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    Home » Recipes » Korean

    Published: Apr 15, 2022 · Modified: Jul 25, 2022 by Julia · This post may contain affiliate links · 17 Comments

    Kimchi Mushroom Soft Tofu Stew (Vegetarian)

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    A piping hot kimchi tofu stew is the perfect pick-me-up for any day of the year. A spicy and slightly sour stew that's filled to the brim with tofu and mushrooms.

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • Step-by-step instructions
    • How do I make shiitake mushroom broth?
    • What type of tofu can I use?
    • Looking for more vegetarian tofu recipes?
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Reviews
    vegetarian kimchi tofu stew

    Korean stews are extremely versatile and were one of my favorite dishes when I first discovered Korean food. At restaurants, the dish is served bubbling hot with a raw egg that you can crack right in. Sour kimchi, Korean red chili flakes and sesame oil flavoring the broth. What I love about this dish? Being able to make it at home whenever I was craving it!

    What do I mean when I say this stew is versatile? There's so many kinds of proteins and other additions to add into the broth! Seafood tofu stew, beef tofu stew, soybean paste tofu stew, tofu stew with dumplings...

    Ingredients

    The soup base is so vital to this dish and making it taste just right. Since we're making a vegetarian friendly version, we'll be creating a homemade shiitake mushroom broth as the foundation.

    For the soup base:

    • Dried shiitake mushrooms: It's important to used dried mushrooms since we'll be using the liquid that it soaks in to further flavor the broth. These can be found at any Asian store in the dried goods section and come in vacuum-sealed packages.
    • Kimchi: You can use store-bought kimchi or homemade kimchi. The key is to use sour kimchi (which is kimchi that has been fermented for a long time!). It's ok to use freshly made kimchi, especially if you've just made it at home, but just know that the flavors won't be as developed. Use some of the kimchi juice in your broth as well!
    • Zucchini, onion, and garlic
    • Gochugaru: Korean chili pepper flakes gives the stew a nice spicy kick
    • Gochujang (Korean pepper paste): Gochujang is moreso optional, but I like to add it into my tofu stews to partner with the gochugaru
    • Soy sauce
    • Toasted sesame oil
    • Mirin: Mirin is a sweet Japanese cooking wine, you can sub rice vinegar, but the taste will then be more sour.
    • Scallions: Use half the scallions for the base and half the scallion to top when finished.

    Toppings:

    • Soft or silken tofu: You must use soft or silken tofu for this dish and not firm tofu.
    • Remaining chopped scallions
    • Egg
    • Salt (to taste)

    Serve with:

    • White or purple rice

    Step-by-step instructions

    1. Soak dried shittake mushrooms in a bowl of cold water so the mushrooms are fully submerged (about 2.5 cups). For optimal flavor, soak the mushrooms in cold water overnight in the fridge. However, if you're short on time, you can soak the mushrooms in hot water for around 30 minutes.dried shiitake mushrooms soaking in water
    2. While waiting for the mushrooms to soak, prepare the onions, scallions, zucchini, and garlic.vegetables on cutting board
    3. When mushrooms are ready, remove mushrooms from liquid and squeeze out any excess water. Remove the stem of the mushroom (these are tough to eat!) and then slice for the soup.
    4. In a pot, add sesame oil and stir-fry onions and scallion until onions are translucent.
    5. Add garlic and stir for 1 minute. Then add zucchini, kimchi, sliced mushrooms, soy sauce and mirin. Continue to sauté for 2 more minutes.ingredients in korean pot
    6. Add in gochugaru and gochujang and stir until the base ingredients are nicely coated.
    7. Add in the mushroom broth and bring to a gentle boil.
    8. Slice the tofu block into cubes and add into the broth. Taste the broth and season with salt accordingly.
    9. Let simmer for another 5 minutes. Top with more scallions.
    10. While still boiling hot, crack in a fresh egg and let the heat of the broth lightly poach the egg.
    11. Serve with a hot bowl of rice!

    How do I make shiitake mushroom broth?

    The key to a flavorful mushroom broth is to soak the dried shiitake mushrooms in cold water overnight. As mentioned above, you must use dried mushrooms as fresh mushrooms will not pack the same richness. Dried shiitake mushrooms can be found in any Asian grocery store in the dried goods aisle, and are typically found in vacuum-sealed packages.

    For this recipe, soak the 4 mushrooms in about 2.5 cups of water.

    If you're short on time, then you can soak the mushrooms in warm water for around 15-20 minutes or until they are soft until to use in a dish. However, you will not yield the same results as the cold water method mentioned above.

    You can keep the mushroom broth for about 2-3 days or freeze for a longer period, but I recommend using it freshly made!

    What type of tofu can I use?

    You must use either soft or silken tofu for this dish. Soft or silken tofus are best when used in stews or soups, while firm or extra firm tofu is better for grilling, baking, or frying since these types of tofus hold less moisture.

    • soft tofu
    • silken tofu

    Looking for more vegetarian tofu recipes?

