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Spicy Kimchi Tofu Stew

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Spicy Kimchi Tofu Stew Gentl & Hyers

This fiery Korean stew is my weekend detox. It's spicy, clean, and capable of reversing any damage the previous night may have caused.

Ingredients

Makes 6 servings

Kosher salt
1 16-ounce package silken tofu, cut into 1" pieces
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 cups gently squeezed cabbage kimchi, chopped, plus 1 cup liquid
2 tablespoons gochujang (Korean hot pepper paste)
8 scallions, cut into 1" pieces
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
Freshly ground black pepper
6 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
  1. Step 1

    Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Reduce heat, carefully add tofu, and simmer gently until slightly puffed and firmed up, about 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer tofu to a medium bowl.

    Step 2

    Heat vegetable oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add kimchi and gochujang and cook, stirring often, until beginning to brown, 5–8 minutes. Add kimchi liquid and 8 cups water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until kimchi is softened and translucent, 35–40 minutes.

    Step 3

    Add scallions, soy sauce, and tofu; simmer gently until tofu has absorbed flavors, 20–25 minutes (tofu will fall apart a little). Add sesame oil; season with salt and pepper. Ladle stew into bowls; top each with an egg yolk and sesame seeds.

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Reviews (15)

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  • I didn’t poach the tofu, I just cut it large. I used 1 T. each gochujang and gochugaru and, since it STILL wasn’t fiery enough, a few Sichuan Facing Heaven chilies. I also used 3 c. chicken stock + kimchi liquid + water. I’m on the last bowl, and it’s one of the most delicious soups I’ve ever had! Light and delightful.

    • Vero Beach, FL

    • 3/6/2021

  • Delicious! Substituted tofu for beef and added in pak choy + udon noodles.

    • tylerxjarvis

    • Australia

    • 7/8/2020

  • Really delicious and easy to make!

    • Anonymous

    • New York, NY

    • 10/17/2018

  • The flavor in this stew is amazing! I'm a meat eater and the tofu just wasn't enough for me. We added ground pork sausage and it was great!

    • ocfooddiva6170

    • Orange County, CA

    • 1/15/2018

  • While this recipe looks good, it is tagged as no added sugar. I haven't worried about that stuff until now when I have started a low carb diet and ANY sugar is not allowed, especially in the first two weeks...not even honey or molasses. I have used Gochujang for years now and also have many other Asian sauce concentrates/bases. They are delicious, but for some reason almost all of them have sugar in them. Gochujang has corn syrup in it. Essentially the same as sugar for dietary/weight loss purposes. It is high in carbs, even at the teaspoon level. Dont let this recipe fool you. It has added sweeteners in it. Just because you dont add sugar specifically doesn't make it "no sugar added"...which means "no sugar added by anyone in any of the products used including corn syrup and similar sweeteners". I also have korean chili flakes on hand because I used to make my own kimchi. I haven't made kimchi in a few years and have been wondering what to do with all that Korean Chili I have. Now I know! I'll use it in soups like this instead of the sugary ingredients like Gochujang, and maybe find out how to make my own no-sweetener Gochujang substitute. Fair warning low carb dieters. This is not allowed in your diet!

    • kenny_d

    • 1/2/2018

  • 我这两次。使用金的品牌泡菜(available in all supermarkets here). The first time I used silken tofu, which does have a lovely texture, but it fell all apart, which kind of negates the entire texture thing. The second time I used soft tofu, which stays together much better. I could not find the Korean chili so I used Huy Fong chile garlic paste. I more or less halved the recipe as the jar of kimchi was 14 ounces - did wind up adding a total of 6 cups of water. This is a great restorative (though spicy) and easy to eat. It's now on my keeper list.

    • toe2toe

    • Redding, CA

    • 4/9/2016

  • Yum!! I followed the recipe exactly, except that I added additional fresh scallions as a garnish at the end.

    • drcaribou

    • 4/1/2016

  • This is a terrific recipe. However, it's so simple that the kimchi really should be top-notch. Consider making your own if you can't find exemplary kimchi in a store; it's super-easy and pays dividends. Oh yeah, also turn on all fans and open the windows when you make this. Browning kimchi smell has a tendency to linger.

    • dahliat

    • Los Angeles, CA

    • 2/20/2016

  • Loved the recipe - made a few changes: added 2 tbs ginger and used vegitable broth instead of water. Pretty close to a hot and sour soup that we love to make.

    • ChellTodd

    • Greensboro, NC

    • 11/30/2015

  • Loved the consistency of the silken tofu in the soup. Healthy and light. Seemed a bit salty to me, but maybe it was my kimchee. I cut the recipe in half like previously suggested.

    • boocowboys

    • Durham

    • 11/6/2015

  • This was really really terrible. Make sure you are IN LOVE with the flavor of the kimchi because that is essentially what you'll be eating, just watered down. I'd half the recipe if I do it again, and I'd get the best, like the most authentic, kimchi I could find.

    • sampsohm

    • New Orleans

    • 10/29/2015

  • Excellent. Pair with cold beer.

    • DonTortuga

    • Virginia

    • 6/6/2014

  • 我做了这个专门为我女儿的rating is from her comments. She LOVED this! I had the gochujang which I had used in a previous recipe. I found at an Asian grocery store. Here is what I found in making this recipe. The jar of kimchi I used was 12 oz, it yielded only 1/2 c juice so I cut the amount of water to 4 cups. I kept everything else the same. This made a lot, it will definitely serve 5. So there are leftovers which I hope will keep. My daughter can enjoy this again tomorrow and she will be very happy about that.

    • nastysuprise

    • Mpls

    • 3/6/2014

  • Very easy and VERY good! I followed recipe exactly. The only hard part was finding the gochujang (Korean hot pepper paste). Gochujang will now be a staple in my pantry so I can make this again and other Korean recipes!

    • mmstetson

    • Rosslyn, VA

    • 3/3/2014

  • This is more of a soup than a stew. IT was excellent. I had all ingredients except for the korean chili pepper paste. I added mushrooms. I'll make this again!

    • Anonymous

    • Boston MA

    • 2/25/2014

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