Tuna Kimchi Stew

김치찌게 [Kimchi-Soon-Tofu-Jjigye]

Considering Kimchi stew is one of the most popular Korean soups, maybe next to Soybean Paste Soup, this first-time post on kimchi-stew is quite overdue here.

Kimchi (stew) goes very well with pork or tuna. Here, I present Tuna Kimchi Stew for dinner because my picky husband can't eat pork, unfortunately.

Kimchi stews are generally very easy to make, because kimchi does all the cooking for you. No extra seasoning or anything is really needed. You just need to cook for a long time. If you are a working woman like me, it's understood that we don't get enough time to cook after work on weekdays. So, when I want to have kimchi stew, I usually cook alot of them, have about half on the first day, and then the real good stuff comes out on the second day when you reheat the left-overs from the previous day. Other than pork or tuna, I usually add to kimchi stew some onions for sweetness and/or vegetables and tofu.

For 3 servings

Soup Broth:
dry anchovies (6-8)
water (2-3 cup, thin or thick)

Main Ingredients:
kimchi (3 cup, cut 2", preferably aged kimchi)
tuna (1 can, in oil or spring water)
canola oil (1 T)
zucchini (1/4, sliced)
shitake or white mushroom (4, sliced)
medium firm tofu (1 pack, diced)

1.

Bring dry anchovies to boil over high heat.

2.

Fish out anchovies shortly after the broth starts boiling.

3.

Cut kimchi bundle to bite-size or a little longer.

4.

Add kimchi into anchovy broth in high heat for at least 20 minutes. Longer you cook, the softer kimchi will get. Add a spoonful of canola oil to make it even softer.

5.

Add a can of tuna (in oil or in spring water) into the stew, and cook over medium heat.

6.

Add vegetables (zucchini, mushrooms, etc), and cook for another 10-20 minutes over medium heat.

7.

Add tofu cubes or slices and cook for another 5 minutes. And serve.