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This tuna kimchi stew is a quick and easy dish that comes together with just a handful of ingredients! A comforting dish, this soup has the perfect balance of sweet, tangy, and spicy.
When I need something filling and comforting, this is one of my favorite soups to make. It’s a super easy kimchi stew that uses canned tuna, so I always have everything I need on hand.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s practically a full meal in 30 minutes or less. I usually just make some rice in my rice cooker before I start the kimchi stew with canned tuna, and then dinner is ready. It’s one of my favorite recipes to make while the baby naps, as it doesn’t require much prep and everything is quickly thrown into the pot!
- Ever wondered what to do with the kimchi that’s in your fridge? Sometimes you just can’t get through the giant tub fast enough! This stew is perfect for using up old kimchi in the fridge. The sour, tangy flavor makes it soooo good. You can add as much kimchi to this as you want too, so usually I just clear out the bucket.
- You can easily customize this stew to help clear out the fridge. Sometimes I add a block of tofu, a handful of mushrooms, some leeks, etc. The possibilities are endless as it’s such a versatile base recipe.
Ingredients You’ll Need
canned tuna — this Korean brand of canned tuna is my go-to. I usually use their light version to make this kimchi stew.
kimchi — older kimchi is preferred, so you get that classic tangy flavor. You’ll also need the kimchi juices.
anchovy broth — I use an anchovy broth coin added to water. You can also use those pouches. If you cannot find this, you can substitute with a broth of your choice.
soy sauce — I like using this rich and savory soy sauce for this stew, but you can use your soy sauce of choice.
anchovy sauce — the anchovy sauce adds a deep umami flavor to the stew.
sugar — to balance out the tangy flavor, I like to add a spoonful of regular white sugar.
gochugaru — the red pepper flakes add a bit of heat to the stew. Feel free to add more if you prefer a spicier stew.
How to Make Tuna Kimchi Stew
The reason this is my go-to recipe when my baby is napping or when she’s playing independently is how relatively quick and hands-off this recipe is. To make tuna kimchi stew:
- Add the canned tuna and kimchi to the pot and saute for a couple of minutes.
- Add the kimchi juice, broth, soy sauce, anchovy sauce, sugar, and gochugaru to the pot.
- Simmer for a couple of minutes and you’re done! You can finish off with some green onions as garnish if you have them on hand.
It really doesn’t get much easier than this! Depending on what I have on hand, I’ll throw odds and ends into the stew as well, such as frozen peas, mushrooms, napa cabbage, tofu, etc. It is so easy to customize!
Recipe Tips and Notes
- I find that the older the kimchi, the more sugar you’ll need to help balance out the flavors, unless you’re in the mood for something super tangy.
- Sometimes, I’ll use my rice cooker to make multiple servings of rice and freeze some. Then, when I make this last-minute dinner, I just microwave the frozen rice and have dinner ready within minutes. Honestly, frozen rice has saved my butt more than once if I don’t want to go through the steps of preparing rice. I personally prefer jasmine rice or purple rice.
- I have frozen green onions on hand (I get the giant bag from Costco to wash and freeze!), so I can finish off the stew with some green onions, but if you don’t have any, just skip it!
Make Ahead Tips
- Meal prep: once cooled, store in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge.
- Freezer: ever since having my baby, we now try to make double of every recipe to freeze half for a later day. This really makes life easier. This soup is no exception! Allow the kimchi tuna stew to cool before transferring them into Souper Cubes or freezer-friendly deli containers and freeze for up to 3 months.
Tuna Kimchi Stew
This tuna kimchi stew is a quick and easy dish that comes together with just a handful of ingredients! A comforting dish, this soup has the perfect balance of sweet, tangy, and spicy.
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
Instructions
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To a large pot over medium heat, add two cans of tuna and kimchi and saute for 2 to 3 minutes.
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Then, add the kimchi juice, water with the anchovy coin (or broth), soy sauce, anchovy sauce, sugar, and gochugaru to the pot.
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Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes and then garnish with green onions before serving, if desired.
Notes
This recipe is perfect for older kimchi as it adds more tangy and sour flavor to the stew.
Nutrition Per Serving
Calories: 95kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Trans Fat: 0.003g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 927mg | Potassium: 263mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 676IU | Vitamin C: 0.04mg | Calcium: 48mg | Iron: 3mg
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