Doenjang Jjigae (Korean Soybean Paste Stew, 된장찌개)
My notes for this recipe
I also enjoy Japanese miso soup, but Korean doenjang jjigae feels quite different to me. The broth matters, but the ingredients simmering inside the pot are just as important: zucchini, tofu, onion, mushrooms, and sometimes potato.
This is my simple everyday version. I do not prepare a complicated broth. If I have rice-rinsing water, I use it; otherwise, plain water works well. I simmer onion and spring onion in the water for about 15 minutes to make a simple base, then dissolve a generous spoonful of doenjang into the broth. After that, I add the remaining ingredients and let everything bubble together.
I usually do not add carrots to this version. Zucchini, potato, mushrooms, and tofu fit the flavor much better. For a deeper broth, add a few dried anchovies, about 100 g of pork, or about 100 g of beef while the onion and spring onion are simmering. For a vegetarian or vegan version, simply leave them out.
Rice-rinsing water gives the stew a slightly rounder flavor, but plain water is perfectly fine. Enoki and shiitake mushrooms both work well, so use whichever variety is easiest for you to find.
How I cook it
Cut the onion into rough pieces. Cut the spring onions into larger pieces. Cut the zucchini, potato, and tofu into bite-sized pieces. Clean the mushrooms and cut them smaller if needed.
Add 800 ml rice water or plain water to a pot. Rice water is the milky-white water from rinsing rice. For soups and stews, I usually use the second or third rinse, not the first one.
- 15:00
Add the onion and spring onions to the pot and simmer gently for about 15 minutes. This gives the stew a simple base, even without ready-made broth or Korean broth coins.
Add one heaping tablespoon of doenjang to the hot broth and stir well until the paste dissolves.
Add the potato, zucchini, and mushrooms to the pot. Simmer over medium heat until the potato is almost cooked.
- 7:00
Gently add the tofu and simmer for another 5–7 minutes. Avoid stirring too much so the tofu does not break apart.
If you like the stew a little spicy, stir in 1/2 tablespoon gochujang or 1/2 tablespoon gochugaru. For a warmer, spicier version, you can also add fresh hot chili peppers.
If the stew tastes too mild, stir in a little more doenjang. Serve hot with rice.
