Kimchi Stew is another one of Korea’s classic stew that’s undeniable delicious and healthy!! And just like the way kimchi is made differenly per household, the same holds for kimchi stew. My family’s version was more soupy, less spicy and milder tasting. My parents always made a big pot of this kimchi stew and made sure that this was their meal the following day, of course, with rice. LOL. Here’s my dad’s version he used to often make for me growing up. Unfortunately I can’t enjoy his favorite kimchi soup with him anymore, but I hope that you guys can!!

What are the ingredients for kimchi stew?
- Fermented kimchi, that is sour to taste.
- Pork meat with some fat on it like pork belly or pork butt
- Saved water that was used to rinse the rice
- Medium or firm tofu
- Fresh veggies: onions, scallions, garlic and ginger
- Little bit of doeng jjang paste
- A big braising pot
HOw do you make Kimchi stew?
- Marinate pork.
- Cook pork, then add onion, garlic, sesame oil, pinch of salt & pepper, and sugar.
- Add chopped kimchi and stir-fry for about 5min.
- Pour water and boil for 20-25min.
- Add seasoning and tofu, and boil little more.
- Toss scallion and serve!
additional tips for making kimchi stew yummy!
Tip #1: Before you chop your kimchi, gently squeeze the kimchi brine, but don’t over squeeze the juice. Also, if your kimchi has a lot of julienned raddishes, be sure to remove them to keep this stew looking clean.
Tip #2: Due to the variation in everyone’s kimchi, some of the end seasonings may have to adjusted per your taste. Meaning, you may end up adding less salt, soy sauce and doeng jjang at the end. Be sure to taste your broth before adding the tofu! If you don’t end up using fermented kimchi, you can omit the sugar, but your boiling time will need to increase.
Tip #3: When you clean your rice, save the third rinsed water as the base for this stew. It will help speed up the softening of the cabbage. If you don’t have rice washed water, you can use plain water, but your cooking time will need to be increased.
This kimchi stew is really easy to make and can satify many hungry tummies!! My son really likes this stew since it’s not too pungent or overly spicy for his tongue. If you are a spicy stew lover, go ahead and sprinkle some red hot chili flakes!! It will taste just as great!
By the way, this kimchi stew was made with my fermented Vegan Kimchi. If you are looking for a kimchi recipe, please click here. It is fantastic and mouthwatering! Here are some pictures of my Vegan Kimchi! They are delicious fresh or fermented!!
did you enjoy this kimchi stew recipe?
Please check out these recipes below!
- SPICY TOFU JJAGEULI WITH TUNA
- BEEF SOYBEAN PASTE STEW, DOENJANG JJIGAE
- KIMCHI STEW WITH SOFT TOFU, KIMCHI SOONDUBU JJIGAE
- SPICY SALMON STEW/YEON-EO MAEUNTANG
- Spicy Korean Squid Stew, Ojingeo Jjigae
Korean Kimchi Stew, Kimchi Jjigae
Ingredients
- 12 oz pork diced pork belly, pork butt
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 med onion diced
- 1½ tbsp garlic minced
- 1 tsp sugar
- 3 cup kimchi (fermented) chopped
- 6 cup rice washed water
- 1 tsp salt
- ⅛ tsp black pepper
- 2½ tbsp soup soy sauce guk ganjang
- 1 tbsp doeng jjang paste
- ½~1 tsp additional sugar (optional at end) if soup is still too sour
- 9 oz tofu chopped medium or firm
- 1 scallion chopped
Meat Marinade
- 1½ tbsp sake
- 1½ tsp ginger grated
Instructions
- Dice pork and marinate with meat marinade. Let it sit for 10-15min in the 8 qt braising pot.
- Turn heat to high and cook pork until pink color is almost gone. Add onion, half amount of garlic, sesame oil, pinch of salt & pepper, and 1 tsp sugar. Stir and cook until onion is transparent.
- Add chopped kimchi and stir-fry for about 5min, making sure nothing is sticking to the bottom.
- Pour 6 cups of water and bring to boil. Reduce to medium heat and cook for 20-25min until kimchi is wilted and very soft.
- Add salt, pepper, soy sauce, rest of garlic, doeng jjang, and optional 1/2~1tsp sugar if the stew is still too sour. Stir well and taste to season. Add chopped tofu, close lid, and cook for 4-5min. Add chopped scallions and serve hot!!
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