Seaweed Soup with Mussels (Miyuk Guk)

~In Korean culture, miyuk guk is traditionally eaten on the morning of that person’s birthday, with steamed rice. It is also a must for new mothers, as it is believed to help lactation.  I love this soup for deep, complex flavors of the sea. My father who normally spurns mussels as a "throw away" shellfish, claimed this soup opened his eyes. You can easily add other proteins to the finished product or have it the traditional way with only seaweed.  Depending on what is in my refrigerator, I like to add mussels or clams for added depth in flavor and tofu for….well, I like to add tofu to everything.

Equipment:

6qt or 8qt stockpot
kitchen shears

Ingredients:

½ cup dried miyuk or wakame (thin sea kelp)

8 oz soft tofu- drained, cubed

1lb mussels- scrubbed, remove beards

½ cup thinly sliced beef sirloin or ground beef

4 cloves of garlic- finely minced

1 ½ tbsp hondashi

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp soy sauce

1 tsp vegetable oil
3qt water

Directions:

1. Soak miyuk in warm water for 20min or until hydrated. Squeeze out excess water. Roughly cut a few times with scissors as some of the miyuk have strips that are a bit long. Set aside. 
2. Warm stockpot on medium high heat. Spread oil evenly on surface. Saute beef and let brown for several minutes. 
3. Add garlic, stirring constantly for less than 1min. Add miyuk on top of garlic and beef.  This will keep the garlic from browning too much and burning.  Add hondashi over miyuk.  Stir everything. 
4. Add water and cover for 10-15min until soup begins to boil. 
5. Add mussels and cover for 5min or until all the shells have opened. 
6. Add sesame oil and soy sauce. Stir and taste. Adjust seasonings if necessary.
7. Lower heat to a low simmer. Add tofu and cover for 10min. Serve.