Soup

Doenjang Jjigae (South Korea)

Name: Doenjang Jjigae (South Korea)
Total time: 25 min
Yield: serves 4
Ingredients: 3 tbsp Fermented soybean paste (doenjang); 200 g Tofu; 1 Potato; 1 Onion; 150 g Mushroom; 2 cloves Garlic; 1 Chili pepper; 700ml Stock; 1 stalk Spring onion

Preparation time: 25 min
Servings: serves 4

Ingredients

serves 4

Fermented soybean paste (doenjang) — to buy3 tbsp
Tofu — to buy200 g
Potato — to buy1
Onion — to buy1
Mushroom — to buy150 g
Garlic — to buy2 cloves
Chili pepper — to buy1
Stock — to buy700ml
Spring onion — to buy1 stalk

Preparation

Dissolve the doenjang in a little warm stock with a fork to avoid lumps, then pour this mixture with the rest of the stock into a saucepan.
Add the diced potato and sliced onion, bring to a boil then lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes over medium heat, until the potato starts to soften.
Add the mushrooms, minced garlic and chili, and cook for another 5 minutes over medium heat — avoid a hard boil, the doenjang can turn bitter if it cooks too violently.
Gently add the tofu cut into cubes and simmer for 3-4 minutes without stirring too much, so it doesn't crumble.
Taste and adjust: if it's too salty, add a little water or stock; if it needs more character, a pinch of gochugaru perks it up nicely.
Sprinkle with sliced spring onion and serve piping hot with steamed rice, just like a real Korean family meal — jjigae is meant to be eaten still bubbling.