Budae Jjigae

I’ve seen so many versions of Budae Jjigae (otherwise known as Army Stew) that intrigued me, but ultimately always lost me upon adding baked beans to the mix - so when I saw onehappybite’s recipe, I knew I had to give it a try. 

A few very small changes based on taste and ingredient availability (Montana, amiright?), and I have to say I’m completely obsessed with this rich and spicy comfort food - and think you will be, too. 

Woo hoo!

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here’s what you’ll need

• 6 cups chicken stock

• 1/2 can Spam, cubed

• 12 Little Smokie sausages

• 1/2 block firm tofu, cubed

• 1 cup Tteokbokki 

• 1/2 cup kimchi

• 2 packs Buldak ramen noodles (without the seasoning)

• 3 slices American cheese

• 1/2 onion, thinly sliced

• 1/2 cup oyster mushrooms

• green onions, thinly sliced 

• extra virgin olive oil

• 1 tbsp Gochujang 

• 1 tbsp soy sauce

• 1 tbsp mirin

• 2 tsp red pepper flakes

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 tbsp sugar

• pepper

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here’s what you’ll need to do

In a small bowl, mix soy sauce, mirin, red pepper flake, Gochujang, garlic, sugar, and a pinch of pepper.
Set aside.

Over medium heat, add a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil to a large, shallow pot.
Add cubes of Spam, tofu, sausages, Tteokbokki, onion, mushrooms, and kimchi.

Pro Tip: Cut your Spam and tofu into similar sized-cubes so you get a nice mouth feel. 

Add your sauce and chicken stock to the pot.
Stir to incorporate and bring to a boil.
Reduce to a simmer and cover with a lid for about 5 minutes.

Remove lid, add noodles and cheese slices, and cover again until noodles are cooked through. This should only take a couple-few minutes.

Garnish with a heap of green onions, and enjoy!