Cabbage and Doenjang Soup
Every year for Christmas, Gary gifts me a new cookbook. Sometimes I make a special request, other years I leave it to chance. This year was the latter, and he knocked it out of the park with “The Korean Vegan: Homemade” by Joanne Lee Molinaro. Generally speaking, now that the kids are mostly out of the house, Gary and I eat a primarily plant-based diet, so the vegan aspect feels expansive rather than limiting. And I am excited to explore Korean cooking as one of the many Asian cuisines that I love.
Ironically, one of the first recipes from the book that piqued my interest, Cabbage and Doenjang Soup, also known as Baechu Doenjang Guk, was also featured in the Wednesday, December 31, 2025, Food section of The Washington Post. If you are not familiar with doenjang, fermented soy paste, I highly encourage you to seek it out and give it a try. The closest thing I can compare it to is miso (this simplification/comparison might make some shudder), which you can use in a pinch. But doenjang is a total umami bomb–salty, sweet, complex–and there’s really no substitute. Of course, you can find it in an Asian market, online, and even in Whole Foods. If you do pick up a tub, it will keep in the refrigerator, and you can use it to make this incredibly easy Doenjang Salmon recipe that I shared a while back. I can’t count how many times I’ve made that quick and easy dish.
Oh, and if you are not familiar with silken tofu, it is a soft version and can be found refrigerated next to the firm tofu in your supermarket. It doesn’t add flavor to this soup, but it does add protein, and who isn’t looking for ways to add protein to their diet these days?
No lie that this soup comes together in under 30 minutes and is perfect for any Jan-plan diet. Enjoy!
Cabbage and Doenjang Soup
Ingredients
- 1.5 tsp olive oil
- 1.5 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 7 oz fresh shiitake mushrooms stems removed, sliced
- 1 small yellow onion halved and thinly sliced
- 2 Tbls doenjang plus more to taste
- 4 c vegetable broth preferably low-sodium, divided
- 1 Tbls reduced-sodium soy sauce plus more to taste
- 4 large 4 large napa cabbage leaves or 8 medium leaves, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1 14-16 oz package silken tofu drained
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven, Korean clay pot or other heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, heat the olive and sesame oils until shimmering. Add the mushrooms and onion, and sauté until fragrant and softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the doenjang until the vegetables are evenly coated.
- Add 1 cup of the broth and the soy sauce, and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot. Add the remaining 3 cups of broth, increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes, so the flavors can meld.
- Stir in the cabbage, then use a dinner spoon to break up the block of tofu and scoop the pieces into the soup. Cook until the cabbage is tender but not limp, 2 to 4 minutes. Taste, and stir in more doenjang and soy sauce, if desired. Ladle into bowls and serve hot.
Follow
