Jjigae are a type of soupy stew popular in Korean cuisine. I’m not Korean but I grew up in Singapore where Korean food is pretty mainstream due to the popularity of Korean entertainment like K-pop and K-dramas. Kimchi jjigae are stews featuring aged kimchi, and the fermented vegetables impart a fantastic flavour to the broth! Either meats or seafood are added to the stew along with other vegetables and commonly tofu, and my all-time favourite version actually features canned tuna (chamchi kimchi jjigae). Today’s post is for gluten-free kimchi jjigae!
One day I was idly wondering about the possibility of creating some AIP versions of Korean food that I used to enjoy, and set about whipping it up. I didn’t have tuna on hand (I prefer buying canned Sockeye salmon now due to the Omega 3 content) and figured the redness of the Sockeye salmon would impart some colour to the chili pepper-free stew. It worked out wonderfully. The flavour was spot on (without the chili pepper spiciness), and the briny taste of the salmon married perfectly with the sauerkraut. If you like tuna in your kimchi jjigae you will love this version with salmon!
Putting the gluten-free kimchi jjigae together
I heated a tablespoon of olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot, then sauteed the onion wedges until they turned translucent (make sure they don’t brown)…
before adding in the garlic and spring onions. My eldest son helped me to chop the spring onions and didn’t separate them, hence the green bits in the pot!
After that I added a cup of shredded sauerkraut and one medium zucchini. I used lacto-fermented sauerkraut bought from a little organic produce shop in the neighbourhood, but you can absolutely use home-made sauerkraut or more traditional kimchi (but nightshade-free) like my white kimchi. What you want is the tangy taste of the fermented vegetables to liven up and flavour the stew! Some version of kimchi jjigae include gochujang or red pepper paste, but most commercial ones contain wheat and are hence not gluten-free. This gluten-free kimchi jjigae takes that out of the equation.
Then in went the Sockeye salmon along with the brine in the can. If you’re not used to eating canned salmon with skin and bones, this is a good way to introduce it as it breaks up as the stew cooks and is quite unnoticeable, except for maybe the backbone of the salmon but that’s loaded with calcium!)
Not forgetting the 2 cups of bone broth. I use pretty neutral-tasting bone broth in my cooking. I think this was beef bone-based, but just about any other bone broth should work. You can even use water in a pinch! If you’re using enoki mushrooms, place them on top at this stage.
Finally, it was brought to a simmer and allowed to cook until the vegetables were tender. Since the canned Sockeye salmon has salt added, I didn’t have to add any additional salt to the stew. Simply taste it and see if it needs extra salt.
Kimchi jjigae is usually served with plain rice, but since that isn’t AIP, I cooked a pot of dangmyeon (sweet potato vermicelli) on the side and served it together with the stew, topped with the rest of the spring onions. So that is how gluten-free kimchi jjigae is made! Totally AIP-compliant to boot. My youngest son kept on helping himself to the stew, so I think it’s a success!
Where to purchase certain ingredients online (affiliate links):
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, cut into thin wedges
- 4 spring onions, chopped (separate white from green part)
- 1 thumb size knob of ginger, peeled and sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 cup sauerkraut or white kimchi
- 1 medium zucchini, trimmed and cut into rounds or half-moons, ½ inch thick
- 1 can wild Sockeye salmon, preferably with bones and skin (don't drain)
- 2 cups bone broth
- 1 bunch enoki mushroom, trim off 1.5 inches from the bottom, or leafy greens like baby spinach (optional)
- Sea salt, to taste
- Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat
- Add the onions and ginger and saute for 3 minutes
- Add the garlic and white parts of the spring onions and saute for another minute
- Add the sauerkraut or white kimchi and zucchini
- Stir in the Sockeye salmon and bone broth
- Place the enoki mushroom on top, if using
- Cover and bring to a simmer and cook for around 7 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender to your liking
- Taste and add additional sea salt, if necessary
- Remove from heat and stir in the baby spinach, if using
- Sprinkle spring onion greens on top and serve hot
Kimchi jjigae is usually served with plain rice, but you can use dangmyeon/ sweet potato vermicelli instead. What I do is bring a large pot of water to boil, place the vermicelli inside and let it boil for about 15 minutes (until the strands are springy and tender), before draining and rinsing thoroughly to get rid of excess starch.
