Category Archives: Recipes

Stuffing Stuffed Pumpkin

For a fun way to serve stuffing, stuff it into a pumpkin! Feel free to use another stuffing recipe of your choice. Serve with gravy.

Stuffing Stuffed Pumpkin

Course Side Dish
Cuisine American
Keyword Fall, holidays, pumpkin, Stuffing, Thanksgiving, vegan, vegetarian
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings 8

Ingredients

  • 1 medium kabocha squash 3-4 pounds
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 12 ounces seasoned stuffing mix
  • 1/4 cup vegan butter or use regular butter if you prefer
  • 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced about 1 cup
  • 2 stalks celery, finely diced about 1 cup
  • 2 tablespoons corn starch
  • 2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

  2. Wash the outside of the pumpkin. Cut a round opening in the top of the pumpkin by using a sharp knife to make incisions that eventually connect to create an opening. If necessary, use a butter knife to gently pry the top loose. Scoop the seeds and stringy parts of the pumpkin out. Sprinkle salt on the inside.

  3. Place the pumpkin and the lid on a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. Reserve the baking sheet.

  4. In a Dutch oven or stock pot, heat butter over medium heat. Add onion and celery and cook for 5 minutes or until tender-crisp, stirring occasionally.

  5. Add the stuffing mix to the pot and stir.

  6. In a medium bowl, mix the broth and cornstarch well. Slowly drizzle over the stuffing mixture and toss. Continue adding more broth slowly until the bread is just barely soaked through.

  7. With the pumpkin on the reserved baking sheet, fill it with stuffing, pressing down gently to fill the space. Place the pumpkin lid on the baking sheet. Grease a loaf pan with olive oil (or butter) and fill with any remaining stuffing. Cover loaf pan with foil.

  8. Bake the stuffed pumpkin, lid, and extra stuffing for 30 minutes. Remove foil and pumpkin lid, setting aside, then continue baking for 10 minutes or until top of stuffing is lightly crisp.

  9. Move pumpkin to serving plate and put lid on top. Serve extra stuffing on the side or surround the pumpkin with it on the serving plate. Place the pumpkin lid on top.

  10. Serve by cutting pumpkin into slices and serve with an extra scoop or two of stuffing. Serving suggestion: top with gravy once sliced.

Recipe Notes

  • Serve with gravy. 
  • Substitute another stuffing recipe if you’d like. 
  • You can fully cook the pumpkin and the stuffing separately if you prefer to have more control and make it a little easier to tell when the pumpkin is fully cooked. Spoon the stuffing into the pumpkin once cooked, gently pressing down to fill any gaps.

Pumpkin Nut Crunch

This dessert is a delicious alternative to pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving or other fall/winter celebrations. The simple topping is easier to make than pie crust. It can be made dairy-free if you use vegan butter and evaporated coconut milk.

This recipe could likely be doubled and baked in a 13×9 inch casserole dish. It may need a few extra minutes to bake. Jiggle the pan to make sure the pumpkin mixture is set and cook until light golden brown on top.

Pumpkin Nut Crunch

A simple alternative to pumpkin pie with a delightfully easy and crunchy topping.

Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword dairy-free, holidays, pumpkin, vegetarian
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings 6

Ingredients

  • coconut oil or butter for greasing pan

Pumpkin Mixture

  • 15 ounce can pumpkin puree
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup evaporated milk (evaporated coconut milk for dairy-free)
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Topping

  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup pecans, chopped
  • 1/3 cup melted butter (vegan if necessary)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease an 8×8 inch square baking dish or 8 inch round cake pan.

  2. Beat together pumpkin, sugar, evaporated milk, egg, pumpkin pie spice, and 1/2 teaspoon salt until combined. Pour into prepared baking dish.

  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Sprinkle evenly over the pumpkin mixture.

  4. Sprinkle pecans evenly over flour mixture. Carefully pour melted butter evenly over the pecans.

  5. Bake at 400°F for 15 minutes, then lower the temperature to 350°F. Bake another 30-40 minutes or until pumpkin is set and topping is golden brown. Cool before serving.

