Soondubu Jjigae — Korean soft tofu stew
Silky soft tofu in a spicy, umami-rich broth with mushrooms and courgette. Fast, warming and brilliant with steamed rice.
Soondubu jjigae is Korea’s silky, spicy hug in a bowl — soft tofu in a punchy gochujang broth that’s quicker than it tastes. This version keeps things vegetarian and simple, relying on mushroom umami and chillies for depth.
Make it on a weeknight when you want warming comfort without faff. Serve with steamed rice to soak up every drop and a side of kimchi if you’re feeling traditional.
Ingredients
- 400 g soft tofu
- 700 ml vegetable stock
- 20 g gochujang — about 1 tbsp
- 10 g gochugaru — about 1 tbsp
- 15 ml sesame oil
- 15 ml vegetable oil
- 4 garlic — cloves, crushed
- 1 brown onion — medium, finely sliced
- 200 g chestnut mushrooms — sliced
- 1 courgette — medium, sliced
- 15 ml soy sauce — about 1 tbsp
- 5 g caster sugar
- 2 spring onions — thinly sliced; separate whites and greens
- 5 g sesame seeds — toasted, for finishing
- sea salt — to taste
- black pepper — freshly ground, to taste
Equipment
- heavy-based saucepan or earthenware pot (dolsot)
- wooden spoon
Instructions
Prepare the vegetables: thinly slice the brown onion, chestnut mushrooms and courgette. Crush the garlic and slice the spring onions, keeping whites and greens separate.
Heat the vegetable oil and sesame oil in a heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. Add the brown onion and the spring onion whites and sauté until the onion is soft and translucent, about 3 minutes.
Add the crushed garlic and fry for 20–30 seconds, then stir in the gochugaru and gochujang. Cook and stir for 30 seconds to bloom the chillies and deepen the paste’s flavour.
Pour in the vegetable stock, add the soy sauce and caster sugar, and bring to a gentle simmer over medium–high heat.
Add the chestnut mushrooms and courgette. Reduce to a medium simmer and cook until the vegetables are tender, 5–7 minutes.
Gently spoon the soft tofu into the pot in large chunks; don’t stir vigorously—just nudge the tofu to distribute it and warm through for about 3 minutes.
Season with sea salt and black pepper to taste. Add the spring onion greens and a final drizzle of sesame oil, simmer 30 seconds to meld flavours.
Ladle the stew into bowls and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds. Serve immediately with steamed rice and kimchi if you like.
Tips
- Use soft tofu chilled straight from the fridge; it holds shape better when added gently and creates pleasing pockets of silk.
- Bloom gochugaru and gochujang in oil briefly — it amplifies the chilli flavour far more than just stirring them into stock.
- If you want a deeper savoury note, stir in 1 tsp miso dissolved in a little stock at step 4 (adds umami without fish).
- Make ahead: the stew keeps well for 2 days in the fridge. Reheat gently; add a splash of stock if it becomes too thick.
- To keep it gluten-free, use tamari instead of soy sauce and check your gochujang for wheat.
Substitutions
soft tofu → firm tofu, cut into 2cm cubes (adds chewier texture; increase simmer time by 2 minutes)
Stays closegochugaru → sweet smoked paprika (use same weight) if you need a mild smoky note
Noticeably differentvegetable stock → anchovy or fish stock for a traditional deeper umami (use same volume)
Noticeably different
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 190
- Calories
- 9 g
- Protein
- 15 g
- Carbs
- 10 g
- Fat
- 3 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
- Sugar
- 750 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I add an egg?
Yes — crack a raw egg into each bowl just before serving or stir one into the pot and simmer 30 seconds for a poached finish.
Is this dish spicy?
It is medium-spicy as written. Reduce gochugaru to 4 g or skip gochujang for a milder stew.
Can I freeze soondubu jjigae?
You can freeze the broth and veg, but soft tofu changes texture when frozen. Preferably freeze without the tofu and add fresh on reheating.
What should I serve with it?
Steamed rice is classic. Banchan such as kimchi or pickled veg work brilliantly too.
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