Kongbiji jjigae is a stew made with creamy purée of soaked soybeans. With pork and kimchi, it’s full of delicious flavor, hearty and warming! It deserves a spot on your list of favorite Korean stews.
Kongbiji jjigae (콩비지 찌개) is a stew made with creamy purée of soaked soybeans. It’s a warming and comforting stew my family loves! Pork and kimchi make this dish a hearty, delicious stew for an everyday family meal.
In the past, this stew was made with soy pulp (kongbiji in Korean) that’s left from making tofu. In modern cooking, it’s more commonly made with finely ground soaked soybeans.
Dried soybeans are a pantry staple in Korean homes. They are used to make kongjang and kongguksu in summertime, and this stew during cool/cold months. These are the same beans used for doenjang (fermented soybean paste) and soybean sprouts. Rehydrating dried soybeans takes 6 to 8 hours, so plan accordingly.
Growing up, we usually had this stew made with pork ribs and kimchi. I still think that’s the best way! I use baby back ribs, you can use spare ribs as well. The ribs take some time to cook, so I pre-boil them until tender and then add kimchi and soybean puree.
You can use pork meat instead if you like, preferably with some fat. Pork shoulder/butt is a good cut for this dish. Pork fat enhances the nutty flavor of soybeans. If using pork meat instead of ribs, stir-fry it with the kimchi, add water or anchovy broth, and boil for a few minutes over medium high heat before adding the soy purée.
Instant Pot Method
To make this dish in the Instant Pot, using less water (about 2 cups for this recipe), cook the ribs with aromatic vegetables on manual high for 12 to 15 minutes, depending on the size of the ribs. You can quick release after a few minutes. Remove the aromatics and the scum as well as some fat, if desired. Then, add the kimchi, juice from kimchi, and soybean puree along with the garlic, soup soy sauce, and the optional gochugaru. Cook on manual high for 10 minute, and quick release after 10 min.
If using pork meat instead of ribs, simply stir fry the bite sized meat with kimchi, and add water along with puréed soybeans and seasoning ingredients. Cook on manual high for 10 minutes, followed by quick release after 10 min.
Mild Variation
Sometimes, kongbiji jjigae is made white without kimchi and gochugaru for a mild taste. Napa cabbage is great for a mild version. You can season the stew with soup soy sauce and/or salt or serve it with a soy based sauce (yangnyumjang, 양념장).
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry soybeans yields 2-1/4 cups soaked
- 12 ounces pork ribs or 6 ounces pork shoulder
- 2 thinly sliced ginger pieces about 1 inch-round
- 1/4 medium onion
- 1 scallion white part
- 1 tablespoon soup soy sauce
- 8 ounces kimchi cut into bite sizes
- 1/2 cup juice from kimchi or to taste
- 1 teaspoon gochugaru (2 teaspoons for spicier stew) - optional
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 scallions roughly chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Rinse and soak 1 cup dried soybeans for 6 to 8 hours (or overnight). Rub the beans with your fingers to remove the skins, and pour out the skins that rise to the top. Repeat this process to remove as much skins as possible.
- Add the ribs, onion, scallion, ginger, soup soy sauce and 4 cups of water to a medium to large pot. (See note 1) Bring to a boil. Skim off the scum. Reduce the heat to medium low. Cover, and cook until the ribs are tender, 25 - 30 minutes. The resulting broth should be around 2 to 2.5 cups. Remove the aromatic vegetables. (See note 2 if using pork meat.)
- Add the kimchi, juice from kimchi, garlic, and the optional gochugaru to the pot. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Continue to cook for 5 - 6 minutes.
- Meanwhile, finely grind the soaked beans in an equal amount of cold water (2 to 2.5 cups) until it becomes creamy.
- Add the ground soybeans to the pot. Reduce the heat to medium low.
- Simmer, uncovered, until the soybean puree is cooked, 12 - 15 minutes, gently stirring a few times. Further reduce the heat, if necessary, to maintain a gentle simmer. Stir in the chopped scallions with 2 - 3 minutes remaining. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot with a bowl of rice.
Alice says
Je l’ai fais hier mais sans viande car je suis végétarienne, c’étais tellement délicieux et réconfortant ! J’ai adoré !
Jong Rho says
My Mom used to make this in the wintertime, but instead of cabbage kimchi, she used young radish kimchi (cheonggak-kimchi), especially the leaves, that was starting to get…ripe. She reserved the overripe cabbage kimchi to make either kimchi-chigae (which I still don’t eat) or beandeduk (which I love and make regularly). And instead of small pork ribs she used the cheaper pork with bone pieces like neck bones. I remember it was somewhat difficult to get to the meat with those bones.
When I got older and moved out, I started making this myself but using my Mom’s recipe, it took quite a while so I only made it once a year, in a big batch, and froze most of it in individual 2-cup plastic containers with twist caps. However nearly two decades ago in Manhattan, they opened a country-style Korean restaurant where they served biji using ground meats and I thought that was an excellent idea. It also solved the problem of trying to fit bones in those small plastic containers.
