Korean Tofu Stew (Sundubu Jjigae)

Sundubu jjigae is a Korean tofu stew that’s traditionally made with soft silken tofu. This velvety dish is flavored with a deep umami taste and a spicy stew, making it a heartwarming meal. You can customize the dish by adding your choice of seafood and kimchi.

If you can pick one stew to make out of the many Korean stews, most people would put this sundubu jjigae (or soondubu jjigae, 순두부 찌개), the Korean tofu stew, at or near the top of their list.

It’s easy to make with just a few ingredients, and the hearty and comforting taste of this Korean tofu stew is what everyone loves.

Spicy Korean Tofu Stew

Sundubu jjigae, also spelled as soondubu jjigae, is a Korean spicy tofu stew made by simmering a block or tube of silken tofu with vegetables and mushrooms in a spicy broth made from Korean chili flakes. Chopped kimchi is often added to enhance the stew’s flavor.

Traditionally, seafood such as clams, shrimp, or mussels is added to sundubu jjigae, making it a popular seafood tofu soup in Korea. However, if you’re not a seafood lover, you can substitute pork (pork belly), beef, or mushrooms instead.

At Korean tofu house restaurants, you’ll find various types of soft tofu stew on the menu. If you’re interested in making beef sundubu jjigae at home, you can find an excellent recipe in my cookbook, “Korean Cooking Favorites“.

Sundubu Jjigae vs Kimchi Jjigae

While many Korean spicy tofu stew recipes call for a small amount of sour kimchi, it is not a main ingredient, and it can be omitted if desired.

On the other hand, kimchi jjigae features kimchi and fatty pork as the main ingredients, with a few tofu pieces added to make the stew more substantial.

Recipe Tips and Advice

Below are a few recipe tips that help you make an outstanding soft tofu stew.

1. No need to use chili oil: You can use pre-made chili oil from a jar if you want. But I don’t bother because you can easily start the recipe by infusing Korean chili flakes in oil, which takes no time at all.
2. Spice level: Adjust the amount of gochugaru (Korean chili flakes) to suit your heat tolerance.
3. Infuse chili flakes with green onion: Infusing the fragrance of green onion and Korean chili flakes gives more depth to the soup broth. I used Asian leek, but green onion works just fine.
4. Anchovy stock is a must: You have to use a flavored stock to give more umami flavor. Plain water won’t bring the same result. Making anchovy stock from scratch is super easy and quick if you have dried anchovies and sea kelp (dashima or kombu).
5. Not a seafood person? Then use beef or pork: The only difference in the cooking process is that you will need to cook the meat before you add the stock.
6. Stone pot vs regular pot: You can use either one. Stone pots tend to hold the heat longer, keeping the soup hot throughout serving and eating. But you don’t need to purchase one if you don’t have one.
7. Egg or no egg? It’s a personal preference. Some prefer to enjoy their soft tofu stew without adding the egg on top. I am one of them. If you like the taste from the egg, add it at the last minute of cooking.

The Tofu

Although we refer to this dish as a soft tofu stew in English, the tofu used is not the typical Korean soft tofu used in other soup and stew recipes. The texture is similar to that of silken tofu, which is even softer. You can refer to my Quick microwave silken tofu recipe for a similar texture.

Silken tofu, also known as soon tofu, is not a pressed tofu and contains a lot of water, giving it a silky, velvety texture. Look for a package of silken tofu that is specifically made for jjigae recipes.

Korean silken tofu is available in two types: a cylinder-like plastic tube and a block in a plastic container. Both work well, but I prefer the cylinder kind for its ease of use.

List of ingredients

Although some people may assume that making Korean tofu stew is complicated, the truth is that it is simple and quick to make from scratch. Homemade jjigae is much more delicious than using pre-made packets.

• oil – use for cooking the onion garlic, and kimchi before adding the stock
• Korean chili flakes (gochugaru)
• Asian leek – or green onion
• onion – chop into small pieces
• garlic – can’t skip when you make Korean stews
• kimchi – make sure your kimchi is sour and fermented
• zucchini – any kind of your choice. You can also add mushroom in place of zuccini or in addition to.
• seafood of your choice – I use whole clams (frozen) and shrimp. You can use peeled and cleaned seafood.
• Korean soup soy sauce – to season and add flavor
• Korean anchovy sauce – to season and add flavor
• fresh chili – optional

For anchovy stock: Anchovy stock brings umami in the soup.

• dried anchovies – Use large size
• dried sea kelp – optional. You can omit this if you don’t have.
• water

How to make Sundubu Jjigae (Korean tofu stew)

Stock Base:

Make a quick anchovy stock to use as a base for the stew.

• Combine dried anchovies and sea kelp with water in a pot. Bring to boil and simmer for 3-4 minutes. Discard the sea kelp once water comes to boil. Discard the anchovies and reserve the stock.

Seafood Choice

While I’ve chosen to use littleneck clams for this recipe, other types of seafood such as shrimp, squid, scallop, and mussels also work well.

• If using frozen whole clams, soak them in cold water for 5 minutes. If you see that the clam shells are open, that’s a good sign. Discard any clams that are closed.
• If using clam meat, you don’t need to soak it in water. You will also need a half the amount if using clam meat.

To make the stew

Step 1. Infuse oil with chili flakes

• Heat oil in a pot over low heat. Add Korean chili flakes and the leek (or green onion) and gently stir for 1 minute. Be careful not to burn the chili flakes.

Step 2. Stir-fry onion and kimchi

• Add the onion, garlic, and kimchi and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes over medium heat until soft.

Step 3. Add tofu, zucchini, and seafood

• Try not to break up the tofu when you scoop it out—big chunks are better than letting it break into too many small pieces.
• I am using whole shrimps since they make the soup broth deeper in flavor.
• You can use peeled shrimps if you find whole shrimps to be bothersome to peel later when you eat them. (I don’t mind that much.)

Step 4. Pour the stock

• Pour the anchovy stock into the pot until it barely covers the tofu and seafood, about 1 3/4 cup.
• Bring the soup to boil first and reduce the heat to simmer. Simmer for 4-5 minutes.

Step 5. Season the soup

• Use Korean soup soy sauce and anchovy sauce to season the soup. Taste the broth and season more with salt if needed.
• Lastly, top with green onion and fresh chili (if using). Serve hot with rice and Korean side dishes (banchan).

Serving Suggestions

The stew itself is full of flavor and satisfying. Therefore you don’t need so many other side dishes to serve with. Make sure to serve with rice and enjoy with 1-2 Korean side dishes. My suggestions are:

• Korean Spinach Side Dish (Sigeumchi Namul)
• Bean sprout salad
• Korean Potato Side Dish (Gamja Jorim)
• Korean Cabbage with Soybean Paste
• Homemade Roasted Seaweed Snack

More Korean stew recipes

If you enjoy heartwarming Korean jjigae, you will love these recipes:

• Kimchi Jjigae (Kimchi Stew with pork)
• Iconic Korean Army Stew (Budae Jjigae)
• Classic Doenjang Jjigae (Korean Soybean Paste Stew)
• Korean Spicy Pork Stew with Zucchini

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