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    Home » All Recipes » Dressings, Dips, and Sauces

    Easy Gochujang-Style Korean Chili Paste

    Updated: Apr 2, 2020 · Published: Feb 18, 2020 by Allison · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

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    You’ll find yourself craving this easy gochujang-style Korean chili paste over and over again. It’s at once spicy, sweet, salty, and bursting with umami!

    a jar of gochujang-style paste topped with a sprinkling of chili flakes with a spoon in it

    Before we begin… what in the world is gochujang?

    Ah, gochujang. With Korean cuisine all the rage these days, I’m sure you have heard of this spicy chili paste. If not, here is an explanation, courtesy of Bon Appetit:

    “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. Traditionally, it’s fermented over years in an earthenware pot kept outdoors, during which time the starches in the glutinous rice are converted to sugars, giving the condiment its underlying sweetness. The chile peppers provide a healthy amount of lingering heat, while the fermented soybeans act as the miso-like ingredient that anchors gochujang’s “umami” flavor.”

    Since first enjoying a dish made with gochujang at Pure Kitchen, I have been wanting to make my own gochujang-style Korean chili paste at home, though not one that is fermented over a period of several years. Nah, my love of gochujang runs too deep to wait that long for its salty-spicy-sweet-umami deliciousness.

    I consulted the internet for recipe inspiration here, and actually worked off of this recipe to create my own inspired version. I simplified the recipe by using regular chili flakes instead of Korean chili flakes, and added tomato paste for volume, texture, and red colour.

    an overhead shot of the gochujang style paste, an inspired version that is quicker and easier than traditional gochujang.

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    To be fair, my recipe is not a true gochujang, given the untraditional ingredients and method, but for me and my small group of taste testers, it hits in all the right places and is supremely addictive!

    how to make this gochujang-style Korean chili paste:

    Add rice vinegar, chickpea miso, maple syrup, tomato paste, tamari, garlic, chili flakes, garlic, and water to an upright blender and blend until smooth! That’s all there is to it. 🙂

    an overhead shot of all of the ingredients--rice vinegar, chickpea miso, maple syrup, tomato paste, tamari, garlic, water, garlic, and chili paste-- in the jar of a blender before blending.

    Stay tuned for my next recipe, which integrates this crispy tofu with this gochujang-style Korean chili paste!

    If you make this recipe, leave a comment and rating below to let everyone know how you liked it, and share a photo to Instagram with @upbeet.kitchen and #upbeetkitchen, too!

    Enjoy!

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    an image showing a small jar of gochujang paste topped with chili flakes.