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Overview

Sundubu Jjigae

Soft Tofu Stew, Sundubu-jjigae, Spicy Soft Tofu Stew

This sundubu jjigae recipe is the Korean soft tofu stew: silken tofu slipped into a bubbling, brick-red broth with enoki mushrooms and a raw egg cracked in at the very end, so the heat of the pot sets it to silk. It is not kimchi jjigae — there is no kimchi here, and the soft tofu and egg are the point, not a side note. One serving is about 430 g.

Sundubu — literally “uncurd tofu” — has been made in Korea for centuries, and the stew built around it, sundubu jjigae, became a restaurant classic in the 20th century, served bubbling in a stone pot with a raw egg cracked in at the table. Unlike kimchi jjigae, which is built on aged kimchi and pork, sundubu jjigae is built on the tofu itself: the broth is a light, spicy base whose only job is to carry the soft curds. The egg is not a garnish — stirred in at the table, it thickens the broth and rounds the heat, which is why the pot is always served still boiling.

Pairs well with: Steamed rice, kimchi & barley tea

Provenance

South Korea flag South Korea

Korean Heritage

East & South Asia

Time Dedication

40m

15m prep • 25m cook

Batch Yield

4 Servings

237 kcal per serving

1 serving ≈ 430 g

Technical Skill

Intermediate

Easy (One Pot)

Meal Timing & Digestive Fit

Breakfast

Not Advised

Lunch

Hearty Midday Main

Dinner

Ideal Hearty Main

Snack & Tea

Inappropriate

Soups & Broths Occasions: Cold evenings, comfort dinners, weeknight one-pot meals, late-night Korean restaurant-style suppers Cost: Low — about $2–3 per serving at home
Tags: Egg Tofu Vegetables Spicy Soup
Sundubu jjigae bubbling in a black stone pot, with a raw egg yolk, enoki mushrooms and soft tofu in a red chilli broth

Korean Heritage

Photo: titanium22, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Heritage Formulary

Measured Ingredients

Estimated cost: Low — about $2–3 per serving at home (USD)

A good sundubu jjigae is judged by its tofu: whole soft curds in a clear red broth, with the egg yolk still runny when it reaches the table.

Execution Methodology & Culinary Technique

Step-by-Step Cooking Guide

Active 40m
P

Prep Stage: Spoon the Tofu, Slice the Aromatics

15 Mins • Knife Work

Silken tofu cannot be cubed like firm tofu — it collapses. Spoon it out of the pack in soft chunks and leave it alone after that. Slice the onion and spring onions, mince the garlic, trim the enoki, and measure the gochugaru, soy sauce and sugar into small bowls. Crack each egg into its own cup so it can go in the second the stew boils.

Maestro Tip: Handle the tofu as little as possible: every extra touch breaks it into crumbs that cloud the broth.

  1. 1

    Bloom the Chilli in Sesame Oil

    3 Mins Medium heat, about 175°C (350°F)

    Warm the sesame oil in a heavy pot or stone pot over medium heat. Add the gochugaru and stir for 30 seconds until the oil turns deep red and smells fragrant — do not let it smoke or the chilli turns bitter. Add the onion, garlic and the white parts of the spring onions and cook for 2 minutes until the onion softens.

    Thirty seconds is enough for the chilli: the colour change tells you it is ready.

    Done when: Oil is brick-red and fragrant; onion is soft and translucent.

  2. 2

    Add the Stock and Simmer

    12 Mins Boiling, about 100°C (212°F), then a gentle simmer

    Pour in the vegetable stock, soy sauce and sugar, and bring the pot to a rolling boil. Lower the heat and simmer gently for 10 minutes so the onion and garlic melt into the broth and the chilli heat rounds out. Taste and add a little more soy sauce only if it needs salt — the broth should be savoury and spicy, not salty.

    Simmer, do not boil hard: a fierce boil makes the broth cloudy and dulls the chilli colour.

    Done when: Broth is clear red, tastes balanced and spicy.

  3. 3

    Add the Tofu and Mushrooms

    5 Mins Gentle simmer, about 95°C (200°F)

    Spoon the silken tofu into the simmering broth in large soft chunks and lay the enoki mushrooms on top. Do not stir — push the tofu gently under the surface with the back of a spoon. Simmer for 4 to 5 minutes until the tofu is heated through and the mushrooms have wilted. The tofu will break a little at the edges; that is how sundubu jjigae should look.

    Never stir after the tofu goes in: the spoon breaks it and the stew turns to porridge.

    Done when: Tofu is hot through, mushrooms are soft and wilted.

  4. 4

    Crack in the Eggs and Serve

    2 Mins Boiling, about 100°C (212°F)

    Turn the heat up so the stew is bubbling hard, then crack the eggs straight into the pot, spacing them apart. Cover with a lid and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until the whites just set and the yolks are still runny. Scatter over the green spring onion tops and take the pot straight to the table — the stew keeps cooking in its own heat, so serve it at once with steamed rice.

    The egg must go in while the stew is at a hard boil, or the white spreads into ribbons instead of setting.

    Done when: Egg whites are set, yolks are soft and runny.

Finishing Touches & Plating

Serve the pot bubbling at the table with a bowl of steamed rice. Stir the egg yolk into the broth at the table — it thickens the stew slightly and softens the heat.

