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4.9 from 27 votes

Kongbiji jjigae (Ground soybean stew)

Warming, hearty stew made with creamy puree of soybeans along with pork ribs and kimchi

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Additional Time
8 hrs
Servings: 6
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Korean

Ingredients

  • 1 cup dry soybeans yields 2-1/4 cups soaked
  • 12 ounces pork ribs or 6 ounces pork shoulder
  • 2 thinly sliced ginger pieces about 1 inch-round
  • 1/4 medium onion
  • 1 scallion white part
  • 1 tablespoon soup soy sauce
  • 8 ounces kimchi cut into bite sizes
  • 1/2 cup juice from kimchi or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon gochugaru (2 teaspoons for spicier stew) - optional
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic 
  • 2 scallions roughly chopped
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Rinse and soak 1 cup dried soybeans for 6 to 8 hours (or overnight). Rub the beans with your fingers to remove the skins, and pour out the skins that rise to the top. Repeat this process to remove as much skins as possible.
  2. Add the ribs, onion, scallion, ginger, soup soy sauce and 4 cups of water to a medium to large pot. (See note 1) Bring to a boil. Skim off the scum. Reduce the heat to medium low. Cover, and cook until the ribs are tender, 25 - 30 minutes. The resulting broth should be around 2 to 2.5 cups. Remove the aromatic vegetables. (See note 2 if using pork meat.)
  3. Add the kimchi, juice from kimchi, garlic, and the optional gochugaru to the pot. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Continue to cook for 5 - 6 minutes.
  4. Meanwhile, finely grind the soaked beans in an equal amount of cold water (2 to 2.5 cups) until it becomes creamy.
  5. Add the ground soybeans to the pot. Reduce the heat to medium low.
  6. Simmer, uncovered, until the soybean puree is cooked, 12 - 15 minutes, gently stirring a few times. Further reduce the heat, if necessary, to maintain a gentle simmer. Stir in the chopped scallions with 2 - 3 minutes remaining. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot with a bowl of rice.

Notes

  • The bean puree will increase in volume and can overflow while simmering, so use a large enough pot (4 to 5 quarts).
  • If using pork meat instead of ribs, stir-fry bite-sized pieces with the kimchi, add 2-1/2 cups of water or anchovy stock and boil for 5 minutes over medium high heat before adding the soy purée.