Korean Soondubu Jjigae with Kimchi (Beef, Pork, or Vegan)

Delicious, comforting, and cozy kimchi soondubu jjigae recipe that’s easy and quick to make! You can use beef, pork, or mushrooms for a vegan version. 

What is Soondubu Jjigae (Korean Spicy Tofu Soup)?

Soondubu is a Korean tofu stew recipe made with silken tofu as the main ingredient. It’s usually made with gochugaru (Korean chili flakes) to yield a spicy broth, and you can vary the veggies and meat (or seafood) you put in it. 

If you’ve ever been to a restaurant specializing in soondubu, you’ve probably seen many variations. I decided to go with the most popular version, making Kimchi Soondubu Jjigae.

What Makes This Recipe Great

Korean Soondubu Jjigae is a popular spicy Korean stew and is one of my favorite meals on a cold day. It’s served while it’s still piping hot, packed with silken tofu, veggies, and meat or seafood, and the broth can be as spicy or mild as you want it. 

It’s a comfort food for many Koreans, and it’s also considered a hangover food as well. My favorite kind is this kimchi version with beef. If you’re a fan of pork you can switch out the beef for that or make a seafood version– it’s up to you!

Kimchi Jjigae vs Soondubu

If you aren’t familiar with Korean cuisine, you might get confused between kimchi stew or kimchi jjigae vs soondubu. While there are some similarities (especially when you put kimchi in soondubu like this version), the texture is what makes the difference. 

Soondubu has a much softer and fluffier texture from the silken tofu and the egg that gets cracked into the flavorful stew at the end. Kimchi jjigae uses firm tofu that doesn’t break down in the stew and uses a lot more tangy kimchi which adds to the depth of flavor.

Today we’re making Soondubu or Korean soft tofu soup. It’s super easy to make and the resulting dish is a filling and delicious, comforting stew that I know you’ll love!

Watch a Quick Video of This Recipe

How to Make Korean Soondubu Jjigae

This dish is super popular at Korean restaurants, but we’re going to recreate it right at home. To create restaurant-quality soondubu, I actually tested out this dish over 20 times to make the best recipe that I can make. 

It’s moderately spicy, soft, and fluffy, and can be modified to make it vegan or to vary up the protein. I personally prefer a beef soondubu recipe so that’s what you see in the photos. However, you can use pork or even shrimp. The whole thing takes less than 30 minutes, and it’s just so delicious and wonderful with a side of rice!

Ingredient Notes

All the ingredients can be found at your local Asian market and/or online. Once you have them, the recipe is very easy and quick! Here are what you need:

• sesame oil
• onion
• garlic
• kimchi: Make sure to use vegan kimchi if you are vegan.
• meat: For the beef soondubu recipe, you can use any cut of tender steak like skirt steak or flat iron steak. For a pork version, pork chops, pork belly, or pork tenderloin will work. For vegan or vegetarian soondubu recipes, use enoki mushrooms.
• kimchi juice
• gochugaru: There are two types of gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes): coarse and fine. You will need coarse flakes to make this kimchi soondubu. You can find them here.
• silken tofu: This is the type you need for soondubu tofu. You can find them at most grocery stores these days. They are extra soft and gives this Korean tofu stew recipe that extra fluffy texture.
• salted shrimp: Salted shrimp, called saewoojeot, is basically tiny shrimp that’s been salted and fermented. It adds a ton of flavor to dishes, much like fish sauce or soy sauce. If you are making vegan soondubu jjigae or if you are just having a hard time finding salted shrimp, just use soy sauce in this recipe.
• egg: You can omit it if you are vegan. An egg is traditionally added at the end to make the texture of the stew smooth and fluffy.
• green onions

Step-by-Step Instructions

Here’s a quick and easy instructions on how to make Korean tofu soup:

1. Make sure to chop the onion, garlic, and kimchi before you begin cooking. Also, slice the meat into small pieces.
2. Heat sesame oil in a pot over medium-high heat, then add onion and garlic. Cook stirring for 2-3 minutes until lightly browned.
3. Add meat, then cook for 3 minutes until browned on the outside.
4. Add water, kimchi juice, gochugaru, and kimchi, and stir. Once this mixture comes to a boil, lower the heat to medium, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes.
5. Stir in silken tofu chunks and salted shrimp, then simmer for 3 minutes.
6. Crack an egg in and stir.
7. Remove from heat, sprinkle with the green part of the green onion, then serve this spicy soup with white rice and other favorite Korean sides.

Serving and Storage Tips

Soondubu is a main dish that is best enjoyed with a bowl of rice and some banchan (side dishes), like this Korean cucumber salad. For more Banchan recipes, check out my cookbook: Korean Paleo.

Leftovers will last in the fridge stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Just heat it up on the stovetop until it comes to a boil and serve.

Recipe FAQs

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