    • Vegetarian Mapo Tofu
    • Gochujang Baked Tofu
    • Cold Silken Tofu with Chili Soy Sauce
    • Crispy Baked Tofu Nuggets
    vegetarian kimchi tofu stew

    📖 Recipe

    vegetarian kimchi tofu stew topped with mushrooms and scallion
    Print Pin
    5 from 17 votes

    Korean Mushroom Soft Tofu Stew

    A piping hot kimchi tofu stew is the perfect pick-me-up for any day of the year. A spicy and slightly sour stew that's filled to the brim with tofu and mushrooms.
    Course Dinner, Lunch, Soup
    Cuisine Korean
    Diet Vegetarian
    Prep Time 20 minutes
    Cook Time 15 minutes
    Total Time 35 minutes
    Servings 2
    Author Julia

    Ingredients

    Soup base

    • 4 dried shiitake mushrooms (soaked in 2.5 cups cold water)
    • ½ white onion
    • ½ stalk scallion
    • 1 clove garlic
    • ½ zucchini
    • ½ cup kimchi (chopped)
    • 2 tablespoon gochugaru (Korean chili pepper flake)
    • 1 tablespoon gochujang (Korean red pepper paste)
    • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
    • 1 tablespoon mirin (Japanese rice wine)
    • 2 tablespoon kimchi juice (optional)

    Toppings

    • 14 oz silken tofu (sub soft tofu)
    • ½ stalk scallion

    Instructions

    • Soak dried shittake mushrooms in 2.5 cups of cold water so the mushrooms are fully submerged. For optimal flavor, soak the mushrooms in cold water overnight in the fridge. However, if you're short on time, you can soak the mushrooms in hot water for around 30 minutes.
    • While waiting for the mushrooms to soak, prepare onions, garlic, zucchini, and scallions.
    • When mushrooms are ready, remove mushrooms from liquid and squeeze out any excess water. Remove the stem of the mushroom and then slice mushrooms for the soup. Keep the liquid to use for broth!
    • In a pot, add sesame oil and stir-fry onions and scallion until onions are translucent.
    • Add garlic and stir for 1 minute. Then add zucchini, kimchi, sliced mushrooms, soy sauce and mirin. Continue to saute for another 2 minutes.
    • Add in gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)1 and gochujang (Korean red pepper paste) and stir until the base ingredients are nicely coated.
    • Add in the mushroom broth (from soaking the mushrooms) and bring to a gentle boil. You may not need all 2.5 cups depending on the size of your pot. If you have reserved kimchi juice, add in about 2 tbsp.
    • Slice the tofu block into squares and add into the broth. Taste the broth and season with salt accordingly.
    • Let simmer for another 5 minutes. Top with remaining scallions.
    • While still boiling hot, crack in a fresh egg and let the heat of the broth lightly poach the egg.
    • Serve with a hot bowl of rice!

    Notes

    1. If you want less heat, reduce gochugaru to 1 tbsp.
    kimchi tofu soup pinterest

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Andrea says

      April 15, 2022 at 3:35 pm

      5 stars
      love this tofu stew so much! nutritious and very flavorful also!

      Reply
    2. Kris says

      April 15, 2022 at 4:09 pm

      5 stars
      Was very good.

      Reply
    3. Keri says

      April 15, 2022 at 4:45 pm

      5 stars
      Wonderful flavours in this recipe!

      Reply
    4. nancy says

      April 15, 2022 at 7:41 pm

      5 stars
      yummmmy i love this warm tofu soup. Really warms my tummy up. thanks

      Reply
    5. Melinda says

      April 15, 2022 at 8:19 pm

      5 stars
      Love the spicy kick this recipe brings to tofu. Also, my first attempt at tofu stew!

      Reply
    6. Nora says

      April 15, 2022 at 11:07 pm

      5 stars
      So delicious! Thank you for sharing!

      Reply
    7. Emily Flint says

      April 18, 2022 at 8:20 am

      5 stars
      This was delicious!

      Reply
    8. Nora says

      April 18, 2022 at 10:16 am

      5 stars
      Yum! So delicious! Thank you for sharing!

      Reply
    9. Lilly says

      April 18, 2022 at 11:07 am

      5 stars
      The flavor of this soup is perfect! Such a great recipe

      Reply
    10. Sabrina says

      April 18, 2022 at 12:00 pm

      5 stars
      I love all the mushrooms in this. Such rich flavour, I love it, thanks!

      Reply
    11. amanda says

      April 18, 2022 at 1:19 pm

      5 stars
      This was so good and comforting, I love the spice too! Absolutely perfect!

      Reply
    12. Linda says

      April 18, 2022 at 10:46 pm

      5 stars
      I'm a big fan of tofu soup and this one is so comforting in every slurp!

      Reply
    13. Jamie says

      April 18, 2022 at 11:07 pm

      5 stars
      So flavorful and satisfying!

      Reply
    14. Ash B says

      April 19, 2022 at 12:12 am

      5 stars
      I love this tofu soup so much! It's the right amount of spicy and so flavorful!

      Reply
    15. Leslie says

      April 19, 2022 at 8:33 am

      5 stars
      Lots of flavor in this tofu stew! This one is a keeper!

      Reply
    16. Addie says

      April 19, 2022 at 8:33 pm

      5 stars
      So hearty and flavorful!

      Reply
    17. Tatiana says

      April 22, 2022 at 11:44 am

      5 stars
      Definitely restaurant quality stew!

      Reply

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    Hi, I'm J! I'm a marketer by day, food photographer and recipe-tester by any other time available. The Floured Camera was born from my need to make quick, delicious, and (sometimes) healthy dishes for when I'm craving my favorite Asian childhood dishes!

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