Budae Jjigae (Korean Army Stew)
This hearty stew, born of post-Korean War food shortages, combines American staples like Spam, hot dogs, and beans (from US bases) with Korean kimchi, vegetables, noodles, and spices. I fell in love with it at a local Korean restaurant and now make my own, extra spicy, version.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 12 ounces Spam or fully cooked luncheon meat
- 14 ounces smoked sausage such as Eckrich®, sliced
- 1 large onion sliced
- 6 ounces kimchi
- ¼ cup Korean red pepper powder
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons gochujang Korean hot pepper paste
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 pinch ground black pepper
- 1 bunch green onions chopped
- 2 32 ounce containers chicken broth
- 7 ¾ ounces ramen noodles such as Ottogi Ramyonsari®
- 1 slice American cheese Optional
Instructions
Directions
- Divide Spam into two piles on either side of a stock pot.
- Layer sausage, onion, and kimchi on top, leaving an empty space in the center of the pot.
- Mix red pepper powder, soy sauce, gochujang, garlic, and black pepper together in a small bowl.
- Pour into the center of the pot. Sprinkle with green onion. Pour in chicken broth and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until flavors combine, about 10 minutes.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add ramen noodles. Cook, stirring until partially cooked and softened, about 2 minutes.
- Drain, and transfer to the pot with the meat and kimchi mixture.
- Cook, stirring until ramen noodles are tender but firm to the bite, about 5 minutes and top stew with American cheese.