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1
Combine the dried anchovies and kelp sheet in 800 ml of cold water, then bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, starting cold so that the anchovies and kelp release their savour gradually rather than seizing in hot water and turning the stock murky and bitter. Simmer for 10 minutes, then remove and discard the anchovies and kelp. The stock must finish clean, pale, and mild — not heavy or dark.
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2
Rinse the soybean sprouts and add them to the stock while it is still cold or just warm, then place the lid firmly on the pot — this is where the dish lives or dies: the sealed steam that builds as the pot climbs to temperature suppresses the raw, grassy smell that the sprouts otherwise carry into the finished soup, and breaking the seal mid-cook lets it return in a way no further cooking will fix. Bring to a full, rolling boil over medium-high heat with the lid on and cook covered for exactly 5–7 minutes without lifting the lid at any point.
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3
Remove the pot from the heat and leave it covered to rest for 2 minutes, so the sprouts finish gently in the trapped steam without overcooking and losing their faint, pleasant bite in the stem. They should be tender but still offer a little resistance when pressed.
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4
Remove the lid, then season with guk-ganjang and salt, add the minced garlic, and stir once so the garlic disperses through the hot broth without being cooked further, which would blunt its clean sharpness. Taste: the broth should be clean and lightly saline, with the sprouts' characteristic nutty-peppery flavour unobscured by bitterness.
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5
Ladle into bowls, finish each portion with a few drops of sesame oil, and serve immediately alongside steamed rice.