Korean Tofu and Kimchi Stew (Kimchi Soondubu Jigae)

Spicy and comforting Korean stew with soft tofu and kimchi. Vegan and plant-based.

I was first introduced to Korean stews when I was interning for the first time in New York and lived about a 10 minute walk from New York’s Koreatown. That was…very dangerous. My friends and I would all order this one dish, kimchi jigae, a spicy and sour kimchi, tofu, and pork stew. It was the perfect evening meal or brunch meal on a cold snowy day. Since I no longer live so conveniently close to K-town, I have had to make my own for days I’m craving a warm and comforting spicy stew.

This tofu and kimchi stew is my vegan version of a soondubu jigae, a traditional Korean spicy stew made of soft tofu and vegetables. I decided to incorporate kimchi because I love the sour notes of a kimchi jigae. If you’re laking some acidity due to the vegan kimchi (no fish sauce) then I would add more vegan fish sauce or kimchi brine. For vegetables I’m using an assortment of mushrooms: big shitake mushrooms, mini king oyster mushrooms, and enoki mushrooms. I also sometimes like to mix it up and will add zucchini, carrots, and if I’m feeling more carb heavy I’ll add chewy rice cakes or glass noodles. For my broth I used a combination of dried shitake mushrooms, you can easily get this at any asian supermarket, and miso paste. Fun fact – when I was in Japan I discovered Korean Japanese fusion food and loved the combination of miso in stews. Korean stews are typically served in a clay pot called a ttukbaegi but you can use any pot of your choice.

One last note on spiciness: One a scale of 1-5 (5 being the most spicy), I would classify this as a 2.5. If you really want to amp up the spiciness, add more gochugaru or some sliced jalapeños.

Ingredients

4 dried shitake mushrooms
2 cups water
¼ small yellow onion
2 cloves of garlic
2 green onions
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 cup chopped mushroom mix
2 tbsp gochugaru powder korean chili powder
½ cup vegan kimchi
1 tsp vegan fish sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp miso
1 package of soft tofu

Instructions

Mushroom Broth

Soak the dried shitake mushrooms in 1 cup of water for at least 4 hours but I prefer overnight. We will use this to make the vegan broth.

Kimchi Stew

Slice your mixed mushrooms. I prefer using shitake (stems removed), oyster, and enoki mushrooms
Dice the garlic and cut the white parts of the green onions into 1 inch slices. Slice the yellow onion. These are the aromatics
Roughly chop half a cup of vegan kimchi
Heat the pot over medium-high heat and warm up the sesame oil. Once the oil is heated, add the garlic, green onions, yellow onion, and kimchi. Stir until the oil is fragrant and the onions start to cook down, ~3-5 minutes.
Add the gochugaru, vegan fish sauce, and soy sauce and mix well. Use a wooden spoon to gently scrap the bottom of the pot if the onions start to caramelize. Cook for ~3 mins.
Add the dried shitake mushroom broth. Either discard the shitake mushrooms or add them in. If using the mushrooms I recommend cutting off the stems and discarding.
Add the miso paste and 1 cup of water. Make sure to break up the miso paste so that it's not clumpy and concentrated
Once the pot is boiling, add the mixed mushrooms and bring down to a simmer. Simmer for 15 minutes with the pot covered.
Add the soft tofu and cover the pot again and let simmer for another 5 minutes.
Top it off with some sliced green onions and serve with rice and a side of kimchi. You can also add some extra kimchi juice for more acidity.

Korean Tofu and Kimchi Stew