Korean recipe

Doenjang jjigae

Name: Doenjang jjigae
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Korean cuisine
Ingredients: 900 ml unsalted anchovy-kelp stock; 70 g doenjang; 200 g waxy potato, 2 cm cubes; 180 g zucchini, 1 cm half-moons; 150 g firm tofu, 2 cm cubes; 120 g yellow onion, 2 cm pieces; 100 g fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced; 15 g garlic, minced; 10 g gochugaru; 30 g scallions, sliced; 20 g fresh green chile, sliced

Anchovy-kelp stock, fermented soybean paste, potato, zucchini, mushrooms, and tofu simmer into a hearty everyday stew.

South Korea

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 30 min
Total: 50 min
Servings: 4

Rustic doenjang stew with tofu, zucchini, potato, and mushrooms — **Real finished-dish photograph**Photograph by AlphaSource page · Original file · CC BY-SA 2.0Cropped, resized, and compressed by Recipe Nest Vault.

Ingredients

900 ml
unsalted anchovy-kelp stock
70 g
doenjang
200 g
waxy potato, 2 cm cubes
180 g
zucchini, 1 cm half-moons
150 g
firm tofu, 2 cm cubes
120 g
yellow onion, 2 cm pieces
100 g
fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced
15 g
garlic, minced
10 g
gochugaru
30 g
scallions, sliced
20 g
fresh green chile, sliced

Method

01
Bring the stock to a simmer
Bring 900 ml stock to a boil in a 2.5 L pot over medium-high heat, then reduce to a lively simmer. Skim any loose anchovy particles.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
02
Dissolve the doenjang
Put 70 g doenjang in a fine sieve, lower it into the hot stock, and press with a spoon until only coarse soybean skins remain. Discard those skins for a smooth broth.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
03
Cook potato and onion
Add potato and onion, cover slightly ajar, and simmer 10 minutes. A knife should enter the outside of a potato cube but meet resistance in the centre.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
04
Add zucchini and mushrooms
Add zucchini, shiitake, garlic, and gochugaru. Simmer uncovered for 6 minutes, stirring once from the bottom so the paste does not settle and scorch.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
05
Warm the tofu gently
Slide in the tofu cubes and simmer 5 minutes. Move them only by shaking the pot gently; the potato should become tender without breaking apart.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
06
Add fresh aromatics
Add scallions and green chile and simmer 2 minutes. Taste now; if the broth is too strong, add 30 ml hot water at a time rather than masking it with sugar.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
07
Rest before serving
Turn off the heat and rest the covered stew for 3 minutes so the suspended paste settles into an even broth. Ladle into four bowls with equal potato, tofu, and vegetables.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph

Practical notes

Tips

Taste only after the main paste or kimchi has simmered; its salt and acidity become clearer in the broth.
Keep a lively simmer, not a violent boil, so the broth concentrates without breaking delicate tofu or vegetables.

Common mistakes

Adding all seasoning before the broth reduces can make the final stew too salty; reserve the last adjustment for the end.
Once soft tofu is added, stir with a spoon only where necessary; repeated stirring turns the stew cloudy and fragmented.

Substitutions

Use 900 ml unsalted kelp-shiitake stock for a fish-free stew; verify the doenjang label contains no seafood.
Replace zucchini with 180 g Korean radish cut into 1 cm half-moons and add it with the potato because it needs longer cooking.

Storage

Cool within 2 hours and refrigerate airtight for up to 3 days. Reheat to a full simmer and at least 74°C throughout; do not repeatedly cool and reheat the same pot.

Cultural context

Doenjang jjigae is an everyday table stew whose character comes from fermented soybean paste; brands and household pastes differ greatly in salt and aroma.

Sources and photo credit

This standardized method was independently rewritten after cross-checking the references below. Recipe Nest Vault does not claim that the credited photographer cooked from this exact version.

Recipe references

Korean stew-Doenjang jjigae-01 — Photograph by Alpha; CC BY-SA 2.0.

Step illustrations: Original illustrations created by Recipe Nest Vault with OpenAI image_gen.

Back to Korean recipes

Doenjang jjigae

Ingredients

Method

Bring the stock to a simmer

Dissolve the doenjang

Cook potato and onion

Add zucchini and mushrooms

Warm the tofu gently

Add fresh aromatics

Rest before serving

Sources and photo credit

Recipe references

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