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November 10, 2019 Dinner

Vegan Kimchi Jjigae (Spicy Korean Stew)

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Vegan Kimchi Jjigae is a simple Korean-style stew made from kimchi, mushrooms, tofu, and assorted veggies. It has a comforting balance between sweet, sour, spicy, and savory and is one of my favorite cold-weather meals.

Vegan kimchi jjigae in an enamel Vermicular pot

Intro to Vegan Kimchi Jjigae

The days are getting colder and I can’t help but reach for my trusty kimchi stew (aka jjigae in Korean) recipe. It’s based on the flavor profile of kimchi – garlicky, savory, slightly spicy, sour, and a little bit sweet. It contains a wealth of veggies and mushrooms and tofu. It’s a really warming meal and is just packed with nutrition.

This is a dish I’ve been making, in one form or another, for the past 7 or 8 years. I got hooked on kimchi stew when I was living in Beijing – it turns out Korean food is pretty popular there. Beijing winters can be harsh, and the conditions there practically demanded that I eat lots of soups and stews. I eventually wanted to be able to make the dish myself, so I started experimenting and came up with a solid yet flexible formula.

Easy spicy vegan kimchi jjigae with zucchini

The Vegan Kimchi Jjigae Formula

The formula for making a delicious kimchi stew is simple:

Cook lots of kimchi, boost the kimchi with fermented sauces, then add whatever ingredients you feel like, along with some broth.

Boosting the Flavor

The kimchi has great flavor on its own, but it needs a bit of a boost to help it flavor a whole pot of stew. So we add two fermented sauces (actually, pastes) to elevate the kimchi:

  • Gochujang is a fermented paste of chile pepper and rice. It’s sweet and spicy and lends a nice red flavor. It can range from mild to quite spicy.
  • Doenjang is a fermented soybean paste. It’s similar to miso but more intense and funky. It intensifies the garlic notes of the kimchi and adds umami to the whole pot.

We also use a bit of Korean red chile flakes/powder (gochugaru) to add a bit of spice and some red color to the dish.

Cooking process for how to make vegan kimchi jjigae

The Vegetable Ingredients

I’ve included some vegetables, mushrooms, and tofu in the stew as examples of what you can put in the stew. But you can really put all kinds of different things in kimchi stew, depending on what you feel like and what’s available.

Here are some more ideas:

  • Greens: green cabbage, napa cabbage, (baby) bok choy, kale, chard
  • Mushrooms: shiitake, enoki, white, brown, portobello, oyster, king oyster, wood ear, beech
  • Assorted tofu/soy products: tofu skin, fried tofu, tempeh, mock meat
  • Root vegetables: carrots, sweet potatoes, daikon radish, potatoes
  • Grain products: Korean rice cakes, noodles, dumplings

Do note that root vegetables will require a longer simmering time, so you should add them at the same time you add the broth.

Adding Broth and Balancing the Flavor

The broth used in this stew is pretty simple. I used packaged vegetable stock and add some dried shiitake mushrooms and kombu seaweed to create some depth of flavor.

Once you’ve added the broth and let it simmer for 10-15 minutes, you should taste the broth and make any adjustments to the flavor. These adjustments include:

  • Adding more sweetener if the soup is too sour
  • A splash of soy sauce if it isn’t salty enough for your liking
  • Sprinkling a bit of chile powder if you’d like it spicier

A beautiful pot of hot vegan kimchi jjigae for dinner

A Note on Kimchi and Vegan-ness

To keep the dish vegan, you’ll need to use vegan kimchi. You’d think, as fermented cabbage, that all kimchi would be vegan, but no. A lot of commercially produced kimchi contains shrimp and/or fish ingredients. I have found that many of my local stores (including H-Mart and Whole Foods) do offer vegan kimchi, though. I like the 28 oz (800 g) jar from H-Mart.

You also have the option to make your own kimchi. I haven’t made my own kimchi yet, but when I do, I’ll use the one from Maangchi, my go-to authority on Korean food.

