Miyeokguk is one of the easiest Korean soups to make – good thing too because it’s one of my favorites!  It is most often eaten by women postpartum, as well as on birthdays.  When I was newly postpartum with both my kids, my mother-in-law had me drink it 3x a day every day for the first few months.  The seaweed is supposed to help new moms recover from childbirth because of its high iodine and calcium content.  It is believed that this soup helps detoxify and purify the blood, and it’s also supposed to help boost milk supply.

The soup is traditionally made with beef broth, but I’ve also had a seafood version as well as a chicken-based version.  This recipe is how my Korean MIL taught me how to make it…

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Ingredients:
– 1 cup dried seaweed (wakame)
– Oxtails (pack of 6 or 1 lb.)

Directions:
1. Soak the dried seaweed in water until it rehydrates, then drain and chop.
2. Soak oxtails in water to drain the blood. I soaked it overnight, but 20-30 minutes is fine too.
3. Once the oxtails are soaked, drain and rinse them, then put them into a large stockpot with  1 gallon of water. Add the seaweed. Heat on high until it comes to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and boil for another 2 hours.

*Seaweed soup for postpartum mothers are supposed to be bland so this version does not have added sodium. If you want a more flavorful soup, just sauté the dehydrated seaweed with minced garlic and sesame oil before adding it to the Oxtail broth. Then season with soup soy sauce or salt (to taste).

Did you eat anything special after childbirth?