Korean Thistle Herb Soybean Paste Stew

Quick answer

Total time: 35 min
Level: Easy
Servings: 2 servings
Ingredients: 8

About this dish

This doenjang jjigae features blanched gondeure, Korean thistle greens that are a prized mountain herb in Gangwon Province.

The greens belong to the Korean thistle family and have a mild bitterness alongside a warm, earthy aroma that pairs naturally with the depth of fermented soybean paste. Potato and firm tofu add substance to the anchovy-kelp stock base. The result is a gentle, aromatic stew without aggressive spice, a direct expression of Korean mountain cuisine. When using dried gondeure, soaking it thoroughly in water before blanching is essential to prevent a tough, fibrous texture in the finished stew. Fresh gondeure should be blanched and rinsed in cold water to remove excess bitterness. The key to this jjigae is restraint with the doenjang: using just enough for seasoning, rather than making the fermented paste the dominant flavor, allows the mountain herb's natural scent to come through clearly in every spoonful.

Ingredients (2 servings)

Ingredient	Amount	Unit
blanched gondeure greens	120	g
doenjang	1.5	tbsp
firm tofu	180	g
potato	120	g
onion	80	g
green onion	35	g
minced garlic	1	tsp
anchovy-kelp stock	700	ml

Instructions

Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.

6 steps

1

Prep

Lightly squeeze only the excess moisture from 120 g blanched gondeure, then cut it into 3 cm pieces.

If the stems feel fibrous, press them once with the spine of a knife before slicing so they soften in the stew.
2

Heat

Cut 120 g potato into bite-size pieces that are not too thick, so they cook before the tofu breaks down.

Slice 80 g onion, cut 180 g firm tofu into thick pieces, and slice the green onion on a diagonal.
3

Control

Pour 700 ml anchovy-kelp stock into a pot and dissolve 1.5 tablespoons doenjang through a fine strainer.

Set the pot over medium heat and bring it to a steady boil without leaving lumps of paste.
4

Control

When the broth boils, add the potato and onion and cook over medium heat for about 7 minutes.

The potato should lose its raw crunch and look slightly translucent at the edges before the greens go in.
5

Control

Add the prepared gondeure and 1 teaspoon minced garlic, then lower the heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes.

Keep the bubbles gentle, because a hard boil can make the herb aroma dull and the broth cloudy.
6

Season

Add 180 g firm tofu and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, just until seasoned and hot through.

Add 35 g green onion at the end, taste the broth, and dilute with a little stock if the doenjang tastes too salty.

Practical Cooking Checks

The cues that matter most while cooking.

Key technique: Gondeure-doenjang-jjigae infuses soybean stew with the earthy, bitter scent of thistle greens.
Finish cue: The potato should lose its raw crunch and look slightly translucent at the edges before the greens go in.
Avoid this: When using dried gondeure, soaking it thoroughly in water before blanching is essential to prevent a tough, fibrous texture in the finished stew.