Kimchi Stew - Savor da Slop

Savor da Slop

The dread of a weeknight meal is real. Yes, even for the foodies. In no world does my health or more importantly, my wallet, let me curb that dread with takeout. So, I’ve become a slop connoisseur. Slop - a throw-together meal that doesn’t always look pretty, but gets the job done (superrealdefinition.com).

I cannot in good conscience have mildly flavored slop. Let’s be honest… that’ll be my meal for the next few days, so it’s gotta be flavor-packed. After years of sloppin’ it up in the kitchen, I’m here to bring you my favorite slop recipes. To me, slop is beautiful. It brings flavor profiles from around the world, never lets anything go to waste, and is perfectly customizable to your health goals. 

I’m a vegetarian, for now, who knows how long that’ll last. Anyway, slop is kinda the ultimate weeknight meal. Without further ado, last night’s meal - Kimchi Stew. 

Oh… and I’m probably never going to give you a full, detailed recipe. You’re smart. Use whatever ratios you want to, this is meant to spark ideas, not be a step-by-step guide. I cook for one, you don’t want my ratios. 

Kimchi Stew

Is this a real dish? Absolutely. Is the recipe authentic? Definitely not. Honestly, this whole series is gonna be inauthentic versions of real dishes. No food is ever truly “authentic,” so why not lean in hardcore and create something whacky and flavorful?

How it starts. 

• Chopping onions. Always onions. Then mushrooms and potatoes. Boom! Flavor, vegetable, carb, done. Throw that aside. 

Next up, main protein.

• Extra Firm Tofu. Draw out as much moisture as possible. Let’s be honest, it’s a weeknight. Just squeeze it over the sink with your hands. Don’t let it break though, we’re gonna cut it into little cubes. Season those bad boys with whatever finds your fancy - I did salt, pepper, and turmeric (for anti-inflammatory properties). Want healthy fats? Toss em’ with some olive oil too. 

• 400F oven - 40 minutes. Don’t touch. They’ll be nice and crispy if they sit. Make sure they’re not gonna stick tho. I use silicon mats, they’re reusable and easy to clean. You can use parchment if you wanna be wasteful, or just grease the pan. 

While that’s happening…

• Heat up a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat (i.e. a pan that can handle a lot of liquid volume). 

• Throw in those onions and mushrooms and kimchi from earlier with a little bit of pan lubricant of your choice (oil, butter, Pam, etc.) Sautee them until lightly browned or heated through. Now, black beans and potatoes. Wash out the can with some water. Bean water goes in too. Trust. Bring that baby to a boil. 

Crazy flavor.

• Yay, flavor!! Better than Bouillon, gochujang, these are your main flavors. I add them to the boiling water cause I'm lazy. Whatever else you add is up to you. To let those main flavors shine, I put salt, white pepper, chili powder, and a bay leaf. 

More veggies!

• At this time add leftover vegetables or additional health foods you want. I added spinach and broccoli. Depending on the vegetable add it later into the dish - you don’t want them too soggy. I added the broccoli about 10 minutes before I took it off the stove. It needs to simmer for at least 30 minutes (I did 40). 

Don’t forget… 

• Remember that Tofu? When your stew is stewing, and you’re about 10 minutes away from exploding with hunger, your crispy tofu goes in. The crispy exterior will make the texture tolerable and 10 minutes of stewing still allows for all those incredible flavors to soak into the tofu. 

Done. Yep, that’s right. All you did was chop, roast, and boil stuff in a pot. Do dishes as you go and when you serve up you’ll only have one pan, a plate(s), and silverware to clean. Nice work! Congratulations on finishing your first slop. Happy to have you.