Kimchi-jjigae (김치찌개) or kimchi stew is a popular Korean cuisine. It is a stew or soup like dish. This Korean kimchi tofu stew or soup recipe is full of umami flavor, a little spicy and the tofu is soft. Let’s learn how to make Korean kimchi tofu soup at home and serve with rice, japchae, kimbap, kimchi fried rice, tteokbokki, jajangmyeon and homemade kimchi.
Love Asian food? Try out these wonton soup, black sesame soup, Asian shaved ice, California roll and ginseng chicken soup recipes.
What is kimchi tofu soup (Kimchi-jjigae)?
Kimchi-jjigae (김치찌개) is a kimchi stew /soup and very common and popular Korean cuisine. Koreans like to make it and serve it with rice. Also, they like to add meat, seafood, soft tofu and kimchi in the stew/ soup.
What are the ingredients in kimchi tofu soup?
In this kimchi tofu soup/ stew recipe, I used homemade kimchi, soft tofu, pork, shrimp, water, green onion, Korean chili paste and hondashi (soup stock) which gives a great umami flavor to the soup. Also, I used salt, garlic powder and sesame oil to marinate the pork.
Cooking tips on how to make Korean kimchi tofu soup/ stew:
- Cut pork into slices, marinate it with garlic powder, salt and sesame oil for 15 minutes.
- Add water and hondashi into the pot, then add the Korean chili paste or chili soybean paste into the pot and mix it well. You can find chili soybean paste at Asian stores. However, you can purchase them online.
- When soup is boiling, add the marinated pork, then add the shrimp.
- After that, add kimchi and wait until it’s boiling.
- Next, add the soft and silky tofu until it boils again. Cut the tofu into cubes. And, don’t stir it too hard, so the tofu will not break easily.
- Besides, remember to add ½ tablespoon of Korean chili paste or chili soybean paste at a time depending on how spicy you can handle it.
- I added paprika for a nice red color, it will not affect the spiciness of the soup. The amount of the chili paste will affect the spiciness of the soup, but not paprika. Also, some people like to add chili powder.
FAQs:
There are so many brands of kimchi and different brands of kimchi taste slightly different. However, I like to make my own homemade kimchi.
Gochujang is Korean chili paste. You can use Korean chili soybean paste for this soup too. 
Hondashi is a soup stock. It has a rich umami flavor. People usually use dried kelp (dried seaweed) and dried small fish to make the stock for kimchi tofu soup. To make it simple and easy, I like to add some hondashi as a soup stock. Also, I use hondashi to make tteokbokki.
There are different kinds and brands of tofu that they named them differently. In the states, I like to use house food brand tofu and I use the green package label soft. Other brands may need extra silken. Some like to use the tofu in a tube.
Instructions on how to make kimchi tofu soup or stew:
1. Wash and cut 2 sticks of green onion into pieces.
2. Cut a block of soft tofu (19 oz) into cubes.
3. Next, wash and cut 2 pieces of boneless country style rib (4 oz).
4. Put the sliced pork into a bow, add ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of sesame oil. Mix it well and marinate it for 15 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, pour 4 cups of water into a pot. Turn on medium large fire.
6. Then, add 1 tablespoon of hondashi into the pot.(Hondashi is a soup stock which gives a great umami flavor to the soup.)
7. After that, add 2 tablespoons of gochujang Korean chili paste. (You can use Korean chili soybean paste.) Mix it well.
8. Put 1 tablespoon of paprika into the soup and mix it well. (I like to use paprika for a nice red color.)
9. When the soup stock is boiling, add the marinated pork from step 4. Then, add 14 pieces of no shell small shrimp (4 oz). Stir and mix it well.
10. The following step, add 1 cup of homemade kimchi (packed, 10 oz) into the soup. Stir it and wait until it boils.
11. Then, put the cut tofu from step 2 into the soup. Stir it slightly and try not to break the tofu. Wait until it boils again, turn off the fire.
12. Lastly, put the soup in the bowl and top with some green onion from step 1.
Enjoy this easy, a little spicy and soft Korean kimchi tofu soup/ stew recipe! Also, check out these miso soup, sweet corn carrot soup, tomato potato pork soup and watercress pork bone soup recipes.
You May Also Like These Recipes:
- WONTON SOUP (雲吞湯)
- LOTUS ROOT AND PORK BONE SOUP (蓮藕豬骨湯)
- HOT AND SOUR SOUP (酸辣湯)
- GINSENG CHICKEN SOUP (SAMGYETANG) 삼계탕 蔘鷄湯
Subscribe Oh My Food Recipes to get our new recipes delivered straight to your inbox! Follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all the latest updates.
Kimchi Tofu Soup
Video
Ingredients
- 1 cup Kimchi (Homemade kimchi packed 10 oz)
- 1 block Soft tofu (19 oz)
- 4 cups Water
- 2 tablespoons Korean chili paste (Gochujang add 0.5 tablespoon at a time depends on how spicy you want)
- 2 sticks Green onion
- 14 pieces Shrimp (No shell small 4 oz)
- 2 pieces Pork (Boneless country style rib, 4 oz)
- 1 tablespoon Paprika
- 1 tablespoon Hondashi
Marinate pork:
- ¼ teaspoon Garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Sesame oil
Instructions
- Wash and cut 2 sticks of green onion into pieces.
- Cut a block of soft tofu (19 oz) into cubes.
- Next, wash and cut 2 pieces of boneless country style rib (4 oz).
- Put the sliced pork into a bow, add ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of sesame oil. Mix it well and marinate it for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, pour 4 cups of water into a pot. Turn on medium large fire.
- After that, add 2 tablespoons of gochujang Korean chili paste. (You can use Korean chili soybean paste.) Mix it well.
- Put 1 tablespoon of paprika into the soup and mix it well. (I like to use paprika for a nice red color.)
- When the soup stock is boiling, add the marinated pork from step 4. Then, add 14 pieces of no shell small shrimp (4 oz). Stir and mix it well.
- The following step, add 1 cup of homemade kimchi (packed, 10 oz) into the soup. Stir it and wait until it boils.
- Then, put the cut tofu from step 2 into the soup. Stir it slightly and try not to break the tofu. Wait until it boils again, turn off the fire.
- Lastly, put the soup in the bowl and top with some green onion from step 1.
Notes
Cooking tips on how to make Korean kimchi tofu soup/ stew:
- Cut pork into slices, marinate it with garlic powder, salt and sesame oil for 15 minutes.
- Add water and hondashi into the pot, then add the Korean chili paste or chili soybean paste into the pot and mix it well. You can find chili soybean paste at Asian stores. However, you can purchase them online.
- When soup is boiling, add the marinated pork, then add the shrimp.
- After that, add kimchi and wait until it’s boiling.
- Next, add the soft and silky tofu until it boils again. Cut the tofu into cubes. And, don’t stir it too hard, so the tofu will not break easily.
- Besides, remember to add ½ tablespoon of Korean chili paste or chili soybean paste at a time depending on how spicy you can handle it.
- I added paprika for a nice red color, it will not affect the spiciness of the soup. The amount of the chili paste will affect the spiciness of the soup, but not paprika. Also, some people like to add chili powder.
Leave a Reply