Silken tofu cooked with mushrooms in a spicy broth. This Korean Style Spicy Soft Tofu Stew is a classic at Korean restaurants and so comforting on a cold day.
Happy Sunday!
It’s been cold and gloomy and rainy these past few days, and all I’ve wanted to do is snuggle underneath layers of soft cozy blankets with a good book and a mug of hot tea. Or maybe I’ll find a new Netflix show to watch. If you have recommendations, definitely send them to me. The last show I watched was Bridgerton during Christmas weekend. I maaaay have finished watching it within a day. It was that good. And if you haven’t seen it yet but love period dramas, Gossip Girl, and romance, then I highly recommend watching this series. I’m obsessed. lol
In the mean time, it’s time to talk about cozy comforting soups. Because it’s the middle of winter and we definitely need that extra warmth.
Have you ever had spicy soft tofu stew? You may know it as soondubu jjigae. If you’ve eaten at Korean restaurants, it’s a common dish on the menu. Generally, it’s made and served in a stone pot. The broth is usually made from anchovy and kelp, but I prefer using either kelp or bonito because of convenience. You can use them the same way. For a more authentic stew, definitely go for the anchovy broth.
The broth is seasoned with toasted gochugaru, or Korean chili flakes, sesame oil, soy sauce, and garlic. The soft tofu and mushrooms are cooked in the broth. Then when the soup is ready to be served, crack an egg into the simmering soup. Once the egg is just cooked, the stew is ready to be served.
This soup is warm and comforting and perfect for those who love spicy foods. It’s savory and just the kind of meal I need on a cold winter day. You can eat the stew by itself, or you can serve it with rice, if you prefer.
I hope you’ll like this Korean Style Spicy Soft Tofu Stew as much as I do.
In a small pot, add dashi packet with three cups of water. Bring it to a boil and turn off the heat. You can use kombu (kelp) or bonito dashi packets or anchovy stock packet. Any will work. And if none of those are available, you can just use chicken or vegetable stock. But it won’t have as much umami flavor.
In a stone pot or a regular medium sized pot, add la yu chili oil and gochugaru (Korean chili flakes) over low to medium heat. Cook for a few minutes until the chili flakes are lightly toasted to bring out the flavor, but be careful not to burn the chili flakes. You don’t want your soup to taste burnt.
Add minced garlic and cook until the garlic has softened and become aromatic.
Pour in the stock. Season with soy sauce.
Add sliced green onion, mushrooms, and soft tofu. Cook until the mushrooms have softened. Try not to stir too much. Otherwise, the silken tofu will break apart. Gently stir in sesame oil.
Right when you’re ready to serve the soup, crack an egg into the simmering soup and allow the egg to cook a couple minutes.
Serve the Korean Style Spicy Tofu Stew warm.
- 1 packet kombu or bonito dashi or anchovy stock packet
- 3 cups water
- 1 tablespoon la yu chili oil, or other chili oil
- 2 tablespoons gochugaru
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2-3 cups broth
- 12 ounces silken or soft tofu
- 1 green onion, chopped
- 2 cups sliced mushrooms
- ½ teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 egg
- Salt to taste
- In a small pot, add dashi packet with three cups of water. Bring it to a boil and turn off the heat.
- In a stone pot or a regular medium sized pot, add la yu chili oil and gochugaru (Korean chili flakes) over low to medium heat. Cook for a few minutes until the chili flakes are lightly toasted to bring out the flavor, but be careful not to burn the chili flakes.
- Add minced garlic and cook until the garlic has softened and become aromatic.
- Pour in the stock. Season with soy sauce.
- Add sliced green onion, mushrooms, and soft tofu. Cook until the mushrooms have softened. Try not to stir too much. Otherwise, the silken tofu will break apart. Gently stir in sesame oil.
- Right when you’re ready to serve the soup, crack an egg into the simmering soup and allow the egg to cook a couple minutes. Season with salt to taste.
- Serve the Korean Style Spicy Tofu Soup hot.
