Joanne Lee Molinaro’s Kimchi Chigae

Joanne Lee Molinaro
Joanne Lee Molinaro
Joanne Lee Molinaro is a Korean American trial lawyer, born and raised in Chicago. Molinaro adopted a plant-based diet in January 2016 and began The Korean Vegan as a passion project later that year. Her immensely popular TikTok, @thekoreanvegan, incorporates her recipes with personal narration. She has been featured in Salon, Healthyish by Bon Appétit, The Atlantic, The Kitchn, Thrive, and VegWorld, and on Food Network, CNN, BBC, and CNBC.
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published Jan 31, 2022
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This simple recipe layers the intense kimchi flavors you love into a rich stew called Kimchi Chigae.

Serves4

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Credit: Joanne Lee Molinaro

Kimchi is a food that was designed to feed people for a very long time. Regular cabbage will go bad in a week. Kimchi, on the other hand, can feed a family for several months. Once the kimchi in your refrigerator starts to get a little TOO sour for your tastebuds, though, you know it’s time to make kimchi chigae or kimchi stew. It’s not a good idea to try and make this with fresh kimchi — the kind you’d be happy to eat out of the jar, as the flavors will not be developed enough yet (or “stinky” enough!) to withstand the cooking process. This simple recipe will layer the intense kimchi flavors you love into a rich stew. Note, this recipe does include one non-traditional component: black beans! I definitely did not pick that up from my mom, but I’m always looking for ways to incorporate more beans into my diet. Enjoy with a bowl of piping hot rice!

Joanne Lee Molinaro’s The Korean Vegan is Kitchn’s January pick for our Cookbook Club. See how you can participate here.

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Kimchi Chigae

This simple recipe layers the intense kimchi flavors you love into a rich stew called Kimchi Chigae.

Serves 4

Nutritional Info

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon

    sesame oil

  • 1 tablespoon

    extra-virgin olive oil

  • 4

    scallions, white parts chopped, green parts cut into 2-inch lengths

  • 1/2 cup

    diced onion

  • 1 teaspoon

    minced fresh ginger

  • 2 to 3 cloves

    garlic, minced

  • 1

    small potato, diced

  • 2 to 3 cups

    vegan sour kimchi

  • 1 tablespoon

    gochujang

  • 2 teaspoons

    brown rice syrup

  • 2 tablespoons

    soup (light) soy sauce

  • 2 cups

    vegetable broth

  • 1 (16-ounce) block

    medium or firm tofu, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

  • 1/4 cup

    black beans

Instructions

  1. In a medium dolsot or Dutch oven, heat the sesame oil and olive oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the scallion whites, onion, ginger, garlic, and potato. Sauté the vegetables until the onions turn translucent, about 3 minutes.

  2. Add the kimchi and continue to cook until it begins to caramelize, about 1 minute. Add the gochujang and brown rice syrup and stir the vegetables to evenly coat.

  3. Add the soy sauce to deglaze the bottom of the pot. Add the vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 15 more minutes.

  4. Add the tofu and the scallion greens and cook for an additional 2 minutes before serving.

Recipe Notes

From THE KOREAN VEGAN COOKBOOK: REFLECTIONS AND RECIPES FROM OMMA’S KITCHEN by Joanne Lee Molinaro, to be published on 10/12/2021 by Avery, an imprint of Penguin Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House, LLC. Copyright © 2021 Joanne Lee Molinaro

“The Korean Vegan Cookbook: Reflections and Recipes from Omma’s Kitchen” by Joanne Lee Molinaro
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Ingredient
asian
korean
vegetarian
vegan
Vegetables