Spicy Korean Army Soup
Growing up in Korea, whenever my family and I felt like making soup but didn't feel like going grocery shopping, we made the Army Stew using whatever we have left in the pantry and fridge. Because it is so easy to make, amongst many other dishes on the menu, Korean Army stew is one of the most popular.
As the name suggests, Korean army stew (Budae Jjigae, 부대찌개) originates from a Korean military base. Soon after the Korean war in the early 1950’s, food was extremely scarce in Korea, so those surplus processed foods from the US military bases were a great supplement for Koreans.
Korean fusion stew that incorporates American style processed food such as spam, sausages, canned baked beans and sliced cheese that are common in Korean military base.The word "Budae (부대)" is a general term for a military base in Korean and "Jjigae (찌개)" is a term for soup/stew. Hence the word army stew or army base stew was born.
Ingredients (Serves 4):
4cups water
200g SPAM, thinly sliced into half of the rectangle
120g pork belly, sliced into rough squares (optional)
4sausages (150g) diagonally sliced (optional)
250g tofu, sliced (about 1.5cm, 1/2 inch thickness)
200g enoki mushrooms, base stem removed & stems separated
2cups vegetables (zucchini, carrots, onion) chopped into squares
1cup roughly chopped Kimchi
1pckg of instant ramen noodle (I liked to use Shin brand)
50g Korean rice cakes for soup (fresh or frozen both work)
30g green onion, thinly & diagonally sliced
1 slice of cheese (optional)
Sauce/Seasoning:
1Tbsp Korean chili paste (Gochujang)
2Tbsp Korean chili flakes (Gochugaru)
2Tbsp minced garlic
1packet of the seasoning from instant ramen noodle pckg
1/2Tbsp stevia/splenda or sugar
Instructions:
1. In a large, shallow pot, throw in the main ingredients (except for zucchini, instant ramen noodles, rice cakes, green onion and cheese because they cook really fast and the last thing you wang is to end up with soggy noodles). Add the sauce/seasoning mix in the middle. Pour the stock or water in pot. Close the lid and boil it on medium high heat until the stock starts to boil (about 10-12 mins).
2. Then add the remaining ingredients: instant ramen noodles, rice cakes, green onion and cheese on top of the pot and boil uncovered until the noodles are cooked (about 3-4 mins). Reduce the heat to low (if you’re cooking on a portable burner and sharing the food at the dinning table).
3. Start dishing out soup, protein and vegetables onto your own soup bowl and you can serve with steamed rice (& with other Korean side dishes).
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