Recipe Notes

  • If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice, combine 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, and 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves.
  • To make this recipe dairy-free, use evaporated coconut milk instead of evaporated milk and use vegan butter instead of regular butter. 

Hot Pepper Giardiniera

This hot pepper mixture is a delicious topping for sandwiches, wraps, salads, eggs, and more! It is basically a Chicago-Style giardiniera, which is condiment typically higher in oil, lower in vinegar, and made with smaller pieces of vegetables. Italian style giardiniera tends to be lower in oil (if any at all) and larger chunks, so it is more of a pickled vegetable appetizer or side.

You can adjust the spice level of this recipe. To make it milder, remove some or all of the hot pepper seeds and/or replace some of the hot peppers (especially the serranos) with bell pepper or other veggies like celery.

This recipe is adapted from a recipe on fundiego.com, which intends to replicate the hot pepper mix from a sandwich chain called Potbelly.

Hot Pepper Mix

Course Condiment
Keyword condiment, easy, gluten-free, plant-based, spicy, topping, vegan, vegetables, vegetarian
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 0 minutes
Brining and marinating time 2 days 12 hours
Total Time 2 days 12 hours 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1/2 pound jalapenos quartered and sliced, seeds removed if desired
  • 1/2 pound serrano peppers quartered and sliced, seeds removed if desired
  • 1 cup cauliflower cut into tiny florets
  • 2 carrots peeled and finely chopped
  • 1/3 cup salt
  • 1 cup canola oil or other neutral flavored oil
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 cup white vinegar
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

Instructions

  1. Combine jalapenos, serrano peppers, cauliflower, and carrots in a medium bowl or container. Sprinkle the salt over the vegetables, then add enough water to cover everything. Stir to disperse the salt. Cover and refrigerate for 12 hours.

  2. Drain and rinse the vegetables.

  3. In a medium non-reactive bowl (such as glass, stainless steel, or ceramic) combine the remaining ingredients. Add the vegetables and stir to combine. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 2 days to allow the flavors to combine.

  4. Optional: transfer the hot pepper mixture to smaller jars, or keep it in the container it marinated in. The pepper mixture should last about 4 weeks in the refrigerator.

  5. Stir the peppers and allow the excess oil to drain back into the jar when serving. Add the hot pepper mixture to sandwiches, wraps, salads, pizza, eggs, pasta, or whatever else you'd like!

Recipe Notes

To make this recipe less spicy, remove some or all of the seeds from the jalapenos and serrano peppers. You can also substitute bell pepper for and equivalent amount of jalapenos or serrano peppers. 

You can add other ingredients such as sliced green olives or chopped celery.

Homemade Instant Noodle Cups – 4 Flavors

4 types of instant noodle jars in a fridge

It is not my original idea to make homemade instant noodle cups, but these are 4 flavor combinations I’ve tried and enjoyed. I’m basing the proportions in the recipes below on this recipe from the Kitchn. Serious Eats also has a great article on how to make these instant noodle cups. The 4 suggested combinations I offer below are plant-based or can be made plant-based.

There are countless combinations you could try. The general format from the Kitchn is:

1-3 teaspoons flavor base

1-3 teaspoons flavoring extras

1/4-1/2 cup filler ingredients

3/4-1 cup noodles

1/4-1/2 cup fresh ingredients

I usually reuse 16 ounce glass jars (repurposed nut butter jars), but you could use 16 ounce canning/mason jars or another heat safe container. Just be sure to use a potholder and handle it carefully because it will get very hot once you pour the hot water in.

Other advice: use soft vegetables that will soften in hot water such as thinly sliced mushrooms, shredded carrots, baby spinach, tomato, or thawed frozen vegetables. Adding hot water will not cook the vegetables, just soften slightly, so don’t add things like chunks of zucchini. The examples I share below are plant-based, but if you eat meat or eggs, you could add cooked versions (boiled egg, shredded chicken, etc.). I like to add silken tofu because it’s easy and doesn’t require cooking, but you could also add other plant proteins like edamame, cooked tofu, or other types of raw tofu (such as medium firm)

