Korean Army Base Stew (Budaechigae)

One of my favorite soups in Korea is called the Korean Army Base Stew or Johnson's Soup. I finally found a recipe for it so that I am able to make it at home. 

Following the Korean war, American army bases became a permanent fixture in South Korea, to assist the South against any possible skirmishes with the North.

The Americans brought a number of foods that had never been seen in Korea such as Spam, frankfurter sausages and baked beans to name a few. In true Korean Fashion, they took these ingredients and mixed with their own to make a spicy stew named Budae Jjigae which literally translates as the 'army stew'

Its a spicy dish, normally cooked in a big pan and served from the middle of the table, containing noodles, western ingredients and plenty of vegetables Budae Jjigae is a great example of Koreans putting their own mark on foods. 

Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 30 minutes Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups meat in small chunks (Spam, hot dogs, ham, small meatballs, or a combination)

• 1 1/2 cups sliced vegetables (combination of any: mushrooms, bean sprouts, chrysanthemum leaves)

• 1/2 an onion, sliced

• 1 cup of tofu

• 2 1/3 cups of water with 4 cubes of chicken stock

• 1 package ramen noodles (just noodles, not spice packets)

• Kimchi (optional)

• Sliced rice cakes (optional)

• Canned baked beans (optional topping)

• Sliced American cheese (optional topping)

Sauce:

• 1-3 Tbsp kochujang (Korean hot pepper paste)

• 1 Tbsp Red Pepper Powder

• 2 cloves of crushed garlic

• 2 Tbsp of Soy Sauce

• 1 Tbsp of Sugar

• 1 Tbsp of Sesame Oil

Preparation:

1. Start by putting water in a pan, add to this about 4 cubes or 2 tablespoons of chicken stock and mix well. Cut the Spam, sausages and tofu in to slices and cut all the vegetables. In a bowl add all the ingredients for the sauce and mix well, Place the sauce in to the pan and add the other ingredients around it, keep the noodles to on side for now.


2. Bring the entire mix to boil and cook well, this should take about 15 minutes, the easiest way to check is to see if the onion is soft. At this point add some noodles it is common to use some instant noodles like shin Ramyun, you could though use any supermarket noodle. This will take a further 3-5 minutes to cook.


3. Serve in a bowl and enjoy, there should be plenty for up to 5 people and you could serve with rice and some side dishes if you like, however with the noodles there is enough to fill you up.