Samgyetang (Ginseng Chicken Soup)
Samgyetang is Korea's iconic summer health-food soup — a young whole chicken stuffed with soaked glutinous rice, garlic, jujube, and medicinal herbs, then simmered until tender in a pressure cooker. The meat turns meltingly soft in a rich broth, and a tangy-spicy dipping sauce cuts any richness for a hearty, satisfying bowl.
Ingredients
Main
- Young whole chicken (poussin)1
- Abalone1
- Samgyetang herb pack1 pack
- Soaked glutinous rice1 handful
- Garlic cloves5 cloves
- Jujube (Korean date)2
- Water2 L
- Salta little
- Black peppera little
Dipping Sauce
- Chicken broth1/4 cup
- Red pepper flakes (gochugaru)1/4 cup
- Mustarda little
- Soy sauce2 tbsp
- Vinegar2 tbsp
- Sugar1/3 tbsp
- Minced garlic1 tbsp
- Green oniona little
Directions
- 1
Rinse the chicken clean and trim off the tail, then stuff the belly cavity with glutinous rice that has been soaked for about 30 minutes.
- 2
Cross the drumsticks over each other and secure them with a toothpick. Alternatively, make a slit in one leg and tuck the other leg through it.
- 3
Add 2 L of water, the herb pack, jujube, garlic cloves, and the prepared chicken to a pressure cooker. Close the lid and bring to a boil over high heat; once the weight starts to rattle, lower to medium heat and cook for 10 minutes, then release the steam.
- 4
Add the prepared abalone with a little pepper and salt, then cook for 10 more minutes the same way. When done, add green onion and adjust the seasoning with salt. Now that the chicken broth is ready, make the dipping sauce.
- 5
Mix 1/4 cup chicken broth, 1/4 cup gochugaru, a little mustard, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp vinegar, 1/3 tbsp sugar, 1 tbsp minced garlic, and a little green onion until well combined to make the dipping sauce.
- 6
The samgyetang and the dipping sauce are both ready.
- 7
Cooked in the pressure cooker, the chicken turns out fully tender with meltingly soft meat.
- 8
Dip the chicken into the sauce and take a bite. The tangy, spicy sauce pairs beautifully with the meat and lifts the flavor of the samgyetang. Serving it with this sauce instead of the usual salt-and-oil dip makes it far more refreshing.