Korean Soybean Stew

At the end of summer, I packed up all of my belongings in Philly and moved out of my house. Not only was it stressful to move out, but I also had to prepare my house for tenants to move in. I finally installed the new bathroom fixtures, filed all the paperwork with the city, and packed away all of my kitchen’s belongings into boxes, not knowing what whirlwind the following three months would be.

I spent a few weeks with the most generous friends, visited San Francisco for work, traveled to Korea for two weeks, and then finally moved in with my sister. Through all of this transition and extended time being in limbo, it made me realize how important it is to have a sense of home. But what is home?

It’s brick and mortar, a place. It’s country, a land of belonging. It’s being with someone who knows how to hold space for you, no matter where you’ve been. Home is quotidian rituals like going for a walk or making a dish just how you like it. But the ultimate significance of home perhaps is about finding and building a home within yourself.

The first thing I made after all my travels and being on-to-go was this doenjang guk. It’s hearty, comforting, and soothing to the stomach. What’s your go-to comfort food?

Savory and Comforting Doenjang Guk (4 servings)

• Anchovy stock
  • Handful of anchovies, headed and gutted
  • 3 cups of water
  • 1/2 small Korean radish, cut into big chunks
  • 1 onion
  • 1 scallion
  • 1 small piece of dashima or Korean dried kelp (size of your hand)
• 4 small potatoes, halved/quartered
• 1 yellow onion, cut into large chunks
• 1 large zucchini, sliced
• 1 bunch enoki mushrooms
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 scallion, sliced
• 1 pack firm tofu, cut into medium cubes
• Mild chili pepper, sliced
• 3-4 TBSPs doenjang (Korean fermented soybean paste) or to taste

Make anchovy stock. Combine all ingredients and boil and then bring down to a simmer for 20-30 minutes. Remove contents and discard.

Prep ingredients and combine. With the anchovy stock on medium-low, add onions and potatoes first. After a few minutes, add zucchini, mushrooms, garlic, and tofu. Add in doenjang using a small strainer to properly dissolve it into the soup. Simmer for 5 minutes until bubbling. Top with chili pepper and scallion.

Enjoy. Eat piping hot with rice and banchan side dishes like salted seaweed sheets and kimchi!