Easy Kimchi Stew Recipe (Jjigae) With Pork and Tofu

Bring the wave of K-dramas into your kitchen with this easy recipe for kimchi stew with pork and tofu. This popular Korean dish, kimchi jjigae is deliciously rich, comforting, and flavorful. A bowl of salty, sour, sweet, and spicy stew in one! This recipe is simple to follow and perfect for warming up on a chilly day.

Make sure to try my homemade kimchi recipe.

You will love this recipe because:

• of its bold satisfying flavors (spicy, tangy, savory, slightly sour)
• it's perfect for chilly days (though this recipe can be made whole year round)
• you can easily adjust spice levels, experiment with different protein sources, or add your favorite vegetables
• the fermented kimchi brings a dose of healthy probiotics
• surprisingly easy to make

Ingredients

I can't really replicate what I had during my South Korea trip in 2017 but these are the ingredients as far as I can remember with few tweaks of what I have on hand.

Cooking kimchi stew is easy. You can use store-bought broth like chicken, beef, or vegetables. In Korea, they usually make their stock from scratch using anchovy.

I'm using chicken broth for this recipe because that's what I have on hand. You can also use beef or vegetable stock.

• To make kimchi stew, you will need sesame oil, garlic, onions, pork belly, kimchi, its brine, broth, gochujang (Korean red pepper paste), salt & pepper, sugar, firm tofu, and scallions.

• You will need a pot to cook this stew. They usually serve this in a stone bowl called dolsot.

Steps

• In medium-high heat, start heating a tablespoon of vegetable oil. Add half a pound of pork belly and cook for 5 minutes or until the pork is no longer red. Then, add 2 teaspoons of minced garlic and medium-sized sliced onions. Cook until fragrant.

• Add 2 cups of chopped kimchi along with ¼ cup of kimchi brine. Simmer for 2 minutes. Pour 2 cups of broth and add 2 teaspoons of gochujang and 2 teaspoons of sugar. Season with salt and simmer for 10 minutes. Topped with sliced firm tofu and sprinkle with scallions. Add a splash of sesame oil, cover the pot, and simmer for 2 minutes.

• Kimchi stew with pork and tofu is best served with rice and fried salted mackerel.

What to do with leftover kimchi stew? What I always do with the leftover stew is turn it into ramen or udon. I either add ramen or udon noodles to the soup and stir in an egg.

Tips & Substitutions

• If using bouillon: Replace the broth with 2 cups water + 1 bouillon of choice.
• Kimchi matters: For the best flavor, use well-fermented, slightly sour kimchi. Fresher kimchi will be less intense.
• Spice it up: Add 1-2 tablespoons more of gochujang (Korean red pepper paste) along with the kimchi for an extra kick.
• Make it veggie: Skip the pork and swap the broth for vegetable stock for a delicious vegetarian version.
• Meat of choice: You can use ground beef or ground chicken.
• Leftovers: Kimchi stew tastes even better the next day! Store leftovers in the refrigerator and reheat gently on the stovetop.

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