Vegan Budae Jjigae, or Korean Army Base Stew, is spicy stew that is a real fusion of Korean and American cuisines. There are lots of ways to customise this stew to make it your own. Get the recipe below.
This spicy Korean stew is named after a dish that became popular in the post-war era when food was scarce and Koreans repurposed surplus ingredients from U.S. military bases.
Would you believe that this could include ingredients like spam, hot dogs, baked beans, and instant noodles!
Vegan Budae Jjigae is a real a fusion of Korean spice and American pantry staples, all simmered together with kimchi, tofu, and flat rice cakes.
As with many hot pot dishes, this is a great meal to serve over a little gas stove in the centre of the table so that everyone can help themselves.
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Ingredients
I've included some suggested variations below but at the very least you'll need the following ingredients to make my Vegan Budae Jjigae:
- Gochujang
- Vegetable stock
- Soy sauce
- Sesame oil
- Gochugaru
- Garlic
- Kimchi (make sure you use one that isn't made with fish sauce)
- Extra firm tofu
- Vegan hot dogs
- Flat rice cakes
- Mushrooms
- Napa cabbage
- Spring onions
- Carrot
- Instant ramen noodles
- Tinned beans
Check out the recipe card for the full quantities.
Step-by-step instructions
The beauty of a hot pot is that it is all cooked in one pan. Just follow these simple steps.
- Step 1: Prepare the base of the hot pot by whisking together the vegetable stock, gochujang, soy sauce, garlic, sesame oil and gochugaru in a large pan or hot pot and bring to the boil
- Step 2: Add the tofu, hot dogs, mushrooms, beans and rice cakes to the pan and cook until piping hot and tender
- Step 3: Add the noodles and cook until soft
- Step 4: Finally add the kimchi, cabbage and carrot and cook until just wilted
Hint: arrange the ingredients carefully in sections around the pan for an aesthetically pleasing dish that will wow your guests when you bring it to the table
Substitutions
Not got all of the ingredients you need? Try some of these substitutions.
- Stock / broth - make an umami rich base for the hot pot by using shitake and kombu simmered in water rather than a store bough stock or broth
- Chilli - if you can't get hold of gochujang you could substitute sriracha, gochugaru can be substituted with other chilli powders like kashmiri chilli powder, aleppo pepper or crushed red pepper flakes
- Protein - smoked tofu adds another flavour dimension, tempeh would also work well for a more meaty texture
- Noodles - udon, rice noodles or glass noodles will also work well
- Beans - if you want to be really traditional then use baked beans
Variations
You can really make this dish you own by switching up some of the ingredients. Here are some of my favourite variations:
- Cheesy - add grated vegan cheese when you add the noodles to the dish. This will then melt into the broth
- Spicy - for even more spice add fresh red chilis
- Herby - add some freshness and vibrancy to the dish with fresh coriander
Equipment
I recommend making this dish in a shallow, wide pot or pan.
If you want to serve it at the table you'll also need something to keep it warm, like a little gas stove or tabletop induction hob.
You can also buy electronic hotpots that have a heating element built in.
Storage
This hot pot is best served immediately. This is mainly because the rice cakes will get mushy. I therefore do not recommend making it ahead of time unless you leave out the rice cakes.
Top Tip
For a deeper flavour, sauté the kimchi and garlic before adding it to the broth.
FAQ
Most supermarkets in the UK now stock gochujang in the world foods aisle but I don't see gochugaru as often. Visit your local Asian supermarket or buy online.
The short answer is not always. Kimchi is sometimes made with fish sauce so you need to check the ingredients. If you can't find vegan kimchi for this recipe, add 1-2 teaspoon of rice wine vinegar and 1 teaspoon miso paste to the broth.
yes, most Korean rice cakes are just made from glutinous rice flour and water! This means they are also gluten free!
The recipe
Vegan Budae Jjigae
Ingredients
For the hot pot base
- 750 ml vegetable stock
- 2 tablespoon gochujang
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon gochugaru
- 2 cloves garlic minced
Add-ins
- 150 g vegan kimchi
- 150 g extra firm tofu cubed
- 3 vegan hot dogs sliced
- 100 g flat rice cakes soaked if frozen
- 100 g mushrooms e.g. oyster, shiitake, or king oyster mushrooms
- 100 g napa cabbage roughly chopped
- 5 spring onions cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1 carrot cut julienne
- 100 g instant noodles
- 235 g beans drained from a 400g tin
Instructions
- In a shallow pan or hot pot, whisk together the broth, gochujang, soy sauce, garlic, sesame oil, and gochugaru then bring to a boil.
- Add those ingredients that take longest to cook to the broth first (tofu, mushrooms, hot dogs, beans and rice cakes).
- Reduce to a simmer and cook uncovered for 10-15 minutes until cooked through.
- Next add the noodles and cook for 5 minutes until soft.
- In the last few minutes of cooking add the kimchi, cabbage and carrot to the pan. Cook until they are just soft.
- Serve hot from the pot in the centre of the table.
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