Vegetarian Budae Jjigae Recipe · i am a food blog (2024)

This is the perfect cozy, hearty, yet light, meal. Oodles of noodles, ALL the veggies, tofu, and a spicy savory broth. I love Korean army stew and this vegetarian version is SO GOOD. This is essentially a vegetarian budae jjigae recipe: lots and lots of tofu, vegetables, a super spicy red hot broth, and noodles, because noodles. It comes together so quickly and easily and I love how it’s essentially a clean out the fridge kind of meal.

We ate this yesterday during a binge watch of Jeopardy. I don’t know if you guys watch Jeopardy, but Mike and I are fans. I used to watch it when I was a wee girl and when I found out that Mike was into Jeopardy too…swoon. Anyway, they just did this crazy thing: an all star battle where all the top Jeopardy winners came back to compete in teams in a bracket competition. It was WILD my friends. I’m such a nerd, I know, but it was so fun to chat with Mike about who we thought would win, what the odds were, how they would play the game, and of course, compete on who knew the most answers. So fun.

Even more fun because we had tofu and vegetables and noodles while we were watching – it was so spicy and warming. This recipe couldn’t be any easier: throw everything into a pot. Add stock (or water) then add the seasoning mix. Bring to a simmer and boom, deliciousness.

Oh my gosh. Just heard the news about Alex Trebek. I have no words :( I hope he will be okay.

Spicy Korean Ramen Recipe with Tofu and Vegetables
serves 2
prep time: 10 minutes
cook time: 10 minutes
total time: 20 minutes

• 5-6 pieces assorted tofu
  
• 1 carrot, cut into sticks
  
• 1/2 green pepper, sliced
  
• radishes, sliced
  
• cherry tomatoes
  
• 2 tablespoons Korean chili flakes
  
• 2 tablespoons mirin
  
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
  
• 1/2 tablespoon sugar
  
• 1/2 tablespoon gochujang
  
• freshly ground black pepper
  
• 4 cups vegetable stock
  
• 1 packet instant ramen
  
• sliced green onions, to finish

In a shallow pot, arrange the tofu and vegetables. In a small bowl, mix together the Korean chili flakes, mirin, soy, gochujang, sugar, garlic, and pepper. Spoon into the centre of the pot, then pour in the vegetable stock. Partially cover with the lid and bring to a boil over medium high heat, for 5 minutes.

Remove the lid and add the instant noodles. Simmer until the noodles are cooked, about 2-3 minutes. At this point, bring the pot to the middle of the table where everyone can scoop out a bit of everything they like. If you have a portable burner or induction cooker, you can make the entire dish at the table, enjoying the stew as it simmers on low.

Note: Feel free to customize and add vegetables and tofu as you wish!