Satisfying, spicy, and comforting, this vegetarian stew is inspired by the complex flavors of Korean kimchi jjigae. Lentils add heartiness and bite while poached eggs add an irresistible ooziness. If you’re feeling ambitious, this stew is also delicious made with homemade kimchi. —Diana Yen
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What you’ll need
Large Saucepan with Lid
$39 At Amazon
Ladle
$8 At Amazon
Cutting Board
$10 At IKEA
Recipe information
Yield
4 Servings
Ingredients
2
1
1
3
1
1
1
2
1
4
1
4
Preparation
Step 1
Remove dark green tops from scallions and thinly slice; set aside for serving. Thinly slice remaining white and pale-green parts. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high. Cook white and pale-green parts of scallions, onion, and garlic, stirring often, until softened and starting to brown, about 4 minutes. Add gochujang and cook, stirring often and reducing heat as needed to prevent burning, until very fragrant and slightly darkened in color, about 2 minutes. Add kimchi, gochugaru, and sugar and cook, stirring, until kimchi is slightly softened and translucent, about 2 minutes. Add lentils, broth, and 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt and stir to combine. Bring stew to a boil, then reduce heat and cover. Simmer, adding a splash of water if needed to loosen, until lentils are just barely tender, 20–25 minutes.
Step 2
Uncover pan. Crack an egg into a small bowl, then gently slide into stew. Repeat with remaining eggs, leaving some space around each. Cover pan and simmer until egg whites are set but yolks are still runny, about 3 minutes.
Step 3
Ladle stew into bowls, making sure to include an egg in each, and top with reserved scallion tops.
How would you rate Kimchi-Lentil Stew With Poached Eggs?
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Reviews (40)
Back to TopThis has become my go-to laz night comfort soup. It is flavorful, healthy, and filling. Uses pantry staples I usually have, and can be sopped with any tortilla, flatbread, or yummy bits I have on hand. I go back to it over and over again after a long day. Thank you thank you!!
Maggie
1/11/2024
Like others, I found that it took way longer to get the lentils tender than the recipe implied. I used Wegmans brand French green lentils, and it took about 40 minutes for them to become tender, so keep that in mind. Funnily enough, the spiciness went away with leftovers, so adding more gochugaru at the table helped.
Anonymous
Connecticut
9/21/2023
perfect weeknight pantry meal— easy, cheap, and interesting. i served mine over savory oatmeal. per the reviews that it tends salty, i used only water instead of broth and cut the salt by half. came out great for my palate.
emily
los angeles, ca
9/14/2022
I loved it. I almost didn’t make it Bc it didn’t sound right lol. Glad I made it though. It’s now a staple in my meal rotation.
SonjaS
Houston, TX
8/21/2022
Hated this recipe. Lentils took like an hour more than the recipe said. The taste in this was awful, too salty. A waste of my kimchi and my time, plus I got a disgusting dinner for my family.
Anonymous
6/24/2022
I liked this. Easy, cheap, healthy, but not boring. For me it verged on too spicy for comfort, but I'm a bit of wimp. I used black lentils and probably because of that it did not turn out as thick as I expected (though no less delicious). I think if I did it again with black lentils I'd use 3 cups of broth instead of 4.
Erin
San Francisco, CA
1/26/2022
This is a good spin on Kimchi Jigae meet lentil stew. I used sesame oil, increased the garlic, and added some ginger. Plus the kimchi was super ripe and I poured in quite a bit of juice. Made the stew tangy. It’s interesting on the palette: a spicy, tangy, hearty stew. Will definitely make again.
ASmith
Denver
12/6/2021