This kimchi doenjang stew is a comforting mash-up blend of two Korean classics: kimchi stew and soybean paste stew. It’s all simmered together into one deep flavorful bowl. The stir-fried kimchi and pork combines well with the earthy soybean paste for a comforting meal! I felt that this stew resembled more kimchi jjigae and my husband felt it was more like doenjang jjigae. So, really a half and half perfect blend. It has a lot of toppings so no other side dishes are necessary. Just a bowl of rice, and you’re set.
Since moving back closer to family, we’ve been lucky to have an abundance of homemade kimchi that we didn’t have the privilege of before! My MIL recently gave us a fresh batch (delicious!) so I’ve been looking for ways to use some of our older, more fermented kimchi.
Going to the grocery store requires a lot of motivation in the cold. So, when I saw this episode on Pyun-staurant for kimchi doenjang jjigae, I was intrigued. I was a little skeptical but it was delicious! It only uses standard ingredients that most households who cook Korean food at home will already have on hand! As long as you have pork, kimchi, and doenjang, the rest is flexible, making this an ideal clean-out-the-fridge kind of recipe.
Recipe Tips:
- The ratio for pork to kimchi is 1:1. Kim Kang Woo uses 200g of each but you can easily scale both up or down as long as the ratio stays the same.
- Kimchi jjigae typically calls for extra-fermented, sour kimchi, but since this stew also uses soybean paste, any type of kimchi will work. The doenjang helps balance and cover the flavors.
- After stir-frying the pork and kimchi, add the soybean broth gradually instead of all at once. This helps the flavors or kimchi and doenjang meld together to create a more cohesive blended stew.
Ways to Serve and Enjoy:
- Enjoy simply with a bowl of steamed rice, taking spoonfuls of rice and stew together.
- Pour over a few spoonfuls of the stew on top of your bowl of rice and mix!
- For a heartier bowl. take a bowl of rice, add chopped greens such as lettuce, korean chives or chicory. Drizzle in 1 Tbsp of sesame oil and sprinkle with roasted sesame seeds. Mix some of the stew into this bowl of rice for a savory and spicy flavor, similar to a bibimbap. This is how Kim Kang Woo enjoyed it on the show!
Kimchi Doenjang Jjigae (Kimchi Soybean Paste Stew)
Ingredients
- 200 g kimchi (1 ¼ cup)
- 200 g pork shoulder (7 oz), or other variations of pork such as pork belly
- 2 small potatoes peeled
- 1 tofu package i prefer silken but soft or medium works
- 1 Korean squash aehobak or zucchini
- 2 hot peppers. cheongyang pepper or similar
Soybean broth mixture
- 800 ml water (about 3⅓ cups)
- 2 Tbsp doenjang soybean paste
- 2 Tbsp gochugaru Korean red pepper flakes
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
Instructions
- Prepare the ingredients. Slice the zucchini into half-moons. Cut the potatoes into similar bite-size pieces. Slice the tofu about ½ inch thick, bite size pieces. Slice the hot peppers.
- Cut the kimchi and pork into 1-2 inch pieces.
- Make the soybean broth mixture. In a medium bowl, pour in the water. Using a small strainer, press the soybean paste through to fully dissolve the soybean paste without clumps. Add the gochugaru and minced garlic, then whisk until well combined.
- Heat a medium pot over medium heat and lightly coat with oil. Add in the pork once the pot is preheated and stir-fry until no longer pink.
- Add the kimchi and continue stir-frying until softened, about 3–4 minutes.
- Add 2-3 ladles of the soybean broth into the pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling, pour in the remaining broth and bring back to a boil.
- Add the potatoes, making sure they are submerged in the broth. Once boiling, add the zucchini, tofu, and hot peppers. Once it comes to a boil, cover the pot and continue to simmer on medium-low heat for 25 minutes.
- Once 25 minutes are over, all the ingredients will be very soft.
- Adjust seasoning. If your kimchi was sour, you can add ½ Tbsp of sugar. If your kimchi was not sour at all, you can add a few Tbsp of more kimchi juice, to taste. Simmer for 1 more minute and enjoy!
- Serve with rice!
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