Miso Ramen Instant Noodle Cup

Using the Kitchn's format, this is one flavor combination I tried and enjoyed. Find the original recipe at https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-diy-instant-noodle-cups-222560

Course Main Course
Keyword instant, Japanese, Lunch, make ahead, meal prep, miso, noodles, plant-based, ramen, vegan, vegetables, vegetarian
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings 1

Ingredients

  • 1 teaspoon vegetable bouillon paste or vegetarian no chicken bouillon
  • 1 teaspoon reduced sodium miso
  • 1 teaspoon reduced sodium soy sauce or tamari
  • 3 ounces silken tofu or 1 soft boiled egg (1/4 of a 12 oz box tofu)
  • shredded carrots
  • baby spinach
  • frozen corn, thawed
  • 2 ounces dried ramen
  • Toppings: sliced green onion, seaweed strips, and/or furikake

Instructions

  1. Layer ingredients in a heat proof container such as a 16 ounce mason jar, in order of listing. Seal and refrigerate. You can keep the toppings in a separate container to keep them extra crisp if you'd like. Store the sliced green onion in the fridge.

  2. To serve: Pour hot water into the jar until it is just about full and place the lid over it. Do not screw the lid on – the jar will likely be too hot. Let sit for 2-3 minutes or until noodles soften. Carefully stir everything together, holding the jar with a potholder – it will be hot! Alternatively, use a potholder to pour the jar contents into a bowl, then stir. If you'd like it to be hotter or if it needs more water, you can always add more water (if needed) and microwave it until warm enough.

Miso Ramen – Prepared

Spicy Thai Red Curry Ramen

Using the Kitchn's format, this is one flavor combination I tried and enjoyed. Find the original recipe at https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-diy-instant-noodle-cups-222560

Course Main Course
Keyword easy, entree, Lunch, make ahead, meal prep, noodles, plant-based, soup, Thai, vegan, vegetables, vegetarian
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings 1

Ingredients

  • 1 teaspoon vegetable bouillon paste or vegetarian no chicken bouillon
  • 2 teaspoons red curry paste or other curry paste, which may be milder
  • 2-3 tablespoons coconut cream
  • 3 ounces silken tofu (1/4 of a 12 ounce box)
  • thinly sliced shiitake mushrooms
  • shredded carrot
  • baby spinach
  • 2 ounces dried ramen
  • Topping: Thai basil

Kimchi & Vermicelli Soup

Using the Kitchn's format, this is one flavor combination I tried and enjoyed. Find the original recipe at https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-diy-instant-noodle-cups-222560

Course Main Course
Keyword easy, entree, kimchi, Korean, Lunch, make ahead, noodles, plant-based, soup, vegan, vegetables, vegetarian
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings 1

Ingredients

  • 1 teapoon vegetable boullion paste or vegetarian no chicken bouillon
  • kimchi – use a vegan version if necessary (kimchi may contain fish)
  • 3 ounces silken tofu (1/4 of a 12 ounce box)
  • Thinly sliced shiitake mushrooms
  • Dried bean vermicelli
  • Topping: Sliced green onion
  • 1 teaspoon Gochugaru (Korean chili flakes) optional

Instructions

  1. Layer ingredients in a heat proof container such as a 16 ounce mason jar, in order of listing. Seal and refrigerate. You can refrigerate the sliced green onion in a separate container to keep it extra crisp if you'd like.

  2. To serve: Pour hot water into the jar until it is just about full and place the lid over it. Do not screw the lid on – the jar will likely be too hot. Let sit for 2-3 minutes or until noodles soften. Carefully stir everything together, holding the jar with a potholder – it will be hot! Alternatively, use a potholder to pour the jar contents into a bowl, then stir. If you'd like it to be hotter or if it needs more water, you can always add more water (if needed) and microwave it until warm enough.

