Seafood Doenjang Jjigae

Seafood Doenjang Jjigae
🇰🇷 🍲 🍤 🌊

Korean Soybean Paste Stew
With Mussels and Shrimp

This seafood doenjang jjigae builds layers of flavor from a simple base of fermented soybean paste, dashi, and a touch of gochugaru. Doenjang is a traditional Korean fermented soybean paste with a deep, savory, slightly earthy character—similar in function to miso, but generally more assertive and rustic.

It forms the backbone of many Korean stews, bringing both saltiness and complexity in one ingredient. “Jjigae” simply means stew in Korean, and it refers to a category of hearty, simmered dishes served bubbling hot at the table.

Onion, shiitake, and daikon simmer first, softening into the broth, followed by tofu and zucchini, which absorb the savory depth as the stew develops. A small splash of rice vinegar at the end brightens everything slightly without pulling focus from the earthy, gently spicy broth.

What makes this version especially weeknight-friendly is the seafood. The shrimp go in straight from frozen, and the mussels are already fully cooked, so there’s no peeling, cleaning, or extra prep required. Everything comes together in the pot in minutes, making it an easy way to serve a deeply flavored Korean-inspired seafood stew without advance planning or extra fuss.

Seafood Doenjang Jjigae Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 T. sesame oil, plus more for garnish
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 T. doenjang (fermented soybean paste)
• 4 c. dashi or anchovy broth (see note below)
• 1 1/2 t. gochugaru (coarse red chili powder)
• 1/4 medium onion, sliced
• 2 large shiitake caps, sliced
• 3 oz. daikon or korean radish, peeled and sliced
• 1/2 medium zucchini, sliced into half moons
• 8 oz. firm tofu, sliced into small slabs
• 1/2 each medium red and green jalapeño, sliced (optional)
• 6 oz. large shrimp – frozen, peeled, deveined, tail off
• 16 oz. frozen mussels (see note below)
• 2 t. rice vinegar
• sliced scallions for garnish

Method

In a medium-sized clay pot or soup pot, heat sesame oil over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add doenjang and cook 1 minute more, stirring frequently. Pour in the dashi and add the gochugaru. Raise the heat and bring to a boil. Add the onion, shiitake mushrooms, and radish. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the tofu, zucchini, and optional chile pepper. Bring back to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes more.

Meanwhile, microwave the mussels according to package instructions, about 5 minutes.

Add the frozen shrimp to the simmering pot and cook for about 3 minutes, or until pink and opaque throughout. Remove the pot from the heat. Add vinegar. Strain the juices from the mussels, then gently stir the hot mussels into the stew.

Garnish with scallions and a drizzle of sesame oil. Serve immediately.

Notes

I used Waterfront Bistro Mussels in White Wine Sauce, available in the frozen seafood section of many grocery stores. They come frozen and fully cooked, a product of Chile. Microwave for 5 minutes, let sit 1 minute, and they are ready to go.

Traditional doenjang jjigae is made with a dried anchovy and kelp broth. For convenience, I use a quick shortcut—dashi made from Hondashi (instant Japanese dashi granules) dissolved in water. It delivers a savory, umami-rich base and makes this a very easy version of the stew to prepare.

More Jjigae 🍲

Gochujang Jjigae – A Spicy Vegan Stew

Sundubu Jjigae – Korean Soft Tofu Stew