With the pandemic, I’ve started cooking a lot more frequently at home especially as I have not stepped foot in a restaurant, Korean of otherwise, in a year and a half. When my overpriced Kitchenaid food processor stopped working, I decided to try a Ninja blender. I gotta say that the the multiple levels of blades in the Ninja make the job of pureeing the soybeans (and mungbeans for beandeduk) much easier and faster. Of course you have to be extra careful when washing the blades.
I have tried other ground meats as well – chicken, beef and now bison – and I use low sodium chicken stock instead of water. I tend to make the biji a lot less salty than most recipes but then my Mom used to make a table sauce to spread on it from soy sauce, vinegar, rice wine, some gochukaru and lots of minced scallions, so I do that as well.
Sunny says
This is a favorite dish of mine! Can you tell me what you use to grind the soaked soybeans? Much thanks! 😋
Hyosun says
I just use my electric blender. Hope you try it.
Min says
5 stars!
Min says
Thank you so much for this recipe! I remember this as perfect comfort food from my childhood.
One question I had… 6-7 cups of liquid (total) seems like a lot for one dry cup of soybeans… Is that right? I made this last time and it didn’t look as chunky as your does in the picture.
I’m figuring 3 cups broth (reduced) + 2.5 cups blended + 0.5 cup kimchi juice.
Thank you again for all you do!
YH says
Do you know what adjustments I would need to make for the instant pot?
ju hyun says
Hi Hyosun,
Would it be possible to substitute chicken if you don’t eat pork or beef? If so, would you shred it or cube?
Hyosun says
Of course. Use chicken stock as well to add some depth of flavors. I’d cube it since you will be adding raw chicken to the stew. Enjoy!
Gisela says
Hi Hyosun~
Yesterday I showed your blog to my husband and he asked me to prepare this recipe. I modified a bit the recipe so instead of boiling first the pork what I did it was frying the pork with the garlic and the kimchi and after boiling it in the water with onion, the ginger and the soup gangjan. It was delicious… It’s a pity that I cannot show you a pic but my husband ate 3 bowls and he encouraged me to try other recipies of your blog~ So since next week we celebrate Chuseok I’m gonna try with your Songpyeon recipe~ Thank you very much!!
Hyosun says
Awesome! I like your modification. Sounds really good. You must be a good cook! Hope your songpyeon turns out well too. Happy Chuseok!
Nick says
I’ve eaten this so many times in a restaurant right next to my one room in Daegu. I’ve always made it with Dwenjang paste and wondered why it wasn’t quite right. Thanks, a perfect recipe.
Hyosun says
Oh I bet it was really good in Daegu! You’re welcome, and thanks for taking the time to leave me a comment!
judy says
I love your blog! If ever you update the layout, can you include an option to print the recipe in a easy to read format? Thank you!
Hyosun says
Thank you! I’ll make a note of that, though I should have thought about that this time.
PurelyC says
Hello Hyosun,
Firstly I want to thank you for making K cooking so accessible to us 2nd geners. I never thought I could make Korean food as well as my umma, but you’ve proven me wrong. 🙂 Can you tell me how I would make this recipe in the slow cooker? Would it be okay if I simply threw everything into the crock pot? Thank you very much!
Hyosun Ro says
Aww that’s great to hear! Thank you! I think it would work, but omit the water (4 cups) used in the second step to boil the ribs. I’m curious how it works out in a slow cooker. Please let me know.
tina says
if i were to use napa cabbage.. should i cook it before i add it to the broth?
if so, would i add the cabbage to boiling water or bring the water to a boil with the cabbage?
can’t wait to try this recipe! thank you!
the spicy chicken stew in the slow cooker was amazing!!! any more slow cooker recipes? ; )
Hyosun Ro says
Yes, cook it first. Put the cabbage into boiling water until softened. Thanks for trying out my recipe! Enjoy!
That’s a very popular recipe! I’m glad you liked it. Thanks for letting me know. Have you seen my slow cooker galbijjim (braised short ribs)?
https://www.koreanbapsang.com/2013/10/slow-cooker-galbijjim-korean-braised.html#.UqqEpfRDtgk
tina says
If I use napa cabbage.. do i need to cook it before i add it to the broth?
if so, would i put the cabbage into boiling water? or bring the water to a boil with the cabbage?
i can’t wait to try this!
Nami | Just One Cookbook says
Sounds and looks so healthy! Perfect way to start a new year!
Sandra Mihic says
Love that you used pork ribs and kimchi–Both add so much flavor when together. Delicious pictures and recipe too!
Frugal Flo says
Yay now I have use for the left over soy beans from when I make soy milk! Thanks for always sharing! 🙂
Purabi Naha says
How lovely! I just loved the texture of your dish…it really looks delicious. I am going to try this for sure!!
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