This stew almost killed my cooking spree when I first started getting into the kitchen. My mom’s soondubu and the Korean restaurant soondubu’s taste very different from each other. But, the recipes I tried to make came nothing close to either!
Many recipes use Kimchi to enhance (and cheat) the stew but since I live far from my parents and I haven’t really gotten into making it myself, it’s too expensive of a commodity to use in bulk for a stew! I was convinced that the restaurant version was just MSG that I could never replicate and my mom had a magic potion she wasn’t telling me about. I tried maybe two or three times in the past 3 years and gave up because they were so bad. But, I think I found one I finally like! Finally!!
My mom’s version is much more mellow whereas the restaurant version is very powerful and strong in flavor, maybe a bit too much. This recipe is a mix between the two, and it’s delicious! I’m delighted! I took celebrity chef Baek Jong Won’s recipe, and added my mom’s twist of adding in canned clams. It’s just one little ingredient that really makes a big difference! A bit saltier, and more seafood-y to add an extra layer of complexity to the flavor.
Soondubu jjigae brings back a lot of memories for me at home and with my friends. The first time I tried it at a popular restaurant in the DC area, I was really surprised. It tasted completely different from my mom’s but still quite good! I’ve learned to enjoy both and now this recipe blends both together! I spent a lot of get togethers there and also a lot of late nights in NYC Koreatown at the soondubu restaurant. It’s the perfect one stew meal. The perfect spicy craving hitter. The perfect late night soju companion. I hope you enjoy!
spooning sauce over the egg
*what happens during dinner time when DrJuh is on-call
Time to eat!
Cooker’s Notes:
What is Soondubu Jjigae? Soondubu is silken tofu, the softest form of tofu (not to be confused with “soft” tofu). It can come in a rectangular container similar to other tofu varieties, but my favorite type comes in a cylinder tube. I personally think these are a bit softer in texture. Soondubu jjigae is a Korean stew with the main ingredient being silken tofu. Most versions are spicy but restaurants usually have a “white” version as well. They can come with a variety of mushrooms, pork, seafood – really, there are a ton of options! Today, we’ll focus on the pork and clam version from Baek Jong Won.
* The pictures look spicier than it tasted because we’re currently using gochugaru sent from Korea that is far brighter and redder than what we usually purchase. I think the spice level was on point. If you want it even spicier (like super spicy restaurant level), add in more gochugaru in the sauce stage.
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cup (300 ml) water
- 10 small clams, washed in salt water
- 6 oz clam can (clam only)
- 1 Tbsp clam juice (from the can above)
- 1 package silken tofu (soon dubu) , 12 oz (350 g)
- 2 shiitake mushroom, sliced
- 1 hot pepper, chopped – serrano, jalapeno
- ½ scallion
- 1 egg
Sauce
- ½ Tbsp sesame oil
- 1 ½ scallion, chopped
- 3 ½ oz (100 g) ground pork
- ¼ onion, chopped
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- 2 Tbsp Korean chili flakes (gochugaru)
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
In a heated saucepan, add in 1-2 Tbsp of oil and ½ Tbsp sesame oil. Toss in the scallions and stir fry until fragrant. Then add in the ground pork and continue to stir-fry until no longer pink. Make sure to mix at the ground pork so the pork does not clump together. Toss in the remaining onion and garlic and stir-fry for another minute. Finally, add in the Korean chili flakes, sugar and soy sauce. Continue to stir-fry for another 1-2 minutes until the sauce mixture is well combined.
Add in the water. Once the broth begins to boil, toss in the small clams, the clam juice and canned clams. Toss in the sliced mushrooms. Continue to simmer until the clams open.
Add in the soondubu and break up the tofu slightly. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Top with scallion and peppers. Bring to a last boil. Add the egg before serving!
Tip: As you eat, spoon the hot broth over the egg, and enjoy the stew! Half way through the meal, the egg will be soft boiled and ready to be enjoyed!
Soondubu Jjigae (Korean Tofu Stew)
Ingredients
- 10 in small clams washed in salt water
- 1 (6 oz) clam can, clam only
- 1 Tbsp clam juice (from the canned clam)
- 1 package silken tofu ( soon dubu) 12 oz (340 g)
- 2 shiitake mushroom sliced
- 1 hot pepper, chopped serrano, jalapeno
- ½ scallion
- 1 egg
Sauce
- ½ Tbsp sesame oil
- 1 ½ scallion, chopped
- 3 ½ oz (100 g) ground pork
- ¼ onion, chopped
- 1 Tbsp minced garlic
- 2 Tbsp Korean chili flakes gochugaru
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a heated saucepan, add in 1-2 Tbsp of oil and ½ Tbsp sesame oil. Toss in the scallions and stir fry until fragrant. Then add in the ground pork and continue to stir-fry until no longer pink. Make sure to mix at the ground pork so the pork does not clump together. Toss in the remaining onion and garlic and stir-fry for another minute.
- Finally, add in the Korean chili flakes, sugar and soy sauce. Continue to stir-fry for another 1-2 minutes until the sauce mixture is well combined.
- Add in the water. Once the broth begins to boil, toss in the small clams, the clam juice and canned clams. Toss in the sliced mushrooms. Continue to simmer until the clams open.
- Add in the soondubu and break up the tofu slightly. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Top with scallion and peppers. Bring to a last boil. Add the egg before serving!
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