Kimchi Stew with Chicken and Tofu

Martha Stewart Living Magazine

Adapted and Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Serves
4

Kimchi is a traditional fermented Korean side dish made with pickled cabbage and other vegetables.  It is the national dish of Korea. I first tasted kimchi stew in a restaurant and I loved the intense but balanced flavors.  I then searched for recipes and found this one, which uses ingredients that are easily found at our little community-owned grocery store.  This stew was quite easy to put together and tasted great!  The heat and spiciness will of course depend upon the kimchi that you use.  I omitted the salt called for in the original recipe because kimchi can be high in sodium.   

Ingredients

4 cups cups homemade or low-sodium store-bought chicken stock or vegetable broth

2½ cups water

2 chicken thighs

1 Tablespoon minced garlic

2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger

1 teaspoon minced anchovy fillets

1 jar (16 ounces each) kimchi, undrained

8 ounces extra firm tofu, drained, pressed and cut into small cubes

3 scallions, white and pale-green parts only, thinly sliced diagonally

Directions

Bring stock, water, chicken thighs, garlic, ginger, anchovies, and salt to a boil in a large saucepan. Reduce heat, and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat.

Transfer chicken to a plate, reserving broth. Let chicken stand until cool enough to handle. Remove meat from bone and skin, and shred into bite-size pieces.

Add chicken, kimchi to the cooking broth in pan, and place pan over low heat. Add tofu to pan, being careful not to break it. Gently shake pan to submerge tofu. Bring to a very gentle simmer, and cook until tofu is heated through, 3 to 5 minutes. Divide soup among bowls.  Add scallions.