Dead easy Kimchi Jjigae (aka soup)

Sour, spicy, hot…..bursting to tantalize and challenge your tastebuds with every sip.

Drool no more....this is a damn easy soup to make!!! SERIOUSLY.

All this time, when I ordered from the restaurant or drool over KBS stars sipping hot spicy soup and the other star complimenting what how great a ‘cook’ s/he was, held the perception that it was difficult/complicated to make. Now that I know it is SO EASY to make, can satisfy my cravings anytime now!! Er, not to mention cheaper and also better/tastier in the sense can add any ingredients you like. For some strange reason, never enjoyed the taste of the beef or chicken served with the soup ordered at the restaurant.

The main ingredient is of course kimchi (spicy fermented cabbage) and the rest of the ingredients is whatever you like – meat, tofu, mushrooms, glass noodles, imitation crab stick, fish balls, seaweed, seafood etc.

Best to use homemade stock if you can (tastier mah) but if you don’t have any, can use water and add some seasoning cubes.

In a saucepan or earthern pot (which is how they traditionally serve this), mix together and bring to boil some stock, kimchi (older kimchi will add more depth and flavour to this soup) plus its juice, other ingredients of your choice – for me, threw in some tofu, carrots, mushrooms, fish cake, fried bean curd and seaweed. *yeah I know I was greedy adding so many things but hey, its great way to clear the fridge* Glass noodles would have been great, perhaps I'll do that with the leftovers. Slurp….a complete and satisfying meal on its own, eaten together with some rice.


Slowly simmer away and adjust the taste at the end to suit your preference, ie. add a little salt/soya, dash of sesame oil or Korean hot pepper paste (Gochujang) if you want it spicier. Still not enough chilli hot oomph….phew so keng ah…..throw in a few chilli padis to up the spiciness lor!! Personally didn’t find this brand of Gochujang spicy at all even though the colour is so fierce and fiery red! But I was a little warm (but not perspiring sweaty hot) after a couple of bowls, definitely a great dish for winter.

This is what the Gochujang looks like. They come in various sizes (this was the smallest one I grabbed).

What can I say, this is really super SHIOKadelicious.

So if you get a craving for kimchi chijae, now you know you can whip one up easily in your own kitchen :)

Bench notes - Not surprisingly, the soup actually tasted much better the next day with all ingredients soaking in the flavours!!! Add more kimchi next time - about 1:1 ratio with liquid.