In all of the travels we’ve done, South Korea remains one of our favorite countries and Seoul one of our favorite cities.
The people, the culture, the landscape, and the FOOD. Oh my word, the food. It’s all amazing.
We’ve shared an inspired version of easy kimchi on the blog before, but recently, we were craving that quintessential red pepper paste known as gochujang.
What is Gochujang?
It’s spicy, savory, and slightly sweet with so much complexity. Traditionally, the sauce is made and fermented to develop the flavors, but there are also ways to make it more simply (and quickly) – which you know we’re all about.
This is my inspired version (not authentic, mind you!) of this curiously complex sauce we’ve grown to love and crave. Let’s get started!
First of all, this recipe is EASY. I mean easy. Anyone can make it. It requires 5 ingredients, 5 minutes, and 1 blender or food processor.
What’s in Gochujang?
It starts with miso as a base, which provides a quicker route to that fermented flavor. Plus, we like using chickpea miso to avoid the possibility of GMO soy. But if you can only find soy miso, that works, too! The flavors are quite similar.
Next comes Korean chili powder or flakes, which we’ve discovered are quite different than other chili flakes. They’re not as spicy as cayenne and more complex than red pepper flake. If at all possible, order some online (link in recipe) or visit an Asian store in your area to see if you can hunt them down.
For more flavor, we added some fresh garlic, maple syrup for natural sweetness, and coconut aminos in place of soy sauce for saltiness and depth of flavor. Swoon.
How to Use Gochujang?
So many options! First of all, it acts as a chili paste in marinades and sauces. Anywhere a recipe calls for chili garlic sauce, you could experiment substituting gochujang for more complex flavor.
One of the most famous uses of gochujang is in the delicious Korean rice and veggie bowl known as Bibimbap.
Spicy Savory Bold Easy to make Versatile & Insanely delicious
The cool thing about gochujang is it’s not spice-your-face-off spicy. It’s more of a subtle spice because it’s balanced with other flavors. Plus, you can control the spice level when you make your own! So even if you’re typically averse to spicy food, give this one a try! You might be pleasantly surprised.
Use this sauce in our Gochujang Spiced Cauliflower Wings to see what we’re raving about! Or give it a try in our Marinated Peanut Tempeh or add it to the dipping sauce in these Collard Green Spring Rolls!
More Korean-Inspired Recipes
Easy Vegan Kimchi
Easy Bibimbap with Gochujang Sauce
Gochujang Stir-Fried Brussels Sprouts
Spicy Korean Style Cauliflower Wings
If you like this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
Easy-to-make Korean-inspired Gochujang sauce that’s vegan, gluten-free, naturally sweetened, and soy-free! Just 5 minutes, 5 ingredients, and 1 blender required.
1/4cupcoconut aminos(plus more to taste (or sub tamari, but reduce amount as it’s saltier)
4clovesgarlic(minced)
2-4Tbspwater(to thin)
Instructions
To a small blender or food processor, add chickpea miso, maple syrup, chili flakes, coconut aminos, and garlic. Blend together until smooth, adding water a little at a time to thin into a paste (see photo for texture).
Taste and adjust flavor as needed. Add more pepper flake for spice, coconut aminos for depth of flavor, maple syrup for sweetness, garlic for “zing,” or salt for saltiness.
Store in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks or in the freezer up to 1 month. Perfect for use on dishes like tempeh, cauliflower wings, sauces, marinades, etc.
Video
Notes
*If you can’t find Korean Red Chili Powder, feel free to replace it with something similar such as cayenne or red pepper flake. The flavor and spice level will vary, so adjust accordingly, especially with cayenne, which is much spicier (start small and add to taste). *Recipe adapted from Leite’s Culinaria.
Try it as a baste on chicken wings or pork ribs, or added to soup broths like in my Spicy Pork Miso Noodle Soup. Gochujang can also be used in marinades for meat dishes like Korean bulgogi, stirred into dipping sauces, or used to punch up stews.
We've got you covered. What is it? Gochujang, a fundamental ingredient in Korean cooking, is a thick and spicy-sweet crimson paste made from red chile pepper flakes, glutinous rice (also known as sticky rice), fermented soybeans, and salt.
Use it as a base ingredient in Korean dishes, soups, stews and stir-fries. Its spicy flavour means it also works well as a marinade or with tacos and burgers.
How to Store Gochujang. Once opened, gochujang should be stored in the refrigerator. Like miso, it has quite a long shelf life, as long as it hasn't dried out or changed in color. Should you find yourself with a lot of gochujang leftover, remember that it can be used up in lots of different ways.
Meet gochujang, the savory Korean sauce that, like sriracha, is made from fermented red peppers, but has a more savory, salty, deep flavor. “It's like hot sauce-meets-umami flavor,” chef Edward Lee, owner of 610 Magnolia & Milkwood in Louisville, Kentucky, told ABC News.
The kind labeled a sauce or condiment is the same paste, thinned out with other ingredients such as sugar and vinegar. Generally speaking, where you're meant to cook with the jang, you're meant to eat with the jang-based sauce.
What Does Gochujang Taste Like? Gochujang is spicy, salty, earthy and sweet. It has a texture that is thick and sticky. The paste is spicy because of the Korean red pepper flakes, but the exact level of heat will depend on the cultivar used—spiciness can range from medium to very hot.
On paper, harissa paste shares a lot in common with gochujang paste. It's thick, sweet, spicy and packed full of flavor. The problem is, it's the wrong flavors. Harissa paste contains spices like cumin and caraway seeds, which just don't feature in Korean food.
Not only is it a staple in Korean cuisine, but it's also linked to some impressive benefits for gut health and beyond. According to a 2021 study, gochujang “induced significant modulation in gut microbiota by significantly increasing the number of Akkermansia muciniphila,” a type of healthy bacteria.
If the product emits an off smell or the taste is strange and not typical of the fermented condiment, it may have gone bad. Spoilage Signs: Presence of Mold: This is a clear indication that the gochujang should not be consumed. Off Smell: Any sour or unfamiliar odors can signal spoilage.
You can add spicy ingredients like Gochujang paste, red pepper/chili flakes, or hot sauce, and then mix it into your cooked noodles for a fiery kick. Just be aware of how it might change the texture of your ramen noodles. For instance, red pepper flakes or chilli powder won't usually change the textures of dishes.
In a small bowl, mix all of the ingredients—gochujang, sugar, honey, rice wine vinegar, minced garlic, sesame oil—together until well-blended. If the sauce consistency is too thick, thin it out with some warm water, mixing in a little at a time.
Gochujang is recommended by Taste of Home for people looking to add some heat to their food, but they also caution that because the Korean paste has such a concentrated flavor that it is often mixed with liquid to dilute the spiciness.
Introduction: My name is Trent Wehner, I am a talented, brainy, zealous, light, funny, gleaming, attractive person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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