Nutritional Physiology & Benefits

Nutrition

Energy

237

kcal / serving

Protein

16g

Complete AA

Carbs

15g

Complex

Fats

12g

Healthy

Per serving (4 servings · 1 serving ≈ 430 g)
Energy237 kcal
Protein16 g
Carbohydrates15 g
Fat12 g
Fibre3.1 g
Sugar4.7 g
Sodium698 mg
Per 100g
Energy55 kcal
Protein3.7 g
Carbohydrates3.4 g
Fat2.9 g
Fibre0.7 g
Sugar1.1 g
Sodium162 mg

Nutrition values are estimated — calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for the listed ingredients.

Vitamins & minerals: Calcium and iron from the silken tofu, vitamin B12 and choline from the egg, vitamin C from the spring onions; the gochugaru adds a little vitamin A. Nutrition is estimated.

Soft Tofu, Real Protein

At 15.9 g of protein a serving, this sundubu jjigae recipe gets most of it from silken tofu and egg — light, soft protein that is easy to digest and needs no meat.

Light but Filling

At 237 kcal a serving, the stew is mostly broth, tofu and mushrooms, so a big bowl fills you up without weighing you down — the rice on the side is where the extra energy comes from.

One Pot, Little Fat Added

Only 10 ml of sesame oil goes into the whole pot; the richness comes from the egg yolk stirred in at the table, not from frying.

Food Pairings

What to Eat With

To optimize nutrient absorption and elevate the sensory depth, pair with these authentic accompaniments:

Sides

Steamed Rice

The plain rice soaks up the spicy broth and gives the soft tofu something to sit on — sundubu jjigae is almost always eaten with rice, never alone.

Vegetables

Kimchi

A small dish of kimchi on the side adds crunch and sourness against the soft, hot stew, and it is the classic banchan pairing.

Drinks

Barley Tea

Roasted barley tea is mild and toasty, and it cools the chilli heat between spoonfuls without adding sweetness.

Soups

Bean Sprout Salad

Crisp, lightly seasoned bean sprouts give the meal a cool, crunchy contrast to the bubbling stew.

Complete menu

Serve the sundubu jjigae bubbling in its pot with steamed rice, a small dish of kimchi and bean sprout salad; barley tea to drink, and a second helping of rice for anyone who wants it.

Digestive Guardrails

What NOT to Combine

To prevent digestive distress, sluggishness, or palate clash, avoid pairing the dish with these elements:

Raw Egg Left Standing

The egg is only lightly set by the heat of the pot, so eat the stew straight away and do not leave leftovers with the egg in them sitting at room temperature. This is general food-safety information, not medical advice.

Very Spicy Food with a Sensitive Stomach

Gochugaru can irritate a sensitive stomach, so if chilli bothers you, halve the flakes and add them gradually. This is general information, not medical advice — ask your clinician if you are unsure.

General information only, not medical advice — consult a doctor for personal dietary decisions.

Who Should Eat It

Who Should Eat

  • General adultsA warming, complete one-pot dinner — rice on the side makes it a full meal.
  • ChildrenSuitable for older children who like spice; for younger ones, use half the gochugaru and more tofu.
  • ElderlySoft, hot and easy to chew; keep the spice mild and the portion modest because of the salt.
  • Pregnant womenGenerally suitable; the egg must be cooked through and the stew served hot — keep the portion moderate because of the sodium, and ask your clinician if you are unsure.
  • Breastfeeding womenGenerally suitable; the tofu and egg give gentle protein — watch the salt.
  • AthletesA light post-training dinner with rice: warming, savoury and easy to eat in a big portion.
  • Weight gainA good choice — the egg yolk and tofu are generous, and a second helping of rice adds more.
  • Weight lossAt 237 kcal a serving, this fits a weight-loss plan well — load up on the tofu and mushrooms, go easy on the rice, and leave some broth.

Health Conditions — Adjust or Avoid

Conditions

  • DiabetesOnly about 14.8 g of carbohydrate a serving in the stew itself — the rice on the side is the part to measure; ask your clinician.
  • High blood pressureAt about 698 mg of sodium a serving, this is moderately salty — do not drink all the broth and use less soy sauce; ask your clinician if you are on a sodium limit.
  • Kidney diseaseThe stew is low in potassium-heavy ingredients, but the soy sauce adds sodium — keep the portion modest and ask your clinician.
  • GoutTofu and egg are low in purines, and the stew has no meat — a reasonable choice; ask your clinician.
  • Stomach issuesChilli and hot broth can irritate a sensitive stomach — use less gochugaru and let the stew cool slightly; ask your clinician if you are unsure.
  • Cardiovascular diseaseLow in saturated fat and based on tofu and vegetables — a heart-friendly bowl; ask your clinician.
  • Fatty liverLight, low in fat and mostly broth and tofu — a reasonable choice; ask your clinician.
  • Food allergiesContains soy (tofu, soy sauce), egg and sesame — check the labels if you have a soy, egg or sesame allergy; ask your clinician if you are unsure.
  • Special therapeutic dietsThe recipe is naturally gluten-free if the soy sauce is tamari — check every label and ask your clinician or dietitian.

If you have a medical condition, consult your doctor before changing your diet.

Storage & Use

Storage & Use

How to store
Cool quickly and store in an airtight container in the fridge; keep the rice separate. Cook the egg fresh when serving leftovers.
In the fridge
2 days — the tofu softens further each day.
In the freezer
Not recommended; the silken tofu turns spongy and watery.
How to reheat
Reheat on the stove until boiling, about 100°C (212°F); crack in a fresh egg at the end.
Freezing recommended
No — silken tofu does not freeze well.
Signs it has spoiled
Sour smell beyond the normal chilli tang, slimy tofu, or mould on the surface.

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