This Sundubu Jjigae (which literally translates to ‘soft tofu stew’) is one of my favourite Korean dishes. It has a light yet really rich and flavourful base with a kick of spice from gochugaru.
This is so comforting and perfect for warm and hearty meals with a bowl of steamed short grain rice and some banchan (or side dishes) like kimchi and kongnamul.
Watch the recipe video here:
I grew up enjoying this and is usually made with some meat and/or seafood so I've been recently trying to make a vegan version of it using mushrooms, that also give the base a nice umami flavour. Really happy with how this turned out and my non-vegan family is, too!
The sundubu or soft tofu gives this that silky texture and the mushrooms really add to the texture, most especially the enoki mushrooms that have this stringy texture that I really love.
I made this in a regular pot but really prefer cooking and enjoying it from a Korean dolsot bowl.
You'll find the full recipe for this below. Enjoy! :)
Are you looking for more delicious, vegan recipes? Check out my latest Vegan Kitchen eBook, that has over 95 recipes (and a whole section for Asian recipes!) that are packed with flavour and made with simple and easily accessible ingredients! Also, two trees (instead of 1!) will be planted for every download of my eBook through non-profit organisation One Tree Planted.🌲
If you make this recipe, please tag me on my Facebook or Instagram and use the hashtag #thefoodietakesflight :)
VEGAN SUNDUBU JJIGAE (Korean Soft Tofu Stew)
Serves 2-3
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
This Sundubu Jjigae (which literally translates to ‘soft tofu stew’) is one of my favourite Korean dishes. It has a light yet really rich and flavourful base with a kick of spice from gochugaru. This is so comforting and perfect for warm and hearty meals with a bowl of steamed short grain rice and some banchan (or appetisers) like kimchi and kongnamul.
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
1 onion, sliced
1/2 cup sliced leeks or green onions
1 tbsp + 2 tsp gochugaru or korean hot pepper powder, feel free to adjust according to desired spice
2.5 tbsp soy sauce, or to taste
250g zucchini, sliced into small 1/4” thick quarters
150g enoki mushrooms
200g sliced king oyster or shiitake mushrooms
3 cups vegetable broth or water*
1 tsp garlic
1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
1 pack sundubu, silken tofu, or soft tofu (300g)
*Note: if using water, feel free to season with more salt or soy sauce, to taste.
STEPS
Prepare your sundubu or soft tofu. If using sundubu in a tube, slice the tube in half (or follow the dotted lines), and slice the tofu into a few pieces. If using a block of sudubu, carefully remove it from the tray of water and slice into a few pieces. Note that you can opt not to slice the tofu and simple break them into smaller pieces when placing in the stew later on.
Heat a medium sized pot or a Korean dolsot bowl over medium. Once hot, add in the sesame oil. Sauté the onion and leeks. Sauté for 2-3 minutes until translucent and cooked through. Add in the garlic, gochugaru, and soy sauce. Cook for 2 minutes.
Add in the king oyster or shiitake mushrooms and sauté for a few minutes until lightly cooked through, around 3 minutes. Add in the zucchini and mix well. Pour in the vegetable broth or water. Cover the pot and leave to boil over medium high heat, around 7 minutes.
Once the zucchini and mushrooms are cooked through, taste soup and season with salt as needed. Add in the tofu and leave to boil for 2-3 more minutes. Enjoy while hot with some steamed rice and Korean banchan like kimchi and kongnamul (bean sprout salad).
