Soybean Paste Stew (Doenjang Jjigae) | 된장찌개

Pronounced: Dwen-Jahng Chee-Gae

What: Classic, homey, traditional Korean fermented soybean stew that’s packed with vegetables and bold, fermented soybean flavor.

Taste: Similar to miso, but 100x the umami flavors. It’s much more bold, intense, and savory. It has an earthy funk to it. I would say it’s the in-between of miso and natto — though it’s nowhere close to natto’s pungency.

How It’s Made: Create anchovy broth. Sauté pork and green onions with seasonings, then add in tojang (soybean paste). Add anchovy broth and add in more vegetables. Garnish and serve! It’s a pretty straightforward and easy recipe.

How to Serve: Must eat with rice! It’s naturally a pretty salty food that pairs wonderfully with rice and other side dishes + protein.

Tip: Tojang and doenjang are essentially the same thing (soybean paste stew), but tojang’s fermentation is longer, yielding a richer taste.

Ingredients Prepped

To Serve

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Yield: 2-3 servings

Author: Sarah Ahn

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Soybean Paste Stew (Doenjang Jjigae) | 된장찌개

Traditional Korean stew flavored from fermented soybean paste that's comforting and packed with bold flavors.

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 15 MinTotal time: 25 Min

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup water
• 1/3 cup (15g) anchovy, gutted
• 1 Tbsp neutral oil
• 1/4 cup (10g) green onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup (40g) ground pork
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp dasida (we use CJ Foods brand)
• 1/2 Tbsp (8g) garlic, minced
• 1 heaping Tbsp (38g) tojang (we use Sempio brand)
• 3/4 cup (100g) firm tofu, cubed
• 3/4 cup (85g) squash, sliced (Italian, Mexican, Pipián, and Zucchini are all fine)
• 3/4 cup (74g) yellow onion, sliced
• 1/2 green jalapeño (12g), minced
• 1/2 cup (40g) mushroom, sliced (any kind is fine)
• Garnish: green & red jalapeño, diced and mushrooms, sliced

Instructions

1. To a small pot, add water and anchovy over medium-high heat. Cover with lid. Let it come to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and continue to simmer for 10 minutes with the lid on.
2. Discard anchovy with a strainer, and set aside anchovy broth in a bowl or large measuring cup.
3. To the same pot (now empty), add 1 Tbsp of neutral oil over medium-high heat. Add green onions and sauté until green onions are fragrant (about 30-45 seconds).
4. Add pork. Mix together with green onions and cook until meat has turned opaque/white (about 1 minute). Then add sugar, dasida, and garlic to season. Mix.
5. Add tojang to the mixture and reduce the heat to medium. You do not want to burn the tojang paste. Thoroughly mix all together until tojang darkens in color (about 2 minutes).
6. Add the anchovy broth and increase heat to medium-high. Mix together, making sure to scrape the fond into the mixture for maximum flavor. Cover with lid and let it come to a boil.
7. Once boiling, add in onions, tofu, and squash. Mix. Once it starts to boil again, add in green jalapeño and mushrooms. Mix. Turn off heat but keep it on the burner.
8. Garnish with more red and green jalapeño and mushroom. Serve immediately, ideally with rice.

Recommended Products:

Sempio Tojang

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Paid partnership with Sempio - Tojang. This is a product we genuinely recommend, so we feel honored to work with Sempio products to bring this recipe to you! Thanks for supporting the brands we love that make ahnestkitchen possible.