Hangover Kimchi Soup

By Eric Kim

Updated May 1, 2025

Hangover Kimchi Soup
David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Rebecca Jurkevich.
Total Time
40 minutes
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Rating
5(390)
Comments
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Garlicky, gingery and full of bright flavors, this panacea will heal you from within. The amount of spice is up to you, but know that a little red chile lends immeasurable flavor in addition to heat. If your ginger root is especially young and tender, consider peeling then cutting it into fine 1-inch matchsticks to eat in the soup for an even deeper, punchier warmth. White beans offer protein in this brothy meal, which becomes even heartier with the addition of white rice or noodles. (You can also sop it up with a slice of cornbread.) Reheat this nourishing soup throughout the week, adding more broth and various crisper-drawer vegetables you need to use up, like cabbage, kale, arugula, watercress and bean sprouts. Quick-cooking proteins like shrimp and tofu taste great in place of the beans, too.

Featured in: The Soup That Cures All My Hangovers

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 1packed cup finely chopped kimchi (8 ounces; see Tip), plus any accumulated juices
  • 1quart chicken stock, preferably homemade
  • 4large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 1(2-inch) piece ginger, sliced
  • 1tablespoon gochugaru (see Tip), plus more to taste
  • 1tablespoon fish sauce, plus more to taste
  • 1tablespoon doenjang or miso (see Tip)
  • Salt
  • 1(15.5-ounce) can large white beans, such as butter, cannellini or great Northern, rinsed and drained
  • 1small yellow onion, halved, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 1loosely packed cup fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems
Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    To a medium pot, add the kimchi, stock, garlic, ginger, gochugaru, fish sauce and doenjang. Set over high heat until boiling. Partially cover, reduce the heat to medium-low and gently boil, stirring occasionally, until the broth is aromatic, 8 to 10 minutes.

  2. Step 2

    Stir in the beans and onion and continue simmering until warmed through, about 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings, if needed, with salt, gochugaru and fish sauce. Before serving, discard the ginger if you don’t want to eat it and stir in the cilantro.

Tips
  • Kimchi is sold in many ways and at varying stages of ripeness. For this dish, you want very ripe, well-fermented kimchi for the brightest flavor. Less fermented kimchi will taste like fresh cabbage, whereas well-fermented kimchi will taste sharp and pickled, with small bubbles signaling fermentation. To ferment less ripened kimchi from the store, leave it on the counter in its covered jar at room temperature until it starts to effervesce and smell funky, overnight or up to 48 hours. Return to the refrigerator before using.
  • Gochugaru, a flavorful Korean red-pepper powder, ranges from a fine dust to tiny coarse flakes. Try to buy the coarse variety, for deeper, sweeter flavor. You can find gochugaru at Korean and other Asian supermarkets and at many grocery stores, as well as online.
  • Buy doenjang, often labeled “soybean paste,” in any Korean or Asian supermarket and online. Funkily pungent and packed with savoriness, doenjang is a magical flavor booster that has likely seasoned much of the banchan, or small dishes, that constellate the table at your favorite Korean restaurant. Doenjang is often compared to Japanese miso but tastes stronger.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
390 user ratings
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Comments

jonas

good excuse for getting a hangover :-)

karen

So easy and so good. I had a can of Trader Joe's Gigantic white beans in tomato sauce which went really well. Added a chicken breast. Seems like there are endless potential adaptations.

Max S

My wife and I were not even hungover, but were huge Eric Kim recipe fans and had to try it. It might be the most soothing broth I’ve ever had! I made my own stock with a fowl which definitely helped, and I doubled the beans. Can’t recommend this recipe enough!

Leslie

I love Eric Kim and this recipe did not disappoint! I added some rotisserie chicken meat and a soft boiled egg, plus some spinach. I’ve eaten this soup for three meals and it gets better every day!

Anne Manning

Woke up sick this morning (Runny nose; feel like there's a brick on my chest). Followed the instructions. And good news: this soup is the perfect antidote to whatever bug is playing havoc with me. Going to sip it all day. Thank you, as always, Eric Kim.

Beth

Delicious and easy. I was surprised by how spicy it was -- and I like spicy. If serving for friends, I will reduce the amount of gochugaru and put extra spice in a side bowl so that guests can add more if they like.

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