Skip to main content

Soondubu Jigae

Showing off my banchan setup


I've been trying for a long time to branch out from doenjang jigae (not that I'm tired of it), and I keep trying to find soondubu jigae that I like, but until now I hadn't succeeded in either a restaurant or a recipe at home. I prefer it without seafood or meat, and as much as I like kimchi, I don't love it in stews. So in the end I keep having stew that feels like it's missing something. But this one! This one is delicious.

I worked from this recipe from Food52. It's the first soondubu jigae recipe that I've found that has gochujang and doenjang, so maybe it's less traditional than some, but I like it. It gives it the richness that I enjoy in doenjang jigae, but it's different enough that I feel like I have a second korean stew in my repertoire now.

My changes were to omit the kimchi and to substitute dried shiitakes for the enoki mushrooms, though I'd love to use enoki mushrooms in this when I have some.

This was also my first time mixing an egg in, and it's really good. It adds some more richness and texture to break up the thin broth and tofu mush.


The Recipe:
1 tsp vegetable oil
1 tsp gochugaru
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 thai chili peppers, sliced
2 cups vegetable stock
2 tsp gochujang
2 tsp doenjang
8 oz silken tofu
4 oz mushrooms (enoki or dried shiitakes)
2 scallions, chopped
1 egg
rice, for serving
  • Saute gochugaru in vegetable oil for 1 minute
  • Add garlic and thai chilies, and stir for another minute
  • Add stock, gochujang, and doenjang. (I like to add the pastes in a mesh strainer so the sludge from the doenjang doesn't end up in the soup.) Bring to a boil.
  • If using dried shiitakes, add them now and cook for 5 minutes before adding the tofu.
  • Add the tofu and gently break it up with a spoon. Cook for 15 minutes.
  • Stir in scallions and enoki mushrooms, if using.
  • Crack the whole egg into the stew and cook for 1-2 minutes, then stir.
  • Serve with rice on the side.

The Verdict:
Overall grade: A
Overall reason: I think I still love doenjang jigae the best, but the texture of the soft tofu with the egg and the rice is so good.
Time to prepare: 30 minutes
Husband quote: None... I intentionally made this when he was out for the evening since I know it wouldn't be his favorite thing.  More for me.

 

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Kitchen renovation!

BEFORE: AFTER: Still to come: a beautiful new induction range and some wood shelving on the left side, above the backsplash. And maybe the shelving unit on the wall facing the cabinets should be green, but we're going to live with a while before making that decision.
2 comments
Read more

Red lentil dal

Cucumber salad is key. This dal is perfect. Most of us took seconds, and I'm really excited to eat the last portion that's sitting in the fridge right now. The accompanying salad is really great for adding texture, crunch, and acidity to the meal. I wouldn't skip it. I got it from  Tea for Turmeric  and prepared it pretty much as written, but doubled and with none of the optional ingredients. This recipe doesn't mention any seasoning/dressing on the salad, but adding lemon and salt to it really brightened things up. The Recipe: (from Tea for Turmeric) 2 c red lentils splash of avocado oil 2 tsp cumin seeds 2 small onions, finely chopped 1 inch ginger, grated 4 small tomatoes, chopped 2 thai chilies, minced 2 tsp cumin powder 2 tsp coriander powder 1 tsp cayenne 1 tsp turmeric 2+ tsp kosher salt 2 tsp lemon juice 1/2 c cilantro, chopped For serving: basmati rice and plain yogurt Salad ingredients: 1/2 english cucumber, sliced 10 cherry tomatoes, quartered 1/4 onion, slic...
Post a Comment
Read more

Vietnamese Curry Stir-Fry

  When I get the recipe just right, I'll go to the effort of adding fried shallots on top. I'm back to my on-and-off mission of trying to make a stir-fry as delicious as the shrimp I used to get at  Pho Grand  in St. Louis during college. It was called "cari tom" but it definitely wasn't a coconut milk type of curry, and they ALSO have a separate listing on their menu for "cari tom dac biet" which includes "coconut milk sauce" in their description. So I'm pretty sure it was just a stir-fry that had curry flavors in it? I got myself a big container of Vietnamese curry powder and I'm going to keep experimenting. This is the closest I've come so far. Changes for the future: - More oil and sugar, restaurant style - A blend of fish sauce and soy sauce, instead of just soy sauce - Fried shallots on top The Recipe (adapted from  Veggie Anh ): 3 tb fresh lemongrass, chopped 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 Thai chili, minced 1 pinch salt 2 tb avoc...
Post a Comment
Read more