Tom Yum Ramen

Using the Kitchn's format, this is one flavor combination I tried and enjoyed. Find the original recipe at https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-diy-instant-noodle-cups-222560

Course Main Course
Keyword easy, entree, Lunch, make ahead, meal prep, noodles, plant-based, soup, Thai, vegetables, vegetarian
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings 1

Ingredients

  • 2 teaspoons tom yum paste vegetarian if necessary
  • 3 ounces silken tofu (1/4 of a 12 ounce package)
  • cherry tomatoes, halved about 8
  • shiitake mushroom, thinly sliced
  • shredded carrot
  • baby spinach
  • 2 ounces Dried ramen
  • Toppings: lime wedge, cilantro (optional)

Instructions

  1. Layer ingredients in a heat proof container such as a 16 ounce mason jar, in order of listing. Seal and refrigerate. You can keep the toppings in a separate container to keep them extra crisp if you'd like. Store the sliced green onion in the fridge.

  2. To serve: Pour hot water into the jar until it is just about full and place the lid over it. Do not screw the lid on – the jar will likely be too hot. Let sit for 2-3 minutes or until noodles soften. Carefully stir everything together, holding the jar with a potholder – it will be hot! Alternatively, use a potholder to pour the jar contents into a bowl, then stir. If you'd like it to be hotter or if it needs more water, you can always add more water (if needed) and microwave it until warm enough.

Tom Yum - Prepared
Tom Yum – Prepared

Arugula Pesto

Arugula pesto is an easy, affordable, and peppery spin on traditional pesto, which is typically made with basil. Walnuts are used instead of pine nuts, which are more affordable but still provide a nice texture and flavor, but you can use pine nuts if you’d like. You can also replace some of the arugula with fresh basil. Use this pesto on pasta, sandwiches, wraps, eggs, and more.

Arugula Pesto

Course Side Dish
Keyword easy, gluten-free, plant-based, sauce, spring, vegan, vegetables, vegetarian
Total Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 cups arugula
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup walnuts or pine nuts
  • zest and juice of 1/2 lemon about 1 tablespoon juice or more to taste
  • 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

  1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until smooth. You can add more olive oil, salt or lemon juice to reach desired consistency and flavor.

Skillet Lasagna

If you love the flavors of lasagna but don’t have the time or patience to assemble it, try skillet lasagna! The whole recipe is made in one pan in about 40 minutes. The tofu ricotta recipe is from Minimalist Baker. If you do not need this recipe to be vegan or dairy-free, you can replace the tofu ricotta (and steps to make it) with regular ricotta cheese. If you do need the recipe to be vegan, be sure to use pasta without egg (or other dairy products) rather than egg noodles. Fusilli is the closest shape to egg noodles. Substitute or add other veggies if you’d like, such as kale, roasted eggplant, or tomatoes.

Skillet Lasagna

Easy, nutritious, filling, and the flavors of lasagna but made in one pan! Vegetarian and can easily be made vegan.

Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Keyword dairy-free, dinner, easy, entree, mushrooms, one pan, pasta, vegan, vegetables, vegetarian, zucchini
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 6

Ingredients

  • 12 ounce container extra firm tofu drained
  • juice of 2 lemons
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • 1/2 cup fresh basil
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 4 cups mushrooms, sliced
  • 6 ounces egg noodles (or fusilli to make vegan) 3 cups dry
  • 1 jar marinara sauce (about 28 ounces)
  • 2 zucchini, chopped into 1/2 inch chunks about 2 cups
  • 1 cup baby spinach

Instructions

  1. To make tofu ricotta: In a food processor, puree tofu, lemon juice, 3 tablespoons olive oil, nutritional yeast, oregano, salt and pepper. Pulse basil until it is distributed but not completely pureed. Set aside.

  2. In a large skillet, heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium high heat. Add onions and cook until they begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30-60 seconds. Add mushrooms and cook until they begin to cook down, about 3 minutes.

  3. Add marinara sauce, pasta, zucchini, spinach, and 1cup water. Stir together, then top with dollops of tofu ricotta. Cover, reducing heat to a simmer, until noodles are cooked, about 10 minutes. For whole wheat noodles, add an extra ½ cup water and 4-5minutes cooking time, or until noodles are al dente or cooked to your liking.

