Sundubu-jjigae (sometimes spelled soondubu-jjigae) is a spicy, seasoned stew made with a type of silky soft tofu called sundubu. Served hot at the table in its traditional earthenware bowl, it’s impossible to resist. I’ve never met anyone who didn’t like sundubu-jjigae after they tried it. All it takes is one time!
If you go to a Korean sundubu-jjigae restaurant you’ll be surprised at how many varieties they make. This version is my favorite. When I go to the restaurant I always choose the seafood version, and it’s the one I most like to make at home, too. I’ve created a sundubu-jjigae section on my website that includes all the sundubu-jjigae recipes I’ve made so far. If you follow any of those recipes exactly, you will have some really delicious stew!
Usually we Koreans have sundubu-jjigae in a Korean earthenware bowl, but so many of you have told me over the years that you can’t get that bowl, or want to feed more people than you have bowls, so I’m including a serving alternative at the end of this recipe that explains how to serve it in regular bowls.
I have a funny story about Korean earthenware bowls (ttukbaegi). When I was making my first cookbook, my editor Rux and my literary agent came over to my house in New York for lunch. I made them bibimbap in Korean earthenware bowls. Rux was surprised to see me doing this, she said “Oh, where can I buy those bowls?”
I said “At a Korean grocery store! Do you want me to help you buy one?”
She said “Sure!” So we took a taxi down to Koreatown on 32nd street. She bought a lot of them, maybe 7 or 8 bowls! They were so heavy. Rux doesn’t even live in New York, she lives in Vermont. I helped her take all those heavy bowls to her hotel and then she later took them all the way home to Vermont in her car. Ever since we made that cookbook she’s been cooking Korean food all the time and has become better and better at it. Her whole family are big fans of Korean food now, all the way to her granddaughter, and she says she’s the Maangchi of Vermont now.
I chose large shrimp in my recipe but you don’t have to use shrimp that big. Just use smaller shrimp or even cocktail shrimp and the broth will still be delicious.
I wanted to show you a typical sundubu-jjigae table setting in the video. What you need to do is completely set the table with the side dishes and everything so that when the sundubu-jjigae is bubbling on the stove you can bring it right out to serve, directly on to the table. If you keep it boiling on the stove while you set up the table, the seafood will get tough and the sundubu-jjigae will actually boil down, which you really don’t want.
Enjoy the recipe! I hope you become the Maangchi of your area! : )
Ingredients (for 2 servings)
- ¼ cup gochugaru (Korean hot pepper flakes)
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ cup (about 1 ounce) chopped onion
- 1 large king oyster mushroom (or ½ cup of any mushrooms), chopped
- 1 large green onion (dae-pa) or 2 green onions, the white part and green part separated and chopped
- 2½ cups anchovy kelp stock (or vegetable stock, or beef or chicken broth)
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce (or salt to your taste)
- 2 tubes soft tofu (or 22 ounces silken tofu)
- 2 to 3 large deveined shrimp in the shell, rinsed
- 6 fresh shucked or shucked frozen oysters, rinsed
- 4 to 6 fresh mussels, cleaned and rinsed
- 2 eggs
Directions
- Combine the hot pepper flakes, sesame oil, and black pepper in a small bowl. Mix well with a spoon until the hot pepper flakes absorb all the oil. Set aside.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, the chopped white part of the green onion, and mushroom. Stir with a wooden spoon until the onion and garlic are slightly brown and crispy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the stock. Cover and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, until it’s boiling vigorously.
- Add shrimp, oysters, and mussels. Cut the tubes of tofu in half and squeeze them into the boiling stew, and then break up the tofu a bit with a wooden spoon. If using silken tofu, scoop or squeeze from the box into the stew.
- Add the fish sauce (or salt to your taste), half of the hot pepper mixture, and stir a few times.
- Cover and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, until the seafood is fully cooked and the broth is infused with its savory flavor.
