Vegan Korean Kimchi Soup (Kimchi Sundubu Jjigae)

Veganized from original recipe on Korean Bapsang. This dish was very pungent but in all the right ways. So delicious!

Vegan Korean Kimchi Soup (Kimchi Sundubu Jjigae)

Ingredients

1 package (12 ounces) extra soft/silken tofu

⅓ cup thinly sliced kimchi

3 ounces faux beef (I used Meati mushroom steaks)

1 to 3 teaspoons gochugaru (Korean red chili pepper flakes/paste)

2 tsp minced garlic

1 Tbls sesame oil use a little more if using more gochugaru

1 cup water 

1/2 Tbls vegan fish sauce (or Ume Plum Vinegar)

3 Tbls juice from kimchi

Pinch black pepper

Salt to taste

1 scallion, finely chopped

1/2 tsp Black Salt (to substitute the egg taste)

Optional: fishy vegan products such as Dulse flakes

Method

Cut the vegan steak and kimchi into small thin strips. 

Add the kimchi, meat, gochugaru, garlic and sesame oil to a small pot, and place it over medium heat.

Stir-fry until the meat is almost cooked, 3 - 4 minutes.

Pour in water, vegan fish sauce and the juice from the kimchi. 

Bring it to a boil, and continue to boil for 3 - 4 minutes. 

Add the soft tofu in big chunks. Stir in the salt and black pepper. 

Cook for 4 -5 minutes. 

Add the chopped scallion just before removing the pot from the heat.