Also, there is kimchi made from many, many different veggies. The one you’ll want to use for this recipe the napa cabbage (or just “cabbage”).

What to Serve with the Vegan Kimchi Jjigae

The most common accompaniment to kimchi stew is steamed rice. I like to use brown rice or mixed grains for extra nutrients. If you include potato or sweet potato in the stew, you may not even need grains on the side.

If you’d like some variety though, here are some plant-based side dishes you could pair with the stew:

  • Japanese Style Potato Salad – simple and creamy and loaded with nice textures
  • Smoky Spicy Edamame – edamame is just fun to eat; these come with a flavor pop
  • Asian Pear Salad – the pure refreshment of this salad contrasts the hot, spicy stew
  • Mushroom Dumplings – steam them or pan-fry them, they’re right at home with the stew
  • Chinese Mushroom Stir-Fry – easy homestyle mix of mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and baby bok choy

Even More Cold Weather Comfort Foods

  • Vegan Minestrone, Milanese Style – my go-to soup in cooler months, it’s got all kinds of veggies plus white beans and risotto
  • Plant-Based Shepherd’s Pie – a filling of hearty lentils, peas, and carrots under a blanket of mashed potatoes
  • Hot & Sour Soup – the timeless Chinese classic, loaded with veggies, mushrooms, and tofu
  • Vegan Tonkotsu Ramen – the ultimate rich and creamy Japanese-style ramen

As always, if you try this recipe out, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it (once you’ve tried it), and take a picture and tag it @gastroplant on Instagram! I’d love to see what you come up with.

Easy vegan kimchi jjigae (stew) in a pot with tofu
Print Recipe
5 from 3 votes

Vegan Kimchi Jjigae

Vegan Kimchi Jjigae is a simple Korean-style stew made from kimchi, mushrooms, tofu, and assorted veggies. It has a comforting balance between sweet, sour, spicy, and savory and is one of my favorite cold-weather meals.
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time35 mins
Course: Appetizer, Dinner, Side, Soup
Cuisine: Korean
Servings: 2

Ingredients

Saute

  • 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
  • 1 pound vegan cabbage kimchi drained and cut into bite-sized pieces (about 3 cups)
  • 1 cup white onion chopped
  • 3 green onions sliced diagonally
  • 1 Tablespoon gochujang
  • 1/2 Tablespoon doenjang
  • 1 teaspoon gochugaru

Simmer

  • 1/4 cup kimchi brine
  • 3 cups vegetable stock
  • 2 teaspoons maple syrup
  • 2 dried shiitake mushroom caps
  • 1 piece dried kombu seaweed
  • 1 cup zucchini sliced with seeds removed (see note)
  • 1/2 pound mushrooms sliced (see note)
  • 1/2 pack medium-firm tofu sliced 1/2-inch thick bite-sized pieces

Garnish

  • 1 green onion chopped finely
  • Freshly toasted sesame seeds (optional)

Instructions

  • Heat the sesame oil in a large, heavy pot over medium heat. Add the kimchi, onion, and green onion. Stir and cook until the onion turns translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the gochujang, doenjang, and gochugaru. Stir until the pastes are well mixed with the onion and kimchi, about 2 minutes.
  • Add the kimchi brine, vegetable stock, maple syrup, dried shiitake mushrooms, and kombu. Give it a stir. When the mixture comes to a boil, reduce to low heat and cover. Allow to simmer for up to 20 minutes.
  • 10 minutes before serving, add the zucchini, mushrooms, and tofu. Cover and allow to simmer until the mushrooms and zucchini are cooked through, about 10 minutes.
  • Garnish with green onion and sesame seeds (if using) and serve immediately with brown or mixed rice.

