If you’re out on an especially cold day this winter, stop at your local Korean restaurant and order Sundubu Jjigae – a spicy, sizzling, Korean tofu stew, usually cooked and served in a thick porcelain bowl. Or if you’re at home, cook up this simple, modified version of the dish using a cast-iron skillet.
There are so many types of Jjigae – Korean stews – but I especially like the tofu versions. The extra soft tofu not only melts in your mouth, but also traps in the heat, to keep the dish sizzling all the way until the last, delicious bite.
Korean Tofu Stew may sound like a vegetarian dish, but it often includes a variety of seafood, and sometimes pork or beef. If you’re vegetarian, it’s probably best to cook it up at home. I prepared this recipe with you in mind, and for those of you who want a quicker version and who like a little extra tofu in their Korean stew.
Korean chili paste (gochujang) and a few spoonfuls of kimchi create the spicy, savory base flavor of the stew. Then add in the aromatics – fresh ginger, garlic, and scallions. Three ingredients that add depth to the broth, and give it a kick of healthy nutrients to keep your immune system strong during these remaining cold months.
Along with the tofu, add in a couple of veggies like mushrooms and zucchini. If you want a more substantial stew, try a few more like bok choy, baby spinach, and shredded napa cabbage. Or just have fun with your own combination of veggies that you have on hand in your kitchen. Once the broth is boiling and the aroma irresistible, every veggie you cook in there will taste tantalizing.
Lastly, add in a tablespoon of our Spicy Korean Chili Seasoning to give the stew just the right amount of punch!
In just 30 minutes, you’ll have a boiling hot, steamy Korean Tofu Stew in a skillet that you can place right in the center of your table for everyone to dig into.
Serve with a bowl of white rice, and wash it down with a glass of cold beer.
Korean Tofu Stew in Skillet
by Season With Spice
Serves 3-4
Ingredients:
1 tbsp oil
8-10oz mushrooms (you can use cremini, shiitake, enoki, or a mix)
2-3 garlic cloves – minced
1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
1 small yellow onion – sliced thinly
1 small zucchini – sliced thinly and halved
2.5 cups vegetable stock or water
1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari, or to taste
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tbsp gochujang (Korean chili paste)
1 block of silken tofu (16 oz) – sliced into about 1/2" thick pieces
2 tbsp kimchi (homemade or store-bought)
1 tbsp Season with Spice’s Spicy Korean Chili Seasoning, or more
Light drizzle of toasted sesame oil
2 scallions – finely chopped
Method:
1. Heat oil in an 8-inch or 10-inch skillet, over medium-high heat. Add in mushrooms, and cook until they just begin to soften. Then add in garlic and ginger, and continue to cook until mushrooms are softened. Add in yellow onion and zucchini and cook for about 2-3 more minutes.
2. Add in the vegetable stock or water, along with soy sauce, sugar, and gochujang. Stir well to mix in the seasoning. Raise heat to high and bring soup to a boil.
3. Lower heat to bring soup to a slow boil, and gently add in the tofu, carefully spreading the pieces across the skillet. Add in kimchi and the Spicy Korean Chili Seasoning. Then reduce heat to medium-low, and let simmer for about 5-7 minutes (you want to keep the stew simmering hot the whole time, adjusting the heat as necessary). Finally, swirl in toasted sesame oil, give it a quick stir, and turn heat off.
4. Serve the Korean Tofu Stew steaming hot in the skillet. Garnish with scallions. Enjoy it with a bowl of white rice and glass of cold beer.
by Season With Spice
Serves 3-4
Ingredients:
1 tbsp oil
8-10oz mushrooms (you can use cremini, shiitake, enoki, or a mix)
2-3 garlic cloves – minced
1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
1 small yellow onion – sliced thinly
1 small zucchini – sliced thinly and halved
2.5 cups vegetable stock or water
1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari, or to taste
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tbsp gochujang (Korean chili paste)
1 block of silken tofu (16 oz) – sliced into about 1/2" thick pieces
2 tbsp kimchi (homemade or store-bought)
1 tbsp Season with Spice’s Spicy Korean Chili Seasoning, or more
Light drizzle of toasted sesame oil
2 scallions – finely chopped
Method:
1. Heat oil in an 8-inch or 10-inch skillet, over medium-high heat. Add in mushrooms, and cook until they just begin to soften. Then add in garlic and ginger, and continue to cook until mushrooms are softened. Add in yellow onion and zucchini and cook for about 2-3 more minutes.
2. Add in the vegetable stock or water, along with soy sauce, sugar, and gochujang. Stir well to mix in the seasoning. Raise heat to high and bring soup to a boil.
3. Lower heat to bring soup to a slow boil, and gently add in the tofu, carefully spreading the pieces across the skillet. Add in kimchi and the Spicy Korean Chili Seasoning. Then reduce heat to medium-low, and let simmer for about 5-7 minutes (you want to keep the stew simmering hot the whole time, adjusting the heat as necessary). Finally, swirl in toasted sesame oil, give it a quick stir, and turn heat off.
4. Serve the Korean Tofu Stew steaming hot in the skillet. Garnish with scallions. Enjoy it with a bowl of white rice and glass of cold beer.
