Hip Foodie Mom

Authentic, Spicy Korean Soft Tofu Soup (Soondubu Jjigae)

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Korean Soft Tofu Soup (Soondubu Jjigae).  Nothing warms my heart (and stomach) as Korean soft tofu soup or soondubu jjigae. 

Korean Soft tofu soup soondubu jjigae main_HipfoodieMom.com

Isn’t it so true that we miss things more once they are gone? I feel like this can be applied to both people and things or, in this case, food.

Many of you know I used to live in Los Angeles. I lived there for over 11 years. In 2001, when my brother and I moved there, we immediately became enamored with the weather, beaches and . .  K-town (Korea town).  We shared an apartment within walking distance to Manhattan Beach, where my brother learned how to surf and I was able to pick up running again. Nothing like running along the beach next to the water. Perfect and freeing. I loved it.

And Korea town. Oh K-town. Not only were we taken with the food, like seriously delicious Korean food on every corner (actually more like 10 awesome Korean restaurants lined up next to each other on every block) but there was the K-town Galleria which had an awesome food court (think: the food court in the mall but only Korean food) and then there was the nightlife. The clubs, yo.

Don’t even ask me how the clubs work now (insert “bookings” here. my Korean homies will know what this means). I have no idea. But we did frequent them (or I tagged along with my older brother and his friends) quite a bit after we moved to LA. After the shiny, newness of it all wore off, we still went to K-town for food (obviously) and patbingsu and anytime we had out-of-town guests or family in town.

I love that we were always minutes away from any kind of Korean food we were craving. Did we go there all the time? No. But it was comforting to know we could if we wanted to. And even after I got married and moved to the valley, about 20-25 miles north of LA. It was still comforting to know we had a Korean market close by and our go-to Korean restaurant for dduk bo ssam, Shik Do Rak. Freaking loved this place. And it was the only good Korean place close to us.

And if we ever wanted Koreasn soft tofu soup (Soondubu Jjigae), we would make the trek to K-town and hit up So Kong Dong or BCD Tofu House (which is like everywhere in LA). Now that we live here in WA, good Korean food, or so I’m told, is either in Lynnwood or Federal Way, both are about 40-50+ minutes away. So, I’m making it at home yo.

If you like Korean food, you’ve probably had this soup before. I love it so much because of the tofu and veggies and it’s just so comforting. There’s something about spicy, hot Korean soft tofu soup (soondubu jjigae) that just makes me feel better and literally warms my body and heart.  My husband is so thrilled now because I am cooking more Korean food at home. I love it too. .  I’m learning and our girls are getting exposed to more Korean food everyday. My 5 year old, Phoebe, actually ate this too- which shocked the hell out of me. But I made a spicy and non-spicy version in hopes that she would at least try it. She ate the entire bowl. Again, warm heart for me.

Korean Soft tofu soup soondubu jjigae aerial_HipfoodieMom.com

There are a few ways to make the soup base/stock for Korean soft tofu soup (soondubu jjigae). Many people use dried anchovies and dried kelp to create the soup. After talking with my mom and brainstorming a little, my mom and I came up with this.  I hope you enjoy. And no dismembering of dried anchovies is involved. Don’t get me wrong. This creates an awesome soup stock too!

Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote

Soft Tofu Soup (Soondubu Jjigae)

For a non-spicy version, just omit the gochugaru.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time55 minutes
Course: Main
Cuisine: Korean
Servings: 4
Author: Hip Foodie Mom

Ingredients

  • 1-2 tablespoons sesame oil
  • 1 cup of pork pork shoulder or pork loin (whatever you have, thinly sliced
  • salt and pepper
  • 2-3 cloves garlic finely chopped or minced
  • 1/2 onion sliced
  • 1 to 1 1/2 cups ripe kimchi chopped (with kimchi juice)
  • 1-2 tablespoons red pepper powder gochugaru; optional. Use this if you want your soup spicy.
  • 1 cup vegetable mushroom or beef stock
  • 1-2 cups water
  • 2-3 packages soft tofu; depending on how much tofu you want
  • 2 medium sized zucchini chopped and cut in half
  • 1 cup fresh cremini baby portobello or shiitake mushrooms, sliced
  • 2 -3 scallions sliced + more for garnish; diced
  • 2-3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce; to taste

