Kimchi Soondubu Jiggae
Soondubu (also spelled sundubu, aka silken tofu) is the characteristic ingredient in this soup. This sundubu jjigae calls for kimchi, although home cooks and restaurants offer sundubu jjigae with various meats, seafood, veggies or a combination.
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 30 minutes mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine Korean
- 1 cup pork belly or beef, diced
- 1/2 cup white onion diced
- 3 teaspoons garlic minced
- 1 cup kimchi thinly sliced
- 2-3 teaspoons gochugaru depending on preferred spice level
- 2 teaspoons gochujang or more to taste
- 2 cups water or anchovy, beef or veggie broth, plus extra if needed
- 2 to 3 tablespoons juice from kimchi
- 1 package 12 ounces sundubu (extra soft/silken tofu)
- 2-3 egg optional
- 1 cup shiitake mushrooms sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt to taste, or as needed
- Bunch of enoki mushrooms with roots cut off
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil to finish
- Diced green onions to garnish
In a medium to large sized pan, add diced pork belly (that has been seasoned with a pinch of salt) and let render for a minute. If using beef, you will need to add a tablespoon or two to the pan to help sautee. Add diced onion and sautee for another minute. Add minced garlic and sautee until everything is well mixed and onions are translucent.
Add kimchi gochugaru, gochujang, and sauté on medium heat for at least 5 minutes until meat is fully cooked.
Pour in water (or anchovy broth) and the juice from the kimchi. You may need more or less broth, you want to almost cover all contents of the pot without spilling over (you need to leave room for tofu and mushrooms). Add salt to taste.
Add your shiitake mushrooms and continue to boil for 3-4 minutes.
Add the soft tofu in big chunks and enoki mushrooms.
Cook for for 4-5 more minutes until content of your pan and bubbling and cooked.
You can crack or eggs in now, let simmer for 2 minutes to poach then add chopped scallions, and sesame oil to finish and serve.
You can also crack your eggs in after you pull your stew off the heat, and let the residual heat cook the eggs in the pan (this is how is it traditionally done when this kimchi jjigae is made in a clay pot).
Keyword jiggae, kimchi, soondubu, stew, sundubu