Welcoming Fall, New Friends and Kimchi Jjigae

Korean Food Fave: Kimchi Jjigae – a spicy, savory classic Korean soup made with tender pork shoulder and old, fermented kimchi. Add whatever you have on hand to this easy Kimchi jjigae soup recipe, and enjoy a comforting bowl on a cold night!

SEATTLE, HERE WE COME!

Moving is never easy. Moving to another city in a different state with kids is worse.

When my husband received his new job offer that would take us to Seattle, WA from Los Angeles, CA, I thought, ok, Seattle is a cool city… it has the Space Needle, Pike Place market, Starbucks, cool restaurants, Mount Rainier, trees, Starbucks… did I mention Starbucks?

And then, like everyone else, I thought about the weather. Someone told me about the Seattle Freeze, and I thought about the weather again. I can do this.

So, we moved. Obviously. It was a good opportunity for my husband, the schools here supposedly kick ass and I got the kitchen of my dreams (with two sinks). I’m a pretty positive person… I thought… I have got this. Who cares about rainy, no sunshine for five, six, seven months straight. Now, come on, this can’t be true. Can it? Well, I guess I’ll find out soon.

Weather aside, the move was easier than I thought (not counting the snow storm that welcomed us to our new home), the people here have been delightful and my kids are happy. I’m from Dallas, TX and actually have a handful or more friends who I grew up with who live here! So, initially, we met up with and re-connected with a bunch of people.

As the dust started to settle and we got into our groove, we met some great, warm people, went on a gazillion play dates, explored the city, visited a ton of parks, heard rumblings of BEARS, and have just been happy. Seeing my kids play with the other neighborhood kids has been a true joy. The kids will ring our doorbell (they come in packs of 3) and ask, “Can Phoebe come out and play?” She’ll be playing with her sister or watching something on the Disney channel and she’ll immediately run to the door and then run to get her shoes on.

MOVING TO A NEW HOME, KEEPING YOUR FAVORITE MEALS

We’ve only been here for about 7-8 months now but I already feel blessed. Through my friend Victoria, who I knew from Dallas, (who only lives like 5 minutes away from me!), I was able to join a women’s bible study and I met Jen. Jen and I share a love for cooking, eating and enjoying food. We are even taking a cooking class together in November (The Classic American Doughnut Shop!). Watch out yo! I’m so excited. All of my posts in December will be all donuts :P. . . and it was Jen who introduced me to the Kimchi Chronicles. OK, I am ashamed to say that I just learned about this. There’s a Public Television series too.

Marja Vongerichten, the author of this glorious cookbook, born in Korea, but adopted and raised in the US, “rediscovers her love for Korean food as a way of reconnecting with the family and traditions she left behind as a child.” Not only is this cookbook amazing, filled with delicious and innovative food and recipes (this is where I got the Hot Dogs with Kimchee Relish and there’s Grilled Steak with Kimchi Butter in here, that’s all I’m sayin’) but Marja’s story is extremely heart warming and joyful. If you love Korean food, you must buy this cookbook.

Continuing my Celebrating Korean Food posts: Here is Kimchi Jjigae.

HOW TO MAKE KIMCHI JJIGAE – MY FAVORITE KOREAN KIMCHI SOUP

Anyone who buys kimchi has probably made this dish because you need really old, fermented kimchi for this Korean soup. The smellier the better. Just like kimchi itself, I didn’t enjoy eating Kimchi Jjigae (kimchi stew or soup) until a little later in my life. I know, I know. Now, I can’t get enough of it and this is one of my husband’s favorites. If you like kimchi and haven’t tried this, add this to your list. Now.

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE KIMCHI JJIGAE

• Sesame oil
• Pork shoulder – you’ll need to have this cubed in roughly 1/2 inch pieces
• Course salt and pepper
• Onion
• Kimchi – the older and more fermented, the better!
• Fish sauce
• Soy sauce – I recommend low sodium
• Your choice of fresh kale or fresh spinach
• Tofu
• Scallions
• Cooked white or brown rice for serving

I love the balance between veggies and protein, and the spicy and deliciously pungent flavors in this stew. It’s one of those dishes that is so satisfying yet you just want more and more!

