Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Broth Base
- 800 ml water
- 15 g dried anchovies, gutted
- 10 g dried kelp, wiped clean
Stew Components
- 60 g doenjang, paste
- 10 g garlic, minced
- 100 g yellow onion, diced into 1.5cm pieces
- 100 g potato, peeled and diced into 1.5cm pieces
- 150 g courgette, diced into 1.5cm pieces
- 300 g medium-firm tofu, diced into 2cm cubes
- 20 g green onion, thinly sliced
- 5 g gochugaru
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 139 kcal
- Protein
- 11 g
- Carbohydrates
- 16 g
- Fat
- 5 g
- Fiber
- 4 g
- Sugar
- 4 g
- Sodium
- 590 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 1 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Cholesterol
- 2 mg
- Potassium
- 321 mg
- Calcium
- 193 mg
- Iron
- 3.4 mg
- Magnesium
- 50 mg
- Phosphorus
- 149 mg
- Zinc
- 1.3 mg
- Vitamin A
- 16 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 8 mg
- Vitamin E
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin K
- 8 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.2 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.0 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.10 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.11 mg
- Niacin
- 1.1 mg
- Folate
- 31 mcg
- Water
- 317 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Combine water, dried kelp, and dried anchovies in a medium pot. Bring to a boil at 100°C/212°F over medium-high heat.
Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer the broth for 10 minutes. Remove and discard the anchovies and kelp using a fine mesh strainer or slotted spoon to leave a clear broth.
Stir the doenjang and minced garlic into the clear broth until the paste is fully dissolved and no lumps remain.
Add the diced potato and onion to the pot. Increase heat to bring the stew back to a rolling boil at 100°C/212°F.
Reduce the heat slightly. Add the diced courgette and simmer for 10 minutes until the potato is tender.
Gently fold in the cubed tofu and simmer for an additional 3 minutes to heat through without breaking the cubes.
Top the stew with chopped green onions and gochugaru. Remove from heat.
Serve immediately while bubbling hot, traditionally ladled over steamed short-grain white rice.
Chef's Notes
- To elevate the texture of your broth, try using rice water. When washing short-grain rice to serve alongside the stew, discard the water from the first rinse, but save the cloudy water from the second and third rinses to use as your broth base.
- Doenjang is quite robust, unlike Japanese miso, which loses its delicate aromatics if boiled. Boiling doenjang alongside hard vegetables like potatoes actually helps deepen the stew's savory flavor profile.
- For extra umami, consider adding a small handful of sliced mushrooms (enoki or shiitake) during the final 5 minutes of simmering.
- If you desire a spicier kick without altering the stew's traditional flavor, slice a fresh green chili (like jalapeño or Korean cheongyang pepper) and add it alongside the courgette.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store in an airtight container. The flavor often deepens and improves by the second day.
Reheating: Reheat gently on the stovetop over medium heat until bubbling.
Troubleshooting
Stew is too salty
Cause: Different brands of doenjang vary widely in sodium content, or too much evaporation occurred
Fix: Add a splash of plain hot water or unsalted broth to dilute the stew, or add extra unseasoned tofu
Prevention: Start with a slightly smaller amount of doenjang and add more to taste toward the end of cooking
Broth tastes bitter or fishy
Cause: Anchovies were boiled for too long, or the dark innards (guts) of the anchovies were not removed
Fix: Cannot be completely fixed, but adding a pinch of sugar and extra garlic can help mask the bitterness
Prevention: Always remove the guts from large dried anchovies before making broth, and do not boil them for longer than 15 minutes
Tofu broke apart into a mush
Cause: Stew was boiled too aggressively after tofu was added, or stirred too vigorously
Fix: Cannot be fixed, but the stew will still taste delicious as a thicker, rustic soup
Prevention: Gently fold the tofu in at the very end and maintain a gentle simmer
Cultural Context
Doenjang jjigae is one of the most iconic, nostalgic, and frequently consumed home-cooked meals in Korea, often referred to as a soul food. The backbone of the dish is doenjang, a fermented soybean paste that dates back thousands of years and provides a profound umami depth. Historically, the quality of a household's doenjang was considered a vital measure of a family's culinary prowess.
