashed potatoes (like Russets). You need a firmer potato that holds its shape to keep the broth clear and avoid a cloudy soup.
Kitchen Tools Youβll Need for a 15-Minute Meal
This recipe doesn’t require any special kitchen tools. It is a Korean home-style soup that you can easily make with the tools you already have at home.
- Knife & Cutting board
- Peeler (to peel the potato)
- Medium pot
- Spoons & Measuring cup
Step-by-Step Guide: How to Make This Easy Korean Soup Recipe
- Prepare the Vegetables: Peel the potato. Cut the potato and onion into bite-sized cubes.
- Prep the Aromatics: Thinly slice the leek diagonally and mince the garlic.
- Boil the Base: Pour the water into a pot and add the seafood stock coin. Season the broth with the soup soy sauce and tuna sauce.
- Cook: Add the cubed potatoes, onions and minced garlic to the pot. Boil over medium-high heat for about 10 to 12 minutes, or until the potatoes are fully cooked and tender.
- Final Touch: Add the sliced leeks and boil for one more minute. Taste the soup, if itβs too bland, add 1 or 2 pinches of salt to suit your preference. This is the simplest way to enjoy potato soup without cream.
Pro Tips for the Perfect Clear Potato Soup
Cut the potatoes into uniform sizes: To ensure the potatoes cook evenlyβwithout some parts being mushy and others hard, you must cut them into consistent, equal sizes.
Seafood Broth is Key: Whether you use dried seaweed/anchovies or a seafood stock coin, you must use a seafood base to get that deep umami in your Korean potato soup.
FAQ about Korea’s Potato Soup
Other Trendy Korean Potato Recipes to Try
- Gil-gamja: This is a potato snack that is currently surging in popularity in Korea. Unlike traditional fries, it is thinly crispy on the outside while remaining soft and stretchy on the inside. It is a trendy potato dish from the Gangwon province that people wait in line for two hours to eat.
Gil-gamja: The Viral Korean Street Food, Crispy & Chewy Potato Fries
- Cheese Potato Pancake: Shredded potatoes are pan-fried to maximize crispiness and filled with mozzarella cheese. Pairing this savory cheese potato “jeon” with Makgeolli (Korean rice wine) is the perfect way to melt away the fatigue of a long day.
Crispy Cheese Potato Pancake
15-Minute Easy Korean Potato Soup Recipe (Gamja guk): No Cream!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 Potato Large one
- 1/2 Green onion
- 1/2 Onion Small one
- 1/2 tbsp Minced garlic
- 600 ml Water
- 0.5 tbsp Soup soy sauce Guk-ganjang
- 0.5 tbsp Tuna fish sauce
- 1 Korean seafood stock coin or dried anchovy or dried kelp for broth
- 1 pinch Salt adjust to taste at the end
Instructions
- Prepare the Vegetables: Peel the potato. Cut the potato and onion into bite-sized cubes.1 Potato, 1/2 Onion
- Prep the Aromatics: Thinly slice the green onion diagonally and mince the garlic.1/2 Green onion, 1/2 tbsp Minced garlic
- Boil the Base: Pour the water into a pot and add the seafood stock coin. Season the broth with the soup soy sauce and tuna sauce.600 ml Water, 0.5 tbsp Soup soy sauce, 0.5 tbsp Tuna fish sauce, 1 Korean seafood stock coin
- Cook: Add the cubed potatoes, onions and minced garlic to the pot. Boil over medium-high heat for about 10 to 12 minutes, or until the potatoes are fully cooked and tender.1 Potato, 1/2 Onion, 1/2 tbsp Minced garlic
- Final Touch: Add the sliced green onion and boil for one more minute. Taste the soup, if itβs too bland, add 1 or 2 pinches of salt to suit your preference.1/2 Green onion, 1 pinch Salt
- Korean Potato soup: Gamja Guk