2 ways to serve:
Serve in Korean earthenware bowls:
- Ladle the stew into 2 earthenware bowls (2½ cup bowls work best) and place them on the stove top. Heat them up over high heat. Add the leftover seasoning mixture on top of the stew in each bowl.
- When the stews starts bubbling, crack the eggs into each bowl. Cook for another minute until vigorously boiling. Remove from the heat and sprinkle the green part of the chopped green onion over top.
- Serve right away while it’s bubbling, with rice, kimchi, and more side dishes on the side.
Serve in regular soup bowls:
- Add the second half of the seasoning mixture to the boiling stew in the pot and mix it in a bit. Carefully crack the eggs into the bubbling stew, and cook for 1 or 2 minutes until the eggs are slightly (or half) cooked. Remove from the heat.
- Gently ladle the stew into two soup bowls without disturbing the eggs. Scoop up each egg and place one in each bowl.
- Sprinkle the green part of the chopped green onion over top and serve right away with rice, kimchi, and more side dishes.
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Hello,
I’m going to try this recipe tonight (4 servings) with dungeness crab instead of the seafood mix. Do you suggest I add additional ingredients like meat, seafood or other sauces? It’ll be my first time attempting soondubu so I’m a little nervous. Hope to hear back from you today. Thanks!
This looks very good!!
So gonna try it!
Hello,
If you know what “Shichimi” is, (a Japanese hot pepper powder, with six other spices) can I use that instead of the hot pepper flake?
If not, then does gochujeang (idk how it’s spelt) work?
Hi, I just have a question
Is it necessary to add the dried anchovies?
no, you can use any delicious stock like chicken or beef stock.
Hi im very exciting to make this soup ( my 1st time )
So i have a question can i use hot pepper paste instead of hot pepper flake???
Thanks
Hi Maangchi,
I love all of your videos and make myself hungry late at night watching them. I just made this jjigae for dinner tonight and it was so flavorful and delicious. Thank you so much and it’s seriously so much better than what I normally get at a restaurant.
Great! Happy cooking!
Hi Maangchi:
I know this is an old post – but it’s relatively new to me!
My partner and I really enjoy soondubu jjigae, but our favorite restaurant is over 45 miles away! So, I decided to try this recipe. I followed it exactly and it is TERRIFIC! We both agree that it is better than the version at Tofu House in Palo Alto, CA (our favorite place). Thanks so much!
I had no idea how easy it is to make…
” I followed it exactly and it is TERRIFIC! ” awesome!
Hi Maangchi,
Can I use claypot for cooking soondubu jiggae? I have a medium sized claypot with round bottom. Also my claypot does not have a glaze in it. :-)
I think it works well. Good luck!
annyeonghaseyo
how many servings that can be cooked from all the above ingredients?
if I want to cook for one serving per one person, how many of the ingredients used for it?
P.S. If I can not find dried Korean anchovies, can I use another type of dried anchovies?
The recipe is for 2 servings. If you make 1 serving, half all the ingredients. “can I use another type of dried anchovies?” yes, use large anchovies. Good luck with making good soondubujjigae.
Are all of your recipes only for 2 people? If it is, what do you think the amount of ingredients would be if I want to serve for 4 people? Just double everything?
This is literally my first time cooking, so I wanna make it delicious! :)
I just made this the other night and it was delicious! I made it just in my pot but it was still good. I was wondering if I could make it in a dolsot – I don’t have the ddubbaegi, but I have two dolsots I use for bibimbap.
“I made it just in my pot but it was still good.” wonderful!
Somehow the flakes i bought is not very spicy, so in another pot i cooked up some more mushrooms with hot pepper paste and the soup that i was boiling, and then I poured the whole thing into the tofu soup. Taste good!
awesome!
Just made my 1st Soon du bu Maangchi! I couldn’t find any pepper flakes and just chopped dried pepper instead. Are hot pepper flakes and pepper powder the same?
It was delicious none the less…Thanks!