You can easily make this Korean comfort soup in less than an hour on the stovetop.

HOW TO MAKE KOREAN KIMCHI JJIGAE

1. Heat a large soup pot on the stove on medium-high heat; then add sesame oil and allow to get hot for just a few seconds. To the hot oil add your cubed pork shoulder, generously season with the course salt and pepper, and cook for about 10 minutes – stirring often – until the pork is cooked through.
2. Add chopped onion, kimchi, some of the kimchi juice, fish sauce, and soy sauce. Continue stirring.
3. Next, add enough water to the pot to just cover the ingredients (should be about 4 cups), and bring to a boil. Immediately reduce the heat to a simmer, and allow to cook for 20 minutes while stirring occasionally – until the onion and kimchi have softened and the soup has begun to thicken. * Once your soup has started simmering, this is a great time to go ahead and make your white or brown rice if preparing fresh.
4. Once the kimchi soup is slightly thick, stir in the kale or spinach, chopped tofu, and sliced scallions. Cover the pot, and continue to simmer on low for 10 minutes, and stir occasionally.

Serve the Kimchi Jjigae perfectly hot with rice on the side. You can add the rice to your soup bowl, or enjoy as a side dish!

LOOKING FOR MORE SAVORY KOREAN SOUPS?

• Jjamppong: Spicy Seafood Noodle Soup
• Authentic, Spicy Korean Soft Tofu Soup (Soondubu Jjigae)
• Spicy Korean Chicken Stew
• Yukgaejang (Beef Brisket Soup)
• Duk Mandu Guk for New Year’s Day
• Galbi Tang (Korean Short Rib Soup)

Print Recipe

Kimchi Jjigae

Korean Food Fave: Kimchi Jjigae - a spicy, savory classic Korean soup made with tender pork shoulder and old, fermented kimchi.

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time45 mins

Total Time55 mins

Course: Dinner, Main dish, Soup

Cuisine: Comfort Food, Korean Food

Keyword: kimchi, kimchi jjigae, kimchi soup, koreanfood

Servings: 4 -6

Author: Hip Foodie Mom

Ingredients

• 1-2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil Don't overdo it. This will make your jjigae really oily
• 1 pound pork shoulder cubed
• coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 to 1 large onion coarsely chopped
• 3 cups coarsely chopped fermented old kimchi with some of the kimchi liquid/juice
• 3-4 cups water
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1-2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce + more if needed
• about 2 cups greens kale or fresh spinach; coarsely chopped
• 2-3 cups tofu or one whole package; cubed
• 5 scallions thinly sliced

Instructions

• Heat the sesame oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the pork shoulder, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring often, until browned and crispy, about 10 minutes.
• Add the chopped onion, kimchi, kimchi juice, fish sauce and soy sauce and stir to combine. Add enough water to nearly cover the pork mixture (about 4 cups), cover, and bring to a boil. Immediately reduce the heat and simmer until the onion and kimchi are softened and the soup is thick, about 20 minutes.
• Stir in the greens, tofu and scallions. Cover the pot and simmer for about 10 minutes until the greens have wilted and softened and to combine the flavors. Taste and season with more soy sauce if needed. Serve with white or brown rice.

Notes

You can make this soup ahead of time, but I recommend waiting to add the greens, tofu, and scallions until you are ready to enjoy.

Cook the soup using steps 1. and 2., but then remove pot from the stove and allow the soup to cool entirely before pouring into an airtight container and storing in the fridge. When you're ready to eat, reheat the soup in a large pot on the stove over medium-high heat. Once it just starts to boil, reduce to a simmer and add the greens, tofu, and scallions, stir, and allow to cook for 10 minutes while covered.

So, will I have months of crappy, cold, rainy weather to look forward to? Probably. But at least I’ll have me some warm and comforting kimchi jjigae to cozy up with and enjoy. And that’s ok by me. I hope you enjoy!

Recipe adapted from the Kimchi Chronicles.

Give this recipe a try, and leave a comment to let me know what you think!

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