Sundubu Jjigae — Korean Soft Tofu Stew (No-Oil Fast Day)

Other Fast Without Oil Published June 13, 2026

Sundubu jjigae arrives at the table still violently bubbling in its stone pot, fiery red and fragrant with gochugaru and garlic, with clouds of the softest custard-like tofu suspended throughout. It is one of the most comforting bowls in all of Korean cooking, and stripped of the usual pork and seafood it loses none of its soul — the silken tofu carries everything, and a base of dried mushroom and kelp broth gives it a deep, oceanic umami. This is a strict-day stew that warms you from the inside out.

This version is built deliberately for no-oil Wednesdays and Fridays: the aromatics are simmered straight into the broth rather than fried, and the spice paste is bloomed in a little hot broth instead of oil. On oil days, you can fry the gochugaru and garlic in a tablespoon of sesame oil first for a rounder, richer flavor.

FASTING LEVEL: Fast Without Oil (richer oil-day version in notes)
SERVINGS: 2
TIME: 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

- 1 tube (350g) silken or soft tofu (sundubu)
- 4 cups water
- 1 piece dried kelp (kombu), about 10cm
- 4 dried shiitake mushrooms
- 2 tablespoons gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon doenjang (Korean soybean paste), optional but recommended
- 1/2 onion, thinly sliced
- 1 zucchini, diced
- 2 green onions, sliced
- Salt to taste
- Steamed rice, to serve

METHOD

1. Make the broth: put the water, kombu, and dried shiitake in a pot. Bring slowly to just below a boil, then remove the kombu. Simmer the shiitake for 10 minutes, then lift them out, slice off and discard the stems, and slice the caps. Keep the broth.

2. In a small bowl, mix the gochugaru, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and doenjang with a few tablespoons of the hot broth to make a loose paste.

3. Return the broth to a simmer. Stir in the spice paste, sliced shiitake, onion, and zucchini. Simmer for 8 minutes until the vegetables are tender and the broth is deep red.

4. Spoon the silken tofu into the pot in large curd-like chunks. Do not stir hard — gently break it apart so it stays in soft clouds. Simmer 3-4 minutes until heated through.

5. Taste and adjust with soy sauce or salt. Scatter the green onions over the top and serve immediately, bubbling hot, with steamed rice on the side.

NOTES

- On oil days, fry the gochugaru, garlic, and ginger in 1 tablespoon sesame oil for 1 minute before adding the broth — this is the classic richer version.
- On fish days, add a handful of clams or a few shrimp in step 3; shellfish is permitted on any fasting day, so clams or mussels can go in even on strict days.
- Adjust the gochugaru to your heat tolerance; 2 tablespoons is moderately spicy.
- No doenjang? A teaspoon of white miso is a fine stand-in for the savory backbone.