Vegan Doenjang Jjigae is a comforting, hearty stew using Korean soybean paste, vegetables, and tofu! It's packed with flavors yet so easy and quick to make!
What is Doenjang Jjigae?
Doenjang Jjigae (Korean Soybean Paste Stew) is a traditional Korean soup using soybean paste as the primary ingredient. It is comforting and versatile, using a variety of ingredients such as vegetables, meat, or seafood. This vegan version captures the authentic Korean flavors while omitting meat, seafood and using tofu instead.
Why you'll love this Vegan Doenjang Jjigae recipe?
This recipe is:
- Hearty and comforting
- Healthy and nourishing
- Quick and easy to make
- Uses pantry friendly, accessible ingredients
- Versatile
It's the perfect recipe for cold winter days, it's nourishing, packed with flavors and good for your soul! Enjoy this with a bowl of warm rice to warm you up!
Ingredients and substitutes
The main component of the Vegan Doenjang Jjigae are Doenjang soybean paste, which you can get at most Asian supermarkets. I like to combine this with a bit of gochujang for extra heat, or you can use some Korean red pepper paste (gochugaru) instead!

The vegetables in the stew are:
- Zucchini
- Mushrooms: I use a combination of white and enoki mushroom
- Green onions
Feel free to use any vegetables you have on hand, for example carrots, napa cabbages, potatoes or other types of mushroom.
I used medium or firm tofu because it absorbs the flavors of the soup very well and has a great texture. If you don't like tofu, you can use cooked beans, chickpeas, peas, or a type of mock meat.
Print📖 Recipe

Vegan Doenjang Jjigae (Korean Soybean Paste Stew)
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 2-3 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
If you are craving something warm and comforting, this Vegan Doenjang Jjigae is for you! Full of flavors, quick and easy to make.
Ingredients
- 500 ml water
- 1 small onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsp doenjang (Korean soybean paste)
- 1 tbsp gochujang (Korean red pepper paste)
- 1 zucchini
- 150 g white mushroom (or cremini mushroom)
- 100 g enoki mushroom
- ½ block (200g) medium or firm tofu
- Cooked rice
- 2 stalks green onion
Instructions
- Thinly slice the onion, garlic, zucchini, and white mushroom. Chop your tofu into square cubes. Cut the ends off the enoki mushroom and separate into bunches.
- Add water to a pot and bring to a boil. Add in the chopped onion and garlic.
- In a small bowl, add the doenjang (Korean soybean paste), gochujang (Korean red pepper paste) with 3 tablespoon water. Mix well to combine.
- Add the mixture to the water, followed by the chopped zucchini and the two types of mushroom. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Chop the green onion for garnish. In the last 10 minutes, add in the tofu cubes and green onions. Mix well and turn off heat.
- Serve the Doenjang Jjigae with a bowl of warm rice!
Notes
Other ingredients you can use in the soybean stew are potatoes, carrots, or other types of mushrooms.
If you cannot handle spice well, use half of the recommended gochujang.
It keeps well in the fridge for up to 4 days, but the vegetables will get more soggy over time!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: Korean
Keywords: soup, stew, soybean paste, korean, vegan korean food
If you enjoyed this recipe, also check out my other Korean recipes:
- Kimchi Jjigae – Korean Kimchi Stew (Vegan)
- Rice Paper Tteokbokki (Vegan)
- Bibim-guksu (Korean Spicy Cold Noodles)
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