With spiralized zucchini and dairy-free mozzarella shreds
With dairy-free mozzarella shreds

Furikake Snack Mix

furikake snack mix

There are many variations of this snack mix, and this version is made with whole grains and healthy fats! It’s more savory than some of the sweeter versions. It can also be made dairy-free and/or vegan. Please note that furikake often contains fish, so look for a vegetarian version if necessary. You can also make your own furikake, which is a mix of dried seaweed, sesame seeds, sugar, salt, and sometimes other ingredients (like fish, which you could leave out).

Make up a batch or two for homemade holiday gifts! Save glass jars and remove the labels to package it.

You can swap ingredients as you’d like. For example:
-Omit almonds and replace with 1 cup of cereal
-Replace 1-2 cups of cereal with 1-2 cups of other ingredients like pretzels, crackers, or another type of cereal
-Add 1/4 cup granulated sugar to the syrup mixture if you prefer a sweeter mix

Furikake Snack Mix

Course Snack
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Servings 12

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup agave syrup
  • ¼ cup canola oil
  • ¼ cup vegan butter
  • 2 teaspoons reduced sodium tamari or soy sauce
  • 5 cups whole grain squares cereal about 1 box
  • 1 cup raw almonds
  • ½ cup furikake use a vegan/fish-free version if necessary
  • 1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 250°F.
  2. Bring syrup, oil, butter, and tamari or soy sauce to a boil in a saucepan.

  3. Put cereal and almonds on a baking sheet, pour sugar mixture over, sprinkle with furikake and sesame seeds, and stir to combine.

  4. Bake for one hour, stirring every 15 minutes. It will look wet when you first remove it from the oven, but it will dry as it cools.

Peach Ginger Crisp

Fruit crisps are one of the easiest desserts to throw together and they are somewhat flexible, too! This recipe uses simple ingredients and you can make substitutions if necessary: Use other nuts like pecans or almonds instead of walnuts, use other fruit omit the ginger, use regular butter instead of vegan butter, etc. It isn’t overly sweet, but it’s just right if you eat it with ice cream, or just prefer desserts that aren’t overpoweringly sweet.

This recipe can be used as a template for other fruit crisps. Omit the ginger and swap out the peaches for about 6 cups of:

-Plums (see photo towards the bottom)

-Strawberry & rhubarb

-Mixed berries

-Cranberry & apple (add a little cinnamon)

Peach Ginger Crisp

A peach crisp is delicious, but add ginger for a zing and lemon juice for brightness and it will be even better. This recipe is plant-based (vegan) as written. Using vegan butter results in a chunkier topping than coconut oil, but both taste great!

Course Dessert
Keyword dessert, easy, nuts, oats, peaches, summer
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Servings 8

Ingredients

  • oil to grease the pan
  • 6 peaches, sliced about 6 cups
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons corn starch
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice about 1 lemon
  • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
  • 1/2 cup rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup vegan butter or coconut oil (topping will likely be a bit flatter)
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • pinch salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

  2. Grease a baking dish such as a cast iron skillet or casserole dish with oil. I used a 11×7" pan.

  3. Combine peaches with sugar, corn starch, lemon juice, and fresh ginger. Place into greased baking dish.

  4. Combine remaining ingredients until it forms a dough and no loose flour remains, mixing with your hands if necessary to incorporate the butter. Add more butter if necessary. Crumble the topping over the peach mixture.

  5. Bake for about 50 minutes or until the juices have bubbled up and the crisp is golden brown on top. If the top doesn't brown well, turn on the broiler and put it on the 2nd from the top rack for a few minutes until browned, watching carefully to make sure it doesn't burn.

  6. Let cool completely to allow fruit to set. Reheat and serve, topped with ice cream if you'd like. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.

Made with melted coconut oil – crust was flatter but still crisp and delicious!
Plum crisp – followed this recipe with 6 cups of sliced plums and omitted the fresh ginger and ground ginger. The crust was made with vegan butter, and you can see it’s a big thicker and chunkier than the crisp made with melted coconut oil above.
Fresh peaches from the farmers’ market

Stewed White Beans & Greens

This is one of my favorite quick and easy dinner recipes to make. It’s so hearty and flavorful, especially considering the simple plant-based ingredients. It’s also very nutritious – full of fiber, protein, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. In fact, the vitamin C from the tomatoes and greens helps your body absorb the non-heme (plant) iron from the beans and greens. You’ll get some bonus iron if you cook it in a cast iron skillet. If you haven’t tried collard greens lately, I highly encourage you to try them in this recipe. They are milder in flavor than oh-so-trendy kale, and actually higher in calcium and iron!