Instructions

  • In a soup pot, over high heat, add the sesame oil. After a few minutes so the pot can get hot, add the pork, season with salt and pepper and stir-fry until all sides are browned. Add the garlic, onion, kimchi and gochugaru (if using). Mix well and cook for another 4-5 minutes.
  • Add the vegetable or beef stock and water to the pot. You want to add enough liquid to cover your pork and then some. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes.
  • Add the soft tofu, zucchini, mushrooms and scallions and turn the heat up to medium-high; season with the soy sauce. Taste and add more soy sauce if needed. Cook for another 8-10 minutes. Serve and garnish with more diced scallions if desired.

For a more traditional way of making Korean soft tofu soup (soondubu jjigae), check out Maangchi’s post.

Korean Soft tofu soup soondubu jjigae

Sunday Supper

Today, we are bringing all kinds of soup to the table! I don’t know about you but I always love having soup recipes on hand.  Check out all of these amazing soups from our Sunday Supper Family:

 

Do The Chicken Dance (chicken {or other poultry} soups)

 

Where’s The Beef (Beef Soups)

 

Pass The Pork. Please (Pork or Sausage Soups)

 

Under The Sea (Seafood Soups)

 

Eat Your Veggies (Chock Full o’ Vegetables Soups)

 

Some Don’t Like It Hot (Chilled Soups)

 

Once you have seen all of the recipes for the day, you won’t want to miss our  #SundaySupper conversation on twitter each Sunday. We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. This week we will be sharing out special soup recipes! Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET and you do not want to miss out on the fun.

 

Follow the#SundaySupper hash tag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. Don’t forget to check out our #SundaySupper Pinterest board for more fabulous recipes and food photos. Join us Around the Family Table this Sunday at 7pm Eastern Time and share your favorite soup, stew, chowder or bisque recipes with us!

 

 

 

 

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  3. Amy Kim (@kimchi_mom)

    yoooooo….this looks so awesome! i’ve eaten in LA’s K-Town, but frankly, I don’t remember much. (ahem) Let’s just say that the next time I eat there, I want to be in a sober state. I’ve been to one club there and it’s hardcore. HARD.CORE.

    anyway, now i’m craving this shiznit…thanks homie (i’ve been reading too much EJL lately…)!

    Reply

    • hipfoodiemom

      Thank you, Erin! Korean food can be intimidating if you’ve never made it at home. . I say, start with Korean food at restaurants and if you like it, try re-creating some of the dishes you like at home. But I love that Korean food is gaining more and more popularity and familiarity among people! 🙂

      Reply

  7. REMCooks

    Hi, Alice. Funny you should post this dish. Baby Lady & I love tofu. Just last Monday she e-mailed me a recipe for this very soup! We were going to make it this weekend but got a call from a friend who wanted to take us out for dinner instead. This is very similar to the other recipe. I can’t wait to try it.

    Reply

    • hipfoodiemom

      Oh, I love hearing that Richard! Most soon dubu recipes use the dried anchovies and kelp so I wasn’t sure what kind of reaction I’d get from this recipe. . but it tasted fantastic! Whether you try this one or the other one, Please let me know how you like it!

      Reply

    • hipfoodiemom

      Amanda, thank you! Cooking with soft tofu is incredibly easy b/c with this, all you have to do is literally squeeze the soft tofu tubes into the soup! Hope you give this one a try!

      Reply

  10. Hezzi-D

    I really like that you used tofu in this soup. Other then hot and sour soup I don’t know of any that have it in there. I am a big fan of tofu and the flavors in this soup sound wonderful.

