Easy Soondubu Jjigae Recipe (Is Soondubu Healthy?)

Soondubu jjigae is a classic Korean dish that I often make every time I crave a comforting and easy to make, protein packed meal. The delicious stew, mixed with soft tofu, crunchy vegetables, and egg yolk makes an amazing combo. Soondubu is definitely delicious, but is soondubu jjigae healthy?

Soondubu can be a very healthy dish given that it predominantly consists of protein from the soft tofu, meat and egg, and probiotics and nutrients from the kimchi and vegetables making it a very nutritious meal.

A serving of soondubu is 353 calories, with 38 grams of protein, 18 grams of fat, and 12 grams of carbs, following the recipe and portions below. However, the key to making this dish help rather than hinder progress towards your fitness goals is to mindfully select the mix-ins for the stew.

You can also pair this soup with a side of Spicy Chicken Bulgogi or traditional Dak bulgogi for a great protein side to go with this dish.

🍎 Calories and Nutrition Facts - Is It Healthy?

It’s easy to see that soondubu can easily be made to be a high calorie dish if the mix-ins for the stew are not chosen correctly, making it less than ideal for dieting purposes.

Additionally, it's easy to run the risk of not consuming enough protein if you don't add enough protein mix-ins.

In this recipe, I use a more protein heavy ratio to make this a more macro friendly and calorie conscious dish. Here are some key tweaks I made:

• Used 1 Soon Tofu pack, which adds 140 calories and 14 grams of protein
• Portioned 3 ounces of boneless, skinless chicken thigh for a lean protein source
• Added an egg for additional protein and deliciousness
• Bulked up the dish with vegetables including enoki mushrooms, garlic,  kimchi and onions to make it more satisfying 
• Portioned the soup base to be only 20 calories
• Omitted a side of rice. It's worth noting you can still make this recipe healthy with a side of rice - one portion of rice (¼ cup uncooked) is only about 150 calories so feel free to add this if it suits your dietary needs

For a detailed breakdown of each ingredients, their portioning, and how they make up the nutrition profile of this Korean tofu stew recipe, you may refer to the table below:

📋 Ingredient Notes

Pulmone Soon Tofu Pack – I prefer this brand given the portion size is perfect for me. These can be found in most Asian grocery stores. You can also use the brick-shaped soft tofu packs which are more widely available but are often a bigger portion size, so be sure to account for the additional calories.

Gochugaru –This is a Korean red chili flake that can be purchased at most Asian grocery stores. Adjust based on spice tolerance. This amount will give you a mild spice. You can substitute this with red pepper flakes as well.

Anchovy stock granules – This can be purchased at your local Asian supermarket or online. You can also substitute it with dashi stock or chicken stock, but the flavor won't be quite the same.

Chicken thigh –You can also use chicken breast or seafood.

Kimchi – Essential for the flavor of the soondubu

Egg – Gives it a delicious creamy consistency

See my recipe card below for a complete list of the ingredients with measurements.

🔪 Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Begin by cutting the chicken thigh into small, bite sized pieces, making sure to cut off the excess fat. Season with salt and pepper if desired.
2. Mince the garlic and onion.  Spray a saucepan with cooking spray and sauté the garlic, onion, kimchi, and sear the cut chicken pieces for about 1-2 minutes so that the aromatics begin to turn gold. The chicken pieces do not need to be fully cooked, just a light sear on the outside layers is fine.
3. Pour the water into the sauce pan, along with the remaining soup base ingredients, the soft tofu, and any remaining vegetables, and bring to a boil. Let cook for about 3-5 minutes.
4. In terms of adding the egg, you can also choose to add the egg towards the end of cooking the stew for a more fully cooked egg or opt for the more traditional way which cracks in the raw egg yolk after it is served.
5. Remove the soondubu from the saucepan and top with scallions, sesame seeds, and chilis and egg yolk. Enjoy your delicious protein-packed soondubu jjigae!

💭 Recipe FAQs