Vegan Kimchi Jjigae — a korean main course dish from Seoul, South Korea — featuring vegan kimchi, mushroom stock, no fish sauce

Vegan Kimchi Jjigae · Korean · Main Course

Vegan Kimchi Jjigae

Born in Seoul, South Korea

“Fish sauce out, mushroom stock in — and reviewers say the fermented funk that makes kimchi jjigae what it is survives the swap intact.”

80 people have eaten this dish and left their thoughts across 5 platforms

8 in 10 mention still deeply fermented flavour first

7 in 10 say it's worth it for the naturally vegan

6 in 10 would come back the same week

2 in 10 note: less rich than pork version for some

Synthesised from Google · TripAdvisor · Reddit · Yelp · 1 food blog · Updated July 2026

The story the reviews tell

People who miss Korean stews after going vegan say this is one of the few versions that doesn't taste noticeably thinner than the original, crediting the mushroom stock's long simmer for the body. The kimchi's fermentation is still the dominant flavour, same as the traditional version.

What makes this version distinct

Standard kimchi jjigae relies on pork and often fish-sauce-fermented kimchi for its depth. This version uses vegan kimchi (fermented without fish sauce or shrimp paste) and builds body with a dried shiitake and kombu mushroom stock instead of pork, replacing the animal-derived umami sources with plant-based ones that ferment and simmer to a similar depth.

Signature elements

vegan kimchimushroom stockno fish saucefermented and spicy

What people love

  • still deeply fermented flavour
  • naturally vegan
  • rich mushroom body

Know before you go

  • less rich than pork version for some
  • harder to find vegan kimchi
  • can be very spicy

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Why this works for sensitive guts

Vegan kimchi and a mushroom-based stock replace pork and fish sauce while keeping the fermented depth that defines the dish.

This is food knowledge, not medical advice.

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