This comforting and savory doenjangjjigae is a classic Korean soybean paste stew that can easily be adjusted to suit personal tastes or available ingredients. The base broth, made with doenjang (soybean paste), is rich and earthy, with the optional addition of beef creating a more hearty, meaty flavor. You can also customize the vegetables — potatoes, onions and mushrooms are traditional, but feel free to swap in others like zucchini and radish for an extra kick. The use of different broths, such as anchovy or clam, adds depth and complexity to the flavor profile. For a spicier version, adjust the amount of gochugaru (red chili pepper powder) to taste.
Try this recipe from Hansik Promotion Institute.
Ingredients
- 100 grams beef (sirloin)
- 300 grams medium firm dubu (tofu)
- 200 gram potato
- 90 grams pyogo (shiitake) mushrooms (or button mushrooms)
- 200 grams onion
- 60 grams green chile peppers
- 1 tablespoon minced green onion
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon gochugaru (red chile pepper powder)
- Doenjang (soybean paste) broth
- 625 ml water
- 4 tablespoons doenjang
Preparation
Slice the beef thinly.
Cut the dubu, potato, mushrooms, onion and green chile peppers into 1 cm cubes.
Cooking
Pour 2 1/2 cups water into a medium saucepan and dissolve doenjang well. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
Add the beef into the soup, and bring to a boil. Skim off any foam that rises to the surface.
Add the potato and onion. Simmer over low heat for 15 minutes.
Add the dubu, mushrooms, green chili peppers, green onion, garlic and gochugaru. Cook a little bit more.
Tip
Ingredients for soybean paste stew mostly consist of potato, radish, pappers, mushroom, kimchi and onion. Anchovy soup and clam soup can be used as a base for the soup.
Serves 4.
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