I’m glad to hear that your first time to make soondubujjigae turned out great! : )
“Are hot pepper flakes and pepper powder the same?” Yes, they are made of the same kinds of Korean dried hot peppers and both are called gochugaru in Korean. Only difference is that hot pepper flakes are coarsely ground and the hot pepper powder is just as it indicates, powdered. I use hot pepper flakes in my most of cooking. Hot pepper powder is used for making Korean gochujang because the texture should be like paste when it ferments.
Hot pepper flakes: https://www.maangchi.com/ingredients/hot-pepper-flakes
Hot pepper powder: https://www.maangchi.com/ingredients/hot-pepper-powder
hello! how many people does this recipe serve? thanks!
This is for 2 servings.
Maangchi ssi,
I watched a KD where the main star made Pumpkin Soup. Would you be so kind as to posting a video making this soup? It was so beautiful – It just had to be delicious!
Second time making this! Thanks so much Maangchi!
Goodmorning Maangchi,
I would like to serve my guests soondubu for dinner, served with rice. I made your recipe already once (abt a year ago) for just the 2 of us and I still remember it was very full with flavour.
But the tabel seems so empty without any side dishes. Yet, I cannot come up with one suitable (besides kimchi that is). Can you please help me out by making some suggestions?
With lots of thanks & love
Emma
HI Emma,
Try googling banchan and you should get lots of ideas!
Maaaaaaangchiiiiiiii!!
Over and over again, your recipes are a rousing success! You should get your own show on the Cooking Channel! :)
I’ve made your pancake, soybean sprouts, and ginger tea. Today I tried out this soondubu jjigae and it was fantastic. The only thing I had to change was the tofu, because my boyfriend doesn’t like the soft kind :( I had some fresh vietnamese firm tofu, and it worked just fine in the stew.
Thank you so much for all of your recipes and your cool Korean lessons :)
Hi Maangchi <3
your job is so amazing, watching your videos make me want to cook as much as i can :x
I hope everything will be great to you, wish you all the best :p
from Vietnamese fan :)
Thank you very much for your kind words!
I’m so excited about this recipe!! Soft tofu stew is what I love to order at Korean restaurants. Now, I can make this at home!! Thanks :)
awesome!
Hi Maangchi!
I love following along with your recipes! The videos are a big help and everything I have tried is super yummy! My boyfriend is Korean and he has enjoyed them as well. The more I eat of them, the more I want! Please keep posting! One recipe I can’t find anywhere is the rice crispy type of treat that is sold among street food vendors. Do you know this recipe? Would love to learn to make that.
Thank you for your interest in my recipes! wonderful!
“rice crispy type of treat that is sold among street food vendors” I don’t know what it is. Please leave your request on the forum with more detailed information. Someone else may know what it is. https://www.maangchi.com/talk/forum/recipe-request
Yes, I’ll post that as soon as I find more info about it.
I made Soondubu jjigae today for the first time. Here’s a photo of it. http://www.flickr.com/photos/84402576@N06/?saved=1 I hope it looks good. :)
Hi, Maangchi!
Do you ever consider remastering your older videos to 1080p, 720p, or remaking them? Videos like this one, kimchi, ddukbokki, and more.
yes, that’s a good idea!
Yay! ^^ I can’t wait to watch them in HD delight!
Hi, Maangchi. If I prefer using chicken broth, can I add different mushroom instead of shiitake mushroom?
yes, you can use any of your favorite mushrooms. Good luck!
Hello maangchi.
I would like to the cook this stew but in Malta we do find kelp. Can I replace it ? Also bought anchovies (dry) but its so small, how can I take out the guts?
Thanks for all you deliouse recipes.
Skip it if dried kelp is not available in your area. You can use chicken or beef broth instead of dried anchovy stock. Small anchovies are usually used to make myeolchibokkeum. https://www.maangchi.com/recipe/myulchibokkeum
If you want to use the small dried anchovies to make stock, you don’t need to remove the guts and heads.
