Do you have a jar of well-fermented kimchi in your fridge and don’t know what to do with it? Kimchi jjigae, a spicy and comforting Korean stew, is the perfect solution!
In Korean tradition, mature kimchi is used to prepare this dish because it is more aromatic, and rich in probiotics and umami. Combined with a bowl of white rice, it makes the ideal comforting meal for cold evenings.
A spicy and comforting Korean kimchi stew recipe, ideal for making the most of your leftover kimchi and avoiding food waste.
Easy Kimchi Jjigae Recipe
Equipment
- 1 stockpot (ideally a clay pot) or saucepan
- Cutting board
- Chef's knife
- 1 Saucepan
Ingredients
- 1 ⅔ cups well-fermented kimchi of your choice (in this case, Brussels sprout kimchi)
- 3 cups water or broth (vegetable, chicken or anchovy)
- 1 onion
- 1 leek green
- ½ cup firm tofu
- ⅔ cup smoked pork belly
- 1 ½ cup button mushrooms (optional)
- 1 tbsp. Gochujang (Korean fermented chili paste, optional)
- 1 tbsp. honey or maple syrup
- 1 tbsp. sesame oil or vegetable oil
Steps
Prepare the Pork
- Blanch the pork belly for 10 minutes in boiling water, in the saucepan.
- Drain and rinse with fresh water.
- Cut into thin slices.
Prepare the Vegetables and Tofu
- Wash and slice the green part of the leek.
- Finely slice the onion.
- Cut the kimchi into pieces, if necessary.
- Cut the tofu into slices.
- Cut the mushrooms into 4 or 6 pieces, depending on their size.
Prepare the Kimchi Jjigae
- In a stockpot, heat the sesame oil over medium heat.
- Brown the pork belly until nicely colored.
- Add the onions and the green part of the leek. Cook for 10 minutes.
- Add the kimchi and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Add the mushrooms, gochujang, and water (or stock).
- Place the slices of tofu on top.
- Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer, covered, for 45 minutes.
- Serve with a bowl of white rice and enjoy immediately!
Notes
This kimchi jjigae recipe is a friendly, warming dish that will brighten up your dinners and amaze the entire family!
Feel free to adjust the amount of water to make it more like kimchi soup than stew.
Get the Tools!
We suggest the following products for making your own kimchi.
