Serves : 2
Cooking Time : 30 minutes
For me this Gochujang Jjigae is hard to beat, not only is it delicious, but it is also quick to cook and easy to scale up, which means I can get a few lunches out of it to sweeten the deal. Silken tofu and broth is a perfect match, the silken tofu brings a delightfully creamy texture and subtle flavour that pairs so well with the intensely spicy and richly flavoured soup. Sesame oil is, in my opinion, a must, it truly does transform the dish, offering that additional layer of depth.
Ingredients
- 1 onion
- 1 clove garlic, minced, sliced, or slightly crushed but kept whole, whichever you prefer
- 2 cm (1 inch) piece of ginger, peeled and finely minced, grated, or sliced into thick pieces
- 750 ml vegetable stock (I use 500ml of stock watered down to balance out the salt from the gochujang and soy sauce, depending on the stock you use full strength may be better)
- 1 – 4 heaped tsp gochujang paste (depending on how spicy you like it, I like 2 and a bit) (some gochujang pastes are not gluten free)
- 1 tsp soy sauce or tamari for gluten free
- (optional) 2 tsp sake or mirin
- 1 block silken tofu
- 1 small broccoli
- ⅓ cup peas
- Toasted sesame oil to finish
- 1 Spring onions, thinly sliced to finish
- Jasmine or short grain rice (sushi rice), cooked however you normally cook rice.
- Vegetable oil for cooking
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°c. Cut the broccoli into bite sized pieces and coat in a little oil. Par-roast the broccoli for about 15 to 20 minutes, tossing half way through, until just starting to char.
Slice the onion and fry in a large saucepan over a medium heat, stirring often. Once the onion has softened and started to develop some colour, add in the ginger and garlic and cook for a further minute, stirring regularly to ensure the ginger and garlic do not burn.
Measure out the gochujang paste and whisk together with the stock. It is easiest to add a small amount of stock initially and whisk until smooth before adding the rest of the stock. Gochujang can be intensely spicy, so if this is your first time using it I recommend going light initially and tasting the soup. It is easy to add additional gochujang, completely mix it into a ladle of the soup first before adding it to the whole.
Add the gochujang stock to the onions and add the soy sauce/tamari and sake/mirin and bring the soup to a simmer. Add the broccoli once it is par-roasted.
Slice the tofu into 1 to 2.5 cm slices, depending on your preference. Gently lower each tofu slice into the soup and cover the soup with a lid. Simmer until the tofu is heated through, about 10 to 20 minutes depending on how thick the tofu is. Finally add the peas and cook for about 1 to 2 minutes, until the peas are cooked and the broth is suitably hot.
Place a serving of rice in each bowl, then ladle a generous serving of soup over the rice. Garnish with the sliced spring onions and finish with a drizzle of toasted sesame oil.
Notes
I’ve yet to find a vegan kimchi that appeals to me, but if you are partial to the stuff, chuck some in along with the tofu.
Broccoli and peas are my favoured go to when deciding on which vegetables to add to… well, just about anything, but all kinds of vegetables are well suited for this soup, so find what works best for you.
You don’t need to par-roast the broccoli, I do this to add an extra depth of flavour, but you can cook the broccoli entirely in the soup if you would prefer, it’ll just need some extra time to fully cook.
The sake or mirin is entirely optional, it’s subtle, if in fact noticeable at all.
I like to use toasted sesame oil, but untoasted also works, it’s just a matter of preference.
Gochujang Jjigae (Korean tofu soup)
A comforting, spicy Korean dish that is quick and easy to make.
Ingredients
- 1 onion
- 1 clove garlic, minced, sliced, or slightly crushed but kept whole, whichever you prefer
- 2 cm (1 inch) piece of ginger, peeled and finely minced, grated, or sliced into thick pieces
- 750 ml vegetable stock (I use 500ml of stock watered down)
- 1 – 4 tsp gochujang paste (depending on how spicy you like it)
- 1 tsp soy sauce or tamari for gluten free
- (optional) 2 tsp sake or mirin
- 1 block silken tofu
- 1 small broccoli
- ⅓ cup peas
- Toasted sesame oil to finish
- 1 Spring onions, thinly sliced to finish
- Jasmine or sushi rice, cooked however you normally cook rice.
- Vegetable oil for cooking
Directions
Preheat the oven to 180°c. Cut the broccoli into bite sized pieces and coat in a little oil. Par-roast the broccoli for about 15 to 20 minutes, tossing half way through, until just starting to char.Slice the onion and fry in a large saucepan over a medium heat, stirring often. Once the onion has softened and started to develop some colour, add in the ginger and garlic and cook for a further minute, stirring regularly to ensure the ginger and garlic do not burn.
Measure out the gochujang paste and whisk together with the stock. It is easiest to add a small amount of stock initially and whisk until smooth before adding the rest of the stock. Gochujang can be intensely spicy, so if this is your first time using it I recommend going light initially and tasting the soup. It is easy to add additional gochujang, completely mix it into a ladle of the soup first before adding it to the whole.
Add the gochujang stock to the onions and add the soy sauce/tamari, sake/mirin, and white pepper and bring the soup to a simmer. Add the broccoli once it is par-roasted.
Slice the tofu into 1 to 2.5 cm slices, depending on your preference. Gently lower each tofu slice into the soup and cover the soup with a lid. Simmer until the tofu is heated through, about 10 to 20 minutes depending on how thick the tofu is. Finally add the peas and cook for about 1 to 2 minutes, until the peas are cooked and the broth is suitably hot.
Place a serving of rice in each bowl, then ladle a generous serving of soup over the rice. Garnish with the sliced spring onions and finish with a drizzle of toasted sesame oil.
love tofu 
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