Doenjang dubu jjigae is a rustic, deeply savory Korean stew built around fermented soybean paste (doenjang), soft tofu, and a bit of pork for richness. It’s the kind of everyday dish that shows up on Korean home dinner tables year-round, especially when someone wants something warm and comforting without a lot of fuss. The tangy kimchi and doenjang base give it a rounded, savory-sour flavor that pairs perfectly with a bowl of steamed rice.
What makes this version a little special is the use of rice rinse water instead of plain water — a traditional trick that gives the broth a subtle body and mellows out the sharpness of the doenjang. It’s a small step that home cooks in Korea have used for generations, and it’s worth trying even if you’ve made doenjang jjigae before.
This is a quick, one-pot weeknight stew: sauté, simmer, done. It’s forgiving, budget-friendly, and a great way to use up kimchi that’s turned a little too sour to eat on its own.
Ingredients
- Tofu 320g (1 block, about 11 oz)
- Rice rinse water 300g (1½ cups)
- Pork 100g (about 3.5 oz)
- Kimchi 140g (about 1 cup)
- Doenjang (Korean soybean paste) 20g (1½ tablespoons)
- Cheongyang pepper (Korean hot green chili) 10g (1/2 pepper)
- Red chili pepper 5g (1/4 pepper)
- Green onion 10g (2cm piece, about 3/4 inch)
- Gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes) 5g (1 teaspoon)
Instructions
- Blend the tofu together with the rice rinse water until smooth.
- Slice the pork; rinse the kimchi under water to remove excess seasoning, then cut it into 3×3cm (about 1¼×1¼ inch) pieces.
- In a pot, stir-fry the pork and kimchi together, then add the doenjang (strained through a mesh sieve), the blended tofu mixture from step 1, the gochugaru, cheongyang pepper, and red chili pepper. Bring to a boil, then add the green onion to finish.
Tips & Variations
Here are a few notes to help this stew turn out well:
- Rice rinse water: If you don’t have any saved from washing rice, you can substitute plain water, though the broth will be slightly thinner. To make rice rinse water, simply save the cloudy water from your second or third rinse of raw rice.
- Doenjang: Look for it at any Korean grocery store or the international aisle of large supermarkets. Straining it through a mesh sieve before adding it to the pot helps avoid clumps and gives a smoother broth.
- Kimchi: Slightly older, more sour kimchi actually works better here than fresh kimchi — it adds more depth to the broth. Rinsing off the seasoning paste keeps the stew from becoming overly salty.
- Cheongyang pepper substitute: If unavailable, a serrano or jalapeño pepper works as a reasonable substitute for heat.
- Tofu texture: Blending the tofu with the rice water gives the stew a creamy, slightly thickened base rather than distinct tofu cubes — this is intentional and gives the dish its signature body.
Nutrition
- Calories: 77.3 kcal
- Carbohydrates: 2.4 g
- Protein: 7.5 g
- Fat: 4.2 g
- Sodium: 124.6 mg