Soondubu Jjigae | Spicy Korean Soft Tofu Soup
Soondubu jjigae (순두부찌개) is a spicy Korean tofu stew made with freshly curdled soft tofu called soondubu. Add vegetables, your protein of choice, and egg to this Korean tofu soup for a satisfying, delicious meal!
Servings: 2
Calories: 143kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 package soft tofu 11oz; see Note 1
- ½ cup mushrooms enoki or sliced shiitake
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon sea salt or to taste
- ⅓ teaspoon sugar or to taste
- ½ cup protein of choice - shrimp, chicken, beef, pork (optional) cut into bite sized pieces
- scallions (optional) chopped for garnish
Soondubu soup base
- ½ cup water or stock see Note 2
- ⅓ cup kimchi chopped with juice
- ¼ cup onions diced
- 2 Tablespoons Korean red pepper flakes
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
Instructions
Make Soup Base
- Heat a medium pot or earthenware pot (ttukbaegi) over medium high heat. See Note 3. Add the vegetable oil, kimchi, onions, Korean red pepper flakes, and garlic. Add your choice of protein if using. Stir fry until protein is almost cooked and onions softened, about 3 to 4 minutes.⅓ cup kimchi, ¼ cup onions, 2 Tablespoons Korean red pepper flakes, 3 cloves garlic, 2 teaspoons vegetable oil, ½ cup protein of choice - shrimp, chicken, beef, pork
Add Soondubu and stock
- Add the soft tofu and gently break it apart. Next pour in the stock and bring to a boil. Taste and season with salt and sugar depending on how salty and fermented your kimchi is. Sugar will balance out sour kimchi.1 package soft tofu, ½ teaspoon sea salt, ½ cup water or stock, ⅓ teaspoon sugar
- Once boiling, add the mushrooms and crack an egg on top and boil for 3 to 4 minutes. Finish with a drizzle of sesame oil and garnish with green onions. Enjoy!½ cup mushrooms, 1 egg, 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
Notes
- Soft tofu - This can be called soon tofu, extra soft tofu, silken tofu, sundubu, or soondubu. Find it in the refrigerated section in Korean or Asian grocery stores next to the regular tofu. It may be packaged in a cylindrical tube or a rectangular container.
- Stock - Use any flavor of stock you prefer - vegetable stock, chicken stock, or beef stock, but traditionally anchovy stock is used. To make anchovy stock, boil 2 cups of water with this anchovy flavoring packet. Dashi is another great option.
- Earthenware pot - Traditionally, soondubu is cooked in an earthenware pot and served while still boiling as it holds its heat. I used one that holds 20 fluid oz or 2½ cups.
Vegetarian Soondubu Option:
To make vegan or vegetarian soondubu jjigae, use vegetarian broth as the base and use vegan or vegetarian kimchi. Skip the egg and add extra vegetables such as mushrooms, onions, peppers, and zucchini.Nutrition
Calories: 143kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 82mg | Sodium: 852mg | Potassium: 187mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 364IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 1mg