Doenjang Jjigae

The central ingredient in this traditional Korean stew is doenjang, a fermented soybean paste. This savory paste provides significant protein and probiotics due to the natural fermentation process. It gives the stew its characteristic deep, earthy, and umami-rich flavor profile.

In addition to the soybean paste broth, the stew commonly includes tofu, diced zucchini, mushrooms, and green onions. Meats like ground beef or seafood such as shrimp and clams are frequently added to enrich the broth. The ingredients are traditionally simmered together in a stone pot called a ttukbaegi.

While both are popular Korean stews, they utilize entirely different foundational flavor bases. Doenjang jjigae relies on fermented soybean paste for a savory, earthy taste, whereas kimchi jjigae uses aged, fermented spicy cabbage. Doenjang jjigae is generally less spicy and has a richer, darker brown broth.

While the base ingredient, doenjang, is entirely plant-based, the stew is frequently made with anchovy or beef broth. Dried anchovies (myeolchi) are a standard component of the stock used to make the soup base. However, it can easily be adapted for vegans by substituting the stock with a dried kelp (dashima) broth.