I love seaweed. The unsung vegetables of the sea! Chock full of minerals that our bodies sorely lack these days, I wonder why we don’t include it in our diets more. Here in the U.S. of A, seaweed eaters are made fun of as granola eating hot tubbers. Even if our favorite sea vegetable company is located in Mendocino.
But what do they know! Asian cultures have been reaping the health benefits of these nutritious vegetables for thousands of years. For example, here is a version of the soup my SIL enjoyed (much more than the pig’s feet I might add) after the birth of little S. For new mothers, this soup is purported to help contract the uterus, stop bleeding, clear the blood, detoxify, and rejuvenate so that the mother can produce lots of milk for the new baby. This is generally consumed for the first three weeks after birth. Judging from the results my SIL experienced, this and/or the pig’s feet worked and then some!
Nutritionally, this soup is rich in protein, calcium, iodine, magnesium, iron and folate. Not to mention all of the other trace minerals that our bodies only need in tiny tiny quantities. No wonder new moms find this soup so restorative.
Luckily you don’t have to be a new mom to slurp up this soup. It’s a great soup for anyone to enjoy and in fact you will find this soup (or a variation there of) on many a Korean restaurant’s menu.
* Exported from MasterCook *
Miyuk Guk
Amount Measure Ingredient — Preparation Method
——– ———— ——————————–
1 1/2 ounce Korean brown seaweed or wakame, dried
6 cups water or beef broth or combo (preferably homemade)
1 pound mussels, whole fresh
6 ounces grass-fed ground beef
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon tamari soy sauce
1 clove garlic — minced
2 thin slices ginger — minced
2 teaspoons oil — grapeseed or rice bran
sea salt to taste
Soak Korean brown seaweed or wakame in water for 30 minutes or until soft. Wash well to remove any sand, drain. If there is a thick center stem, remove. Cut into 1-2″ pieces. Set aside.
Cook mussels in the water or beef broth. Remove mussels from broth and separate mussel from shell. Reserve the broth and mussels. Discard shells.
Marinate beef with the sesame oil, tamari, garlic and ginger for 5 minutes. Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a 6 qt stock pot, saute the marinated ground beef. Cook for a few minutes then add seaweed. Saute for another 2 minutes. Add broth and simmer for 10 minutes. Add mussels. Simmer another minute or so. Season to taste with additional tamari or sea salt.
Variations: use more or less of any of the ingredients to your taste. You can also add additional seafoods like clams and oysters.
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