Samgye budae jjigae is a clever mash-up of two beloved Korean comfort foods: samgyetang, the ginseng-chicken soup prized for its restorative herbal broth, and budae jjigae, the spicy, hearty “army stew” loaded with vegetables, noodles, and rice cakes. Instead of the usual ham and sausage found in classic budae jjigae, this version keeps things lighter and more medicinal by simmering the broth with angelica root, jujube, eleuthero, and glasswort — ingredients often used in Korean herbal tonics.
This is the kind of stew Koreans reach for when they want something warming and a little bit “good for you,” especially during changes of season or after a long week. The tender steamed chicken breast and carrot patty add protein without heaviness, while the sweet potato noodles, rice cake, and vegetables make the pot feel generous and filling.
It’s a one-pot meal best shared straight from a simmering pot at the table, with the spicy mustard-gochugaru sauce stirred in right before serving so the broth stays vibrant and fresh-tasting.
Ingredients
- Chicken breast (100g, about 3.5 oz)
- Carrot (20g, about 2 tbsp minced)
- Red chili pepper (6g)
- Green chili pepper (6g)
- Green onion (6g)
- Crown daisy greens / ssukgat (4g)
- Shiitake mushroom (14g)
- Zucchini (60g, about 1/3 cup sliced)
- Kimchi (40g, about 1/4 cup)
- Enoki mushroom (40g)
- Sweet potato starch noodles / dangmyeon (21g)
- Mung bean sprouts (40g)
- Rice cake / tteok (40g)
- For the broth: Angelica root / danggui (10g)
- Dried jujube (20g)
- Eleuthero root / ogapi (30g)
- Glasswort / hamcho (20g)
- For the sauce: Mustard powder (5g)
- Korean red chili pepper flakes / gochugaru (20g)
- Soybean powder (5g)
- Rice bran (5g)
- Minced garlic (3g)
Instructions
- Add the broth ingredients (angelica root, jujube, eleuthero, and glasswort) to water and simmer for 20 minutes to make the broth.
- Finely chop the chicken breast and carrot, shape into a patty, and steam in a steamer once the water is boiling.
- Cut the red and green chili peppers and green onion on the diagonal; cut the crown daisy, shiitake mushroom, zucchini, and kimchi into bite-sized pieces; trim the root end of the enoki mushroom and separate the strands.
- Blanch the sweet potato noodles and mung bean sprouts briefly in hot water and set aside.
- Mix the sauce ingredients (mustard powder, gochugaru, soybean powder, rice bran, and minced garlic) together, then stir in 13g of the prepared broth to make the seasoning sauce.
- Arrange all the prepared ingredients in a pot, pour in the broth, add the seasoning sauce, and simmer everything together to finish.
Tips & Variations
This stew relies on a few specialty herbal ingredients that are worth seeking out for the authentic flavor, but substitutions work in a pinch:
- Angelica root (danggui), eleuthero (ogapi), and glasswort (hamcho) can be found at Korean grocery stores or herbal medicine shops (한약재상). If unavailable, you can simmer the broth with just jujube, dried anchovies, and kelp for a simpler but still savory base.
- Rice bran can be swapped with a bit of ground rice or omitted if hard to find; it mainly adds thickness and a nutty note to the sauce.
- Dangmyeon (sweet potato starch noodles) and tteok (rice cake) are both available at any Korean or Asian supermarket, usually in the refrigerated or dry noodle section.
- Don’t overcook the enoki mushrooms and mung bean sprouts — add them toward the end so they keep their texture.
- Taste the broth before adding the full amount of sauce; you can adjust the spice level by adding gochugaru gradually.
Nutrition
- Calories: 299.9 kcal
- Carbohydrates: 8.26 g
- Protein: 4.46 g
- Fat: 0.09 g
- Sodium: 163.6 mg