One of my favorite Korean stews/soups/chigaes is indisputably soondooboo (or soon tofu) soup. The silky texture of the tofu, together with its understated brine mix so well with Korean chili powder to create a tangy, spicy, soul-soothing, sinus-clearing concoction that will leave you satisfied and slightly sweaty.

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Cooking Time: 40 minutes
Recipe Difficulty: Easy
Servings Amount: 2

Ingredients

• 1-2 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp Korean chili powder (you can find it on Amazon)
• 3 cloves chopped garlic
• 1/2 chopped onion
• 5-6 chopped shiitake mushrooms
• 1/2 chopped zucchini
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 cup mushroom dashi* OR water
• 1 16 oz. box silken tofu
• 1/4 serrano chili, sliced thin
• 2 scallions, chopped

1.  In a stone pot (or small soup pot), add 1-2 tbsp sesame oil over medium heat. Add 1 tbsp of Korean chili powder and coat with oil over the heat. Make sure not to burn the chili (keep the heat at medium and stir constantly).
2. Add garlic, onions, mushrooms, and zucchini and cook until onions begin to grow translucent (about 1 minute). Add generous amount of salt.
3. Add soy sauce and stir until all veggies are well coated.
4. Pour mushroom dashi, vegetable broth, or water into pot (pour through sieve if you’re using mushroom dashi). Add silken tofu. Stir and bring to boil. Then letter simmer for 10 minutes.
5. Add chilis and scallions as garnish before serving with a lot of rice and a tall glass of water.

*You can make dashi by submerging a handful of mushrooms in 1 cup of cold filtered water for at least 4 hours.