Seaweed soup with beef (Miyeok-guk)

1. Soak the dried wakame in plenty of cold water for 20 minutes until it swells several times its size, then rinse several times, squeeze dry and cut into bite-sized pieces.

2. Cut the beef into thin, bite-sized slices.

3. Heat the sesame oil in a pot and fry the beef over medium heat for 2-3 minutes until it turns pale.

4. Add the wakame and grated garlic and fry together for another 2-3 minutes until the wakame smells fragrant.

5. Pour in the water, add the soy sauce, bring to the boil, then cover and simmer gently for 20-25 minutes until the soup is silky and slightly milky; season with salt.

6. Serve hot with rice.

Tip: In Korea, miyeok-guk is the birthday soup: traditionally mothers ate it after giving birth, and today everyone has it on the morning of their birthday. Go easy with the wakame, as it can grow tenfold when soaked.