Army Stew

Hello everyone!  Or, I guess, hello anyone?  There are so many great food blogs out there, I felt a lot of pressure to create a fantastic recipe to kick off my own blog.  

Having failed that first test, I decided to write-up an entry for Army Stew instead.  I kid, I kid.  I promise, this recipe is absolutely delicious, and a great way to use a wide range of miscellaneous ingredients. 

The original Army Stew was a dish created out of necessity during the famine that followed the Korean War.  Called Budae Jjigae, it is one of the original East-meets-West fusion dishes, combining leftover food scrounged from U.S. Army bases with ingredients native to the Korean Peninsula.  My Army Stew tends to be a bit more Western in flavor since I use whatever is at hand, and depends heavily on garlic, onions, and chili paste for its taste.

Ingredients Needed:

1-3 Tbsp of Korean Chili paste (Called Gochujang)

3 cloves of crushed garlic

Water

At least 1/2 Onion

1 Tbsp Sugar (though can be reduced or omitted depending on taste)

Salt or Soy Sauce

Ideal Ingredients:

About 200 grams of processed meats (Spam, bologna, Oscar Meyer style hotdogs or Vienna sausages)

Firm Tofu (about 150 grams or 1/2 of those big square-packages), cubed

At least 3 mushrooms, sliced (white or brown mushrooms)

2-3 spring onions or 1 medium leek (finely chopped)

1 pack of Instant noodles (Ramen)

1 can of chicken stock

1 carrot, thinly sliced
2 cups bean sprouts

Slices of American cheese

Possible Substitutions:

This is a largely an "anything goes" sort of stew, so use what you have available.  If you don't feel like buying something on the list (with the exception of the ingredients needed), don't bother.  The strong spicy taste of the chili paste, combined with garlic and onion, is able to mask or meld together just about anything you can throw in the pot.  The flavors will change depending on what vegetables or proteins you put in there, but there's very little you can put in to make it taste bad.  

Note:  As a rule, the more vegetables you add (particularly onions), the sweeter the soup tends to get.  There's no limit to the kinds of vegetables you can add instead of the ones mentioned above.  I've been known to throw in freezer-burned hashbrowns, old zucchini, withered napa cabbage, leftover kimchi, and canned peas.  I do, however, avoid adding strong-flavored vegetables like cauliflower, but I'm also not a big fan of cauliflower.  There's no real limit to how much vegetable matter you can put in either, but I try to limit it to 1/2 of the total ingredients or less.

As far as the other ingredients, any pasta can be substituted for the ramen noodles or the noodles can be skipped altogether.  I prefer ramen though, since you can stir in the ramen sauce packet in place of chicken broth (or to give the soup an extra kick of flavor!).  Vegetable broth can also be substituted for the chicken broth, or you could even use just water with a bit more onion and salt added.

All other ingredients can be skipped if unavailable, although I would strongly suggest having some kind of protein in the soup.  It does not have to be processed meat or tofu.  I have thrown in a can of beans, turkey, and bacon before, and found it to be quite tasty.  I've heard rumors that baked beans can be thrown in, but if you do, do not add any sugar.  Cracking in an egg also tastes great, but definitely omit sugar if you decide to add in one or two.  

Instructions:

If you have raw meat, cut into bite-size cubes and place into a medium-to-large pot.  Cover with water (until about 1 inch above the meat), and let boil.  When meat is mostly brown, skim out any blood or bits that rise to the surface.  Add in stock or ramen sauce packet.    

Cut onion into medium pieces (about 1/2 inch).  Add to pot and let boil for about 5 minutes.  If needed, add in enough water to cover onions.  Medium dice vegetables as well (about 1/2 inch pieces) and add to pot.  Do the same for any cooked or processed meats.  There should, again, be enough liquid in the pot to cover all the ingredients, if there is not, add more water.  Finally, crush garlic and add into the pot.  Let it all boil.

Add in chili paste one tablespoon at a time, stir well.  Wait about 1 minute between spoonfuls of chili paste, letting the paste dissolve, and taste the soup.  Stop adding in chili paste at the spiciness level you like.  Most people like it around 2 tablespoons, I like it at 3.  

Let the soup boil for about 15 minutes.  Make sure there's enough soup to boil the noodles, otherwise add some water.  Add in soy sauce, salt, and/or sugar to taste.  It's difficult to give an exact amount you'll need of these ingredients, because it will change depending on what leftover bits of meat and vegetables you are using.  Tip:  It's easier to season soup accurately when it's cool.  I like to sample the broth for seasoning by scooping out half a spoonful of broth into a shot glass and blowing on it before tasting it.  I repeat the process every time I add in any kind of seasoning. 

Put in the noodles, and serve the stew as soon as the noodles are tender.  Thinly chopped spring onions and the cheese slices can be added on top right before serving.  

This soup can be enjoyed on its own or served with rice.