Recipes
← All recipes

Soondubu Jjigae (Korean Soft Tofu Stew)

Prep 5m Cook 20m Total 25m easy
koreantofukimchistewdinner

Method

  1. 1
    Combine the kombu and dried anchovies in a saucepan and cover with 1 quart water. Bring to a simmer, then remove from heat.
    Uses: kombu, small dried anchovies (optional)
  2. 2
    Let stand 5 minutes, then strain. Discard the solids and reserve the broth. ⏱ 5m
  3. 3
    Meanwhile, drain the kimchi in a fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl, squeezing out as much liquid as possible. Reserve the juice.
    Uses: kimchi
  4. 4
    Roughly chop the drained kimchi, keeping the kimchi and its juice separate.
  5. 5
    Heat the oil in a 2-to-3-quart stone dolsot or saucepan over medium-high heat until shimmering.
    Uses: vegetable oil
  6. 6
    Add the pork belly and cook, stirring constantly, until just cooked through, about 1 minute.
    Uses: pork belly
  7. 7
    Add the scallion whites, garlic, and chopped kimchi. Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
    Uses: scallions, garlic, kimchi
  8. 8
    Add the reserved kimchi juice, gochujang, and soy sauce. Cook until the vegetables are well coated in an even layer of sauce.
    Uses: gochujang, light soy sauce
  9. 9
    Add the reserved broth, gochugaru, and tofu. Stir gently and heat until boiling.
    Uses: gochugaru, soft silken tofu
  10. 10
    For a loaded stew (optional), add the daikon, woodear mushrooms, bamboo shoots, fishballs, fishcakes, and imitation crab. Simmer gently until the daikon is just tender and the fishcakes are heated through, about 6 minutes. ⏱ 6m
    Uses: daikon, woodear mushrooms, bamboo shoots, fishballs, fishcakes, imitation crab
  11. 11
    Taste and adjust with more gochugaru or soy sauce.
    Note: it should taste boldly spicy and savory
  12. 12
    Remove from heat and add the eggs.
    Uses: eggs
  13. 13
    Sprinkle with the scallion greens and serve immediately while still boiling, gently stirring the eggs into the broth.
    Uses: scallions

The base is a quick anchovy-and-kombu dashi. The anchovies are optional — kombu alone still gives a clean broth, and in a pinch plain water or store-bought dashi will do.

Use kimchi that is fully, sourly fermented. Fresh kimchi won't give the deep, tangy backbone the stew needs, which is why the recipe calls for "very fermented."

Pork belly (or bacon) is optional; leave it out for a lighter, vegetarian-leaning stew. Add the eggs off the heat and stir them gently through the boiling broth so they set into soft, silky ribbons.

For a loaded stew, add any of the optional add-ins — daikon, woodear mushrooms, bamboo shoots, fishballs, fishcakes, and imitation crab — once the stew comes up to a boil. Slice the daikon thin so it softens in time; the bamboo, fishballs, fishcakes, and crab only need to heat through.