Sulguk literally translates to “alcohol soup” and is one of many types of haejangguk, or Korean hangover stews. Usually a hearty soup brimming with vegetables and meat and served with rice, haejangguk is meant to chase away your hangover by loading your body with ingredients that soothe any upset stomach and help sweat out the alcohol from the night before. There’s a wide variety of regional haejangguk across Korea, ranging from a super-savory soybean-paste-based broth with dried Napa cabbage and ox blood in Seoul to a refreshing soybean sprout soup in Jeonju that’s seasoned with salted fermented shrimp and topped with chopped squid. This sulguk is a slightly larger casserole-style version meant to be eaten while drinking, but you can also throw it together the morning after for a proper haejang (we love a double-duty dish!). I like to use a Korean-style milky beef bone broth for the base, which you can find packaged at Asian grocery stores (or if you’re up for it, make your own). The savory, spicy broth simmers with Korean blood sausage, mounds of mushrooms, fish cakes, and a block of instant ramyun for good measure, but feel free to sub in vegetables and meats of your choice. For extra credit, simmer tableside on a portable gas stove while you drink Korean-style.