5 from 1 vote
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Stewed Beans and Greens

Course Main Course, Side Dish
Keyword Beans, dairy-free, dinner, easy, entree, plant-based, vegan, vegetables, vegetarian
Prep Time 8 minutes
Cook Time 22 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 1/2 yellow onion, diced
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 bunch greens, such as collard greens or kale chopped
  • 1 15-ounce can white beans, rinsed and drained or 1 3/4 cup cooked white beans
  • 1 tomato, chopped 1 cup
  • 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 teaspoon miso
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until they start to brown, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 30-60 seconds. Add greens, tomatoes, and miso and cook for 2 minutes, or until greens start to wilt.

  2. Add broth and beans and stir. Gently mash some of the beans, which will help thicken the liquid. Cook until greens are tender, tomatoes have broken down, and the sauce has thickened, about 15 minutes. If the sauce is pretty watery and clear, mash more of the beans to thicken. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Made with collard greens

Korean Soft Tofu Stew

This recipe is by no means authentic, but it is a fairly easy, plant-based version that you can make at home without any special equipment.

Korean soft tofu stew, soondubu jigae, is a flavorful, thick, spicy, tangy and hearty bowl of deliciousness. I highly encourage you to try a more authentic version at a Korean restaurant if you have the opportunity. It is typically served bubbling hot in a a special pot in which it was cooked, alongside rice and several banchan, or side dishes. It may also contain seafood or meat.

This recipe does use a few ingredients that you may not find at your usual supermarket – kimchi, gochugaru (chili flakes), and kombu (seaweed). You can likely find these ingredients at an Asian market. You can also omit the kimchi, or skip the step of making the broth with the kombu and use vegetable broth instead, although this helps give it a rich, savory, seafood-like taste. However, the chili flakes really make the recipe, so don’t skip them!

Kimchi is a Korean staple made of fermented vegetables, often cabbage, but can be made with a variety of vegetables. Fermented foods like kimchi often have nutrients that are more bioavailable, reduced “anti-nutrients,” and contain beneficial microorganisms that may improve gut health. A few recent studies on kimchi suggested that it may reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes, but you may not want to overdo it on pickled foods in general – they can contain a lot of salt and byproducts that may have adverse health effects.

Korean Soft Tofu Stew

This recipe is not authentic soft tofu stew, but it is a vegetarian/vegan version that can be made without any special equipment. I highly encourage you to try a more authentic version at a Korean restaurant if you have the opportunity!

Course Main Course, Soup
Cuisine Korean
Keyword dairy-free, gluten-free, Korean, soup, stew, tofu, vegan, vegetarian
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 5 cups water
  • 2 pieces kombu
  • 4 ounces shiitake mushrooms
  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • 1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 4 ounces oyster mushrooms, stems trimmed and sliced
  • 1 cup kimchi sometimes contains fish sauce, check the label if you need it to be vegetarian
  • 3 tablespoons Korean chili flakes (gochugaru)
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
  • 12-16 ounce package silken tofu, drained
  • 2 stalks green onion, diagonally sliced

Instructions

  1. Make the broth: Separate the stems from the shiitake mushrooms and put mushrooms and stems in a saucepan, along with 5 cups of water and kombu. You can also add the stems from the oyster mushrooms. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 25 minutes. Strain the broth, keeping the broth and the vegetables. Set broth aside. Discard kombu and mushroom stems, and slice mushrooms and set aside.

  2. In a saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Add onions, stirring occasionally, and cook until translucent and beginning to brown. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add oyster mushrooms and cook until softened.

  3. Add broth, reserved shiitake mushrooms, kimchi, chili flakes, sesame oil, and salt. Bring to a simmer.

  4. Add tofu in large chunks. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.

  5. Divide stew into 4 bowls. Top with green onion and serve.

Korean soft tofu stew ingredients
bowl of stew