    Reply

    • hipfoodiemom

      If you go to a lot of Japanese restaurants, they put tofu in miso soup too! Some restaurants skimp though and just add a little. . but it’s there! 🙂

      Reply

  13. Lane @ Supper for a Steal

    I have to admit I don’t think I have ever had Korean food, I wouldn’t even know anywhere to get it around here, but my brother in law is living over in South Korea right now and always posting pictures of the delicious food he is eating. I don’t know if he will ever move back he loves it so much. All of the ingredients look fairly easy to find so I will definitely be trying this soon.

    Reply

    • hipfoodiemom

      Hi Lane!
      If there is a Korean market close to you, there should be a Korean restaurant or 2. Ask someone at the Korean market. If you like spicy food or Korean BBQ, you’ll love it! I hope you are able to try it someday!

      Reply

  17. Bea

    I want to eat at your house 🙂 This looks like an amazing soup!

    I know how you feel about the comfort of having Korean food close by; that is how I feel about German food. There is a certain sense of comfort in knowing that you can get the foods you grew up with close by 🙂 – I am not very familiar with Korean food, but we do have quite a few Korean restaurants in PDX as well 🙂

    Reply

  21. Heather @girlichef

    I love the emotion that food can invoke! This soup sounds amazing…I love the combination of flavors. I really wish that I had access to Korean food in my area. I know I could make it…but you know, I’d love to go the “easy” route. Beautiful!

    Reply

  23. katie

    yum! this sounds amazing! I have fond memories of visiting Manhattan Beach as a kid with my family. Never had a chance to visit K-town. Must do that during my next trip to LA!

    Reply

  25. Stacy

    How did I miss visiting your soup?! I love spicy and this soup looks divine! I’ve taught myself to make all kinds of dishes when I have the craving and am living somewhere they are not available so I completely understand.

    Reply

  26. Linda | The Urban Mrs

    Awwww you just made me miss LA, especially K-Town. I often visit there on weekends, at least once a month. And yes to Shik Do Rak, that’s my favorite place for duk bo sam. Too bad, they closed down now. There’s only 1 Korean place in San Jose that has duk bo sam, but we still love Shik Do Rak. And yes to this soon tofu soup. Slurp!!

    Reply

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    Reply

  32. Sarah

    I love Soondubu Jjigae! I love Korean food in general. I love this recipe. I tried a lot of recipes of Soondubu Jjigae. Thanks for sharing this. Your website is amazing! I love all your photos!

    I hope you can visit mine if you have time.

    Have a nice day! 🙂

    Reply

  34. Katie Gagnon

    This is one of my favorite things to order! I was wondering if gochujang (the paste) can be substituted for gochugaru (the powder). I have paste but not powder.

    Reply

    • hipfoodiemom

      Hi Katie! you can certainly use gochujang in place of gochugaru but start with 1 or 2 teaspoons, not tablespoons, and add it when you are adding in your broth or stock and adjust accordingly to your taste. Also, there are other versions too if you don’t want to use pork. . Let me know if you try this!! Happy New Year!

      Reply

  35. Jason

    Hello! Thanks for sharing this recipe! I lived in Ktown for like 6 years, and BCD is my absolute favorite! I wanted to ask you how close the flavors of this recipe are to the soup at bcd? I had to move back to my hometown in Florida for family reasons and I’m having serious withdrawal for this soup lol

    Reply

    • hipfoodiemom

      Hi Jason! I’ve eaten at BCD in Los Angeles but it’s hard to answer your question because there are different types of soondubu jjigae. . I would suggest that you try my recipe for yourself. . and with a lot of Korean cooking, after you’ve made it yourself, you can play around with the recipe, add more things, omit things etc. . also, the level of heat differs from person to person. . but I hope you try this!!! I also love soondubu jjigae, it’s one of my faves!!!

      Reply

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