The Korean Vegan
  • About.
    • Events
  • Recipes.
  • Writing.
  • Partner With Me.
  • Contact Me.
  • Free E-Book
  • Stuff I Love
  • About.
    • Events
  • Recipes.
  • Writing.
  • Partner With Me.
  • Contact Me.
  • Free E-Book
  • Stuff I Love

The Korean Vegan

Tag

recipe

Gluten FreeSaucesSoups, Stews, and Side DishesTraditional Korean Recipes

Kimchi Chigae Reigns Supreme.

Ok, so the other night, my boyfriend was out and it was just me for dinner.  Normally, on nights I don’t need to cook for anyone but me, I stick to something easy–like bread and almond butter (sadly, this is not an exaggeration).  But, there was a ripe old jar of kimchi calling my name just sitting in my fridge, so I decided it was a great opportunity to make some kimchi chigae.  My boyfriend–an Italian American–has been a real trooper about trying all the different veganized Korean foods I make, but the one thing that hasn’t quite enthralled him (yet) is kimchi [guys, no one is perfect stop judging him].

Kimchi chigae is basically like many other Korean recipes–it’s aimed at making sure nothing goes to waste.  Like bibimbap, it’s about taking what’s in your fridge that you would otherwise not serve at the table and putting them into a pot until they become delicious again.  The trick with any chigae (stew) is to make a kick ass broth.  Here, that starts with good kimchi [duh]. But I also add some red onions (which are healthier than the white variety), garlic, and shiitake mushrooms to do some of the legwork.  The final piece to the puzzle, though, is my mom’s Korean BBQ Marinade.  I use this delicious concoction to take basically every savory dish I make to that next level.

If you like spicy food, you will love love love this recipe. It’s easy, delicious, and healthy to boot!  You can find a step by step video demonstration of this recipe (along with a bunch of others) here.  

Kimchi Chigae.

...for that time you don't know what to do with all that left over kimchi that's too sour to eat...
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
4 people

Ingredients
  

Chigae

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/4 red onion diced
  • 6-7 shiitake mushrooms sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 cup kimchi** overripe
  • 1 1/2 tbsp gochujang*
  • tbsp Omma's Korean BBQ Marinade see below
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/2 cup black beans
  • 3 oz. extra firm tofu sliced
  • green onions for garnish

Omma's Korean BBQ Marinade

  • 1/2 red onion
  • 6 cloves garlic
  • 1/2 cup soy sauce use Tamari sauce for GF version
  • 2 tbsp mirin
  • 1/2 Korean apple pear
  • 1/2 red bell pepper
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup optional
  • 1 tbsp liquid smoke optional

Instructions
 

  • Blend all ingredients for Omma's Korean BBQ Marinade in blender, until smooth and slightly frothy. It will smell freaking delicious and you will want to use it in everything you cook.
  • In a medium size pot (I use the traditional Korean stone pot, but you can also use a dutch oven), over medium high heat, add 1 tbsp olive oil. Once the oil is nice and hot, add red onions and mushrooms. Cook until brown. Add garlic and salt and stir until garlic softens.
  • Add kimchi and some of the kimchi juice. Feel free to slice the kimchi into bite sized pieces if it doesn't come that way already. Make sure the kimchi is overripe--as in, not the kind that you want to eat raw. The kimchi should be a dull orange (as opposed to the beautiful bright orange you see when served at a meal) and smell like your brother's dirty socks. If you use underripe or even just ripe kimchi, the stew will not come out as good.
  • Add gochujang and Omma's Korean BBQ Marinade and stir until all the veggies are evenly coated. It should smell like heaven in your kitchen.
  • Add water and bring to a boil. Then add black beans, tofu, and a little green onion for garnish. Do not let your stew cook too long--the longer you cook, the soggier your kimchi becomes. You want your kimchi to retain a nice satisfying "crunch" even when the stew is done cooking.

Notes

  1.  You can get gluten free gochujang here.  If you have no probs with gluten, you can pick up a few other brands of gochujang that I really like here and here.
  2. If you don't have an awesome mom who makes you vegan kimchi (like my mom), you can buy vegan kimchi here.
Sign Up For a FREE Copy of Our E-Book! Sign Up Here!

Kimchi Chigae Reigns Supreme. was last modified: May 11th, 2020 by the.krn.vegan@gmail.com
4 comments
20 Facebook Twitter Google + Pinterest

About Me

About Me

I veganize Korean food. I Koreanize everything else.

Keep in touch

Facebook Twitter Instagram Pinterest Youtube

the.korean.vegan

The Korean Vegan, Esq.
This is one of my earlier TikTok videos, back when This is one of my earlier TikTok videos, back when this sandwich was on trend. Reposting it because sometimes I need to listen to my own advice. ❤️
Advice from 고모: Heartbreak. Advice from 고모: Heartbreak.
Earlier today, I watched a video of a white man en Earlier today, I watched a video of a white man encourage his 3 year old son to “make fun of his Asian uncle” by pulling the corners of his eyes back into slits.  When confronted by a number of Asians explaining how offensive the video was, he grew defensive, claiming it was “just a little fun.”
.
Several years ago, someone asked me what the big deal was about white people making fun of my eyes.  He claimed, “people make fun of my appearance all the time, I guess I’m just not as sensitive as you.” Being bullied for one’s appearance is always wrong and can definitely be traumatic no matter what. But when that appearance is tied to your ethnicity, and when that ethnicity is outnumbered, that kind of bullying can take on a different level of harm. If someone makes fun of my nose, I may spend the rest of my life hating my nose. But if someone makes fun of my eyes—an attribute tied to my Koreanness—then I not only hate my eyes, I also hate my Koreanness.
.
Bottom line, I never thought that in 2021, I’d have to explain why making “Asian eyes” to an Asian is offensive, inappropriate, and insensitive.  But apparently, it’s a message that continues to be in demand. In lieu of yelling at people, though, I thought I’d just share a story.
.
Finally, a couple translations: “Dominick’s Language” is what I used to call English, because it was the gibberish my Dad spoke at the grocery store. “Sohknehbok” is Korean underclothing, something my grandmother made me wear in summer, lol, because she was always afraid I would catch my death.
.
You can find the recipe for Tteokbokki (or its popular sister recipe, Rabokki) on my blog.
Load More...

Sign Up For Your Copy of Our FREE E-Book!

Recipes

  • Bread and Breakfast
  • Desserts
  • Entrees
  • Food
  • Gluten Free
  • Life
  • Mains
  • Pasta and Noodles
  • Sauces
  • Soups, Stews, and Side Dishes
  • Stuff I Love
  • Traditional Korean Recipes
  • Uncategorized

Popular Posts

  • Stuff I Love: On The Stovetop

    November 4, 2020
  • Spicy & Crunchy Garlic Tofu (Kkanpoong Tofu)

    July 13, 2020
  • Kimchi Chigae Reigns Supreme.

    August 13, 2017
  • Your Favorite Tofu Recipe EVAR.

    October 13, 2016
  • Savory Pancakes – Gluten Free!

    May 15, 2018
  • Tteokbokki (Spicy Korean Rice Cakes)

    August 13, 2016
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Youtube
  • Snapchat
Footer Logo

@2020 The Korean Vegan. All Right Reserved. Site Design by The Denizen Co.


Back To Top