Hi Maangchi, I love Soon Du Bu!!! I have loved this since I was growing up in Hawaii and was disappointed when I moved to the East coast and found out that not all Korean restaurants had this on their menu. A couple of decades later, I found a restaurant near my mom that makes this dish.
I have to say that I did not know that beef was used in this dish. So, I made a little change. During this season of Lent this dish has became my staple for a Friday meal, I have substituted the beef that is sauteed in the beginning with mushrooms and continue and it is my most favorite meal. After Lent, I will make this dish as it should be made and will let you know if I can taste a difference. Thank you so much for having this site, I have been on a Korean cooking craze. I drive to Queens every other weekend to get my ingredients from the korean grocery stores for meals I want to make, so I will keep you posted on how things come out when I make them. Thanks again, I love this site and you for sharing your country’s wonderful cuisine.
Great! It sounds like you love to cook! : ) Cheers!
Hi Maangchi,
I don’t eat red meat, pork or poultry. Would it ruin the flavor if I left out the beef and just used the seafood mixture and shrimp?
Thanks!
Without meat, it will still be delicious! No problem.
hi, is this using egg tofu?
Soft tofu is what you need for this recipe: https://www.maangchi.com/ingredients/soon-du-bu
Hi Maangchi,
I made this twice last week and it was really good. Now I need to find a dolsot so I can take a nicer picture the next time.
I had never tasted soondubu jjigae before making your recipe so I went to our local korean restaurant today and tried theirs. It was served bubbling hot in a small dolsot and the flavor was nearly identical except mine was spicier. It made me happy to know I made your recipe correctly. Thank you.
Hi Maangchi,
Would I be able to substitute the hot pepper flakes with hot pepper paste? Or would that change the flavor too much?
Also instead of making the anchovy stock, can I just use chicken stock or beef stock?
I’m trying to use what I have in the pantry so I don’t have to make a run to the store. lol
How many portion does this recipe make?
It’s for 2 servings.
this is my other favorite soup, second to yukejang. “M” when will you have your cookbook in kindle?
hmm! Kindle, would you like my cookbook on kindle? Kindle doesn’t support color though. If you want to discuss this more, please start it on the forum. Let’s see what others think about my cookbook on kindle. https://www.maangchi.com/talk/forum/general-discussion
By the way, your id is yukgaejang! haha, you must like yukgaejang a lot.
Eating this right now~
SO DELICIOUS…
I had no anchovies though so I had to use the powdered stuff.
powdered stuff works well, too. Great!
hi there! i’m looking forward to trying this recipe! just wanted to ask.. i saw on some other recipes for soondubu to add soybean paste. do you recommend this? thanks!
It’s up to you. Make the both versions and you choose your favorite. : ) I usually don’t use soybean paste in my soondubu jjigae.
hi maangchi
i am a convert to Korean food now thanks to your site! i have been trying out different recipes and i went out down to the Korean store nearly an hour away just to get the ingredients!
my first was making the tofu stew and it turned out delicious and it was so good! it was different than anything else i have tried! thank you so much!
http://isohungry.blogspot,com to check out the recipes i made :)
Sorry about the late reply. I found your post just now. It sounds like you are passionate about Korean cooking. Happy cooking! Your blog doesn’t show, please email me the link again at [email protected]
Hi,
I have just started using your recipes and they are wonderful. I need help, however with two things. First, your stock recipe for the soondubu jjigai and the Naengmyeon are different though they seem to have the same ingredients. One calls for 8 cups of water the soondubu jjigai calls for 5. Is there a reason for this? Second is getting sufficient kimchi juice for the recipes. The jars or tubs one buys seem not to have very much liquid. Is this part of the reason you recommend making kimchi yourself?
Thanks for your help.
Incredibly delicious :) This is possibly my favourite soup! The sesame oil makes it so fragrant, and as I’ve leftover stock I can easily make more! Thank you!