I originally made this porridge based on Korean Beef & Radish Soup (Soegogi Mu Guk). I absolutely love a good beef and radish soup—it’s so hearty, comforting, and perfect for any season.
That’s how I came up with the idea of turning it into a complete meal prep. It’s incredibly easy and convenient, packed with protein, low in calories, and very high in volume, making it perfect whether you’re in a calorie deficit or a lean bulk.
If you have a pressure cooker or a rice cooker, this recipe becomes even quicker and easier. But don’t worry—even with just a regular pot, it turns out just as delicious!
Beef
I used semi-trimmed sirloin because I prefer a slightly fattier cut than rump when making soups. The fat adds so much flavour to the broth over time and gives the porridge a richer, more savoury taste. If you’d like to make it even leaner, trimmed rump works perfectly too. As long as you simmer it for long enough—or use a pressure cooker—the beef will become beautifully tender.
Korean Radish (Mu)
Korean radish naturally contains enzymes that help tenderise meat, making the beef softer as it cooks. It also adds lots of volume, subtle sweetness, and a lovely texture to the porridge. I love cooked radish in general, but I honestly think it’s at its best in this porridge.
Soy Sauce
You can use either light or dark soy sauce. I recommend starting with a small amount, then adjusting the seasoning with salt if needed rather than adding too much soy sauce.
Dasida (Optional)
Dasida is a Korean beef (or anchovy) stock powder that adds a rich umami flavour. I use it in a lot of my Korean cooking, and I highly recommend it if you can find it. If not, you can simply leave it out or substitute it with a little MSG.
Rice
Any type of rice works well. I used white rice, which is the most common choice. Koreans usually use short-grain rice, but long-grain rice will work just fine too.
Korean Beef and Radish Porridge (소고기무죽)
Difficulty: Medium8
servings20
minutes50
minutes450
kcal35
g40
g15
gIngredients
1kg semi-trimmed beef sirloin steak or Rump
1.5kg radish
60ml soy sauce
60ml mirin
30ml sesame oil
45g minced garlic
300g Raw rice
2L water (total)
10g salt
5g Dasida (Korean beef stock powder)
100g spring onion, chopped
Optional
40g ginger paste
Furikake
Directions
- Preparation
- Blanch the beef, then rinse it well to remove any impurities.
- Peel the radish and cut it into bite-sized pieces.
- Cooking
- Heat a large pot over high heat. Add the blanched beef, soy sauce, mirin, and sesame oil. Stir well and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the radish, mix everything together, and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Rinse the rice, then add it to the pot along with the minced garlic.
- Pour in 1L of water. Reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid, and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent the rice from sticking.
- Add the remaining 1L of water, followed by the salt and Dasida. Bring it back to a boil and cook for another 3 minutes.
- Stir in the chopped spring onion and ginger paste until well combined.
- Divide into serving portions and enjoy with furikake and kimchi!
Recipe Video
Notes
- Traditional Korean recipes for this dish don’t usually include ginger. However, I found that adding ginger gives the soup a much deeper, richer flavour, so I highly recommend it!