Doenjang Jjigae Recipe

Doenjang is basically Korean miso (jang means sauce or paste) and doenjang jjigae is Korean miso soup, if you will.  I only make comparisons because most folks are more familiar with Japanese food than Korean.

Ian and I made a trip to Hana Mart in Tigard on his birthday and he requested this soup last night for dinner.

"Cho gochujang" (vinegared red pepper paste)

"Doenjang" (fermented soy bean paste)

It's good just to dip veggies into, too, as it's full of flavor and nutrients.

"Jjigae" (soup or stew, there are about 10 Korean words for soup, all slightly different)

I was hoping the purple potatoes would turn it purple, like they did in Korea (link), but they did not.

Doenjang jjigae is soup, so you can pretty much put anything you want in it.  It must have the pastes, garlic and tofu.  The veggies are totally up to you.  Here's how I made it last time.  I didn't measure, so it's all approximate.

Ingredients:

3 large shiitaki mushrooms

1/4 purple onion

3 cloves garlic

1/4 cup white vinegar (I didn't have rice vinegar)

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 block tofu (rustic if you've got it)

6 purple fingerlings

1/2 head cauliflower

1/4-1/3 cup doenjang

2-3tbsp gochujang

Do this:

Cut/chop mushrooms, onions and garlic coarsely and drop them into a medium sauce pan.  Add soy and vinegar and lightly mix.  Add enough water to float the mushrooms off the bottom of the pan, but don't over fill.  Bring to a boil until it's a broth.  While it's boiling, chop tofu, potatoes and cauliflower into bite size pieces.  Fill the pan the rest of the way with water (with room to boil) and add the veggies and tofu.  Bring it to a boil again and then add the pastes.  Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serve piping hot (Korean style!) with rice.