Notes

Serve 2 as a meal, 4 as an appetizer or a side.
You can use any combination of mushrooms you prefer. I used a mix of enoki and shiitake, but regular white and brown mushrooms are also very delicious in this stew.
I suggested zucchini in this recipe as an example, but there are many kinds of veggies that you can use instead of or in addition to the zucchini, including cabbage (round or napa), daikon radish, carrot, (baby) bok choy, and kale.
Vegan kimchi jjigae (stew) with tofu and mushrooms
13193 shares

Categories: Dinner Tags: Asian, Kimchi, Korean, Mushroom, Soup, Spicy, Tofu, Zucchini

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Enric Martinez says

    November 13, 2019 at 5:07 am

    Nice!
    I have something like 4 pounds of kimchi (I mean it) fermenting in the fridge. Korean ingredients are easy to find here in the Netherlands. Perfect for this weekend !

    As sides I would serve what’s become a staple at home: Gaji-Namul (basically steamed eggplant with green onions, sesame, garlic, gochugaru and sesame oil).

    Greetings

    Enric

    Reply
    • Thomas says

      November 13, 2019 at 11:36 am

      Kimchi is such a tasty and versatile ingredient. 4 pounds is not an unreasonable amount to have on hand! Do you have a recipe you use to make it?

      And I really like the sound of that eggplant dish. I’ll see if I can recreate it for the blog. 🙂

      Reply
  2. Margit says

    November 24, 2019 at 11:01 am

    5 stars
    I made this tonight, and it was sooo good! Thanks a lot! I had a lot of year old kimchi that’s really good for jigae, and my husband and I just turned vegan, so this recipe was just what we needed. I absolutely adore your blog – it’s both wellwritten and beautiful!

    Reply
    • Thomas says

      November 24, 2019 at 12:53 pm

      I’m so happy that I could help! And thank you for the kind words. 🙂 And I really like the sound of that year old kimchi. Aged kimchi is supposed to be the best, but I can never seem to get it to last very long before I eat it all! 😀

      Reply
  3. trish says

    December 2, 2019 at 5:50 am

    5 stars
    awesome! this looks really good. i will say to all you vegans out there as just a tip, if you’re not making your own kimchi at home, check the label if you do buy kimchi! not all of it is vegan, because many varieties include really small minced shrimp in them.

    Reply
    • Thomas says

      December 2, 2019 at 11:42 am

      Oh, you’re totally right and I forgot to include that! Thanks for the tip – I’ll add a note to the text of the post to clarify.

      Reply
  4. Patrick says

    August 13, 2020 at 6:37 pm

    Excellent looking recipes. I’ve been looking for ramen, sundobu, and other recipes like you have here. Looking forward to trying. Recipes look well thought out. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Thomas says

      August 22, 2020 at 11:56 pm

      I appreciate the kind words, Patrick. If you end up trying one, let me know how it went!

      Reply
  5. xiaofu sun says

    January 17, 2021 at 1:47 am

    5 stars
    so tasty!!!!!!
    I like this recipe a lot!especially the logic behind this recipe, mushroom + seaweed + fermented sauce + protein + kimchi
    so good, and super easy to make changes

    Reply
    • Thomas says

      February 5, 2021 at 12:38 pm

      Thanks for the kind words! And I’m happy you found it helpful. The goal is to create lots of satisfying umami, and you can apply this to any kind of cooking, plant-based or otherwise. 🙂

      Reply
  6. Patricia Lai says

    February 6, 2021 at 9:19 am

    I’ve made this recipe twice now, and it’s delicious. Thank you. I never thought I could make this, let alone a vegan version. Even my children love it, and they’re 12 & 14. Great way to get them to eat zucchini which they don’t like!

    Reply
    • Thomas says

      February 6, 2021 at 11:52 am

      Thanks for your note! I’m happy you found it tasty and were able to “trick” your children into enjoying something they haven’t previously enjoyed. 🙂

      Reply
  7. Lea says

    August 8, 2021 at 9:24 pm

    This looks so good! I miss my grandmother’s Korean food so this looks like it will be so comforting.

    Reply

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