Soybean Paste Soup with Spinach and Clams

Steps

▶ Tap a timecode to jump to roughly that moment in the video.

1. 1
   Prepare the clams: Soak live clams in cold salted water (4 cups water with 1 tablespoon salt) for several hours or overnight to purge sand. Cover with paper towels to keep them in darkness, which helps maintain freshness.
   ▶ ≈1:28
2. 2
   Rinse the clams thoroughly under running water to remove any dirt from their shells. The clams should still be alive and responsive.
   ▶ ≈2:40
3. 3
   Prepare the spinach: Select fresh spinach with long, tender leaves and red roots. Remove the red roots, keeping the stems and leaves. Rinse thoroughly under cold running water three times until completely clean.
   ▶ ≈3:39
4. 4
   Prepare beef and garlic: Cut 4 ounces of beef into small pieces. Peel 4 garlic cloves and set aside.
   ▶ ≈5:25
5. 5
   Brown the beef: Heat 1 teaspoon sesame oil in a pot. Add the beef and garlic, stir-frying for 1-2 minutes until the beef turns brown.
   ▶ ≈5:56
6. 6
   Simmer the broth: Add 7 cups of water and cover. Bring to a boil and simmer for 25 minutes until the beef becomes tender and the broth develops good flavor.
   ▶ ≈6:35
7. 7
   Mix the seasonings: In a small bowl, combine 1 tablespoon soybean paste and 1 tablespoon red chili powder. Stir well with chopsticks until smooth and lump-free to keep the broth clear.
   ▶ ≈7:17
8. 8
   Add the seasonings to the broth: Pour the seasoning mixture into the simmering broth and stir gently to combine.
   ▶ ≈7:55
9. 9
   Add vegetables: Add the spinach and onion to the pot. Although the spinach appears voluminous, it will shrink significantly during cooking.
   ▶ ≈8:16
10. 10
    Prepare peppers (optional): Slice green and red chili peppers for added aroma and color. Omit if you prefer less heat.
    ▶ ≈8:30
11. 11
    Add clams and finish: Add the cleaned clams to the pot. Cover and simmer for an additional 3 minutes until the clams open.
    ▶ ≈9:06
12. 12
    Turn off heat and serve: Remove from heat. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve hot with rice.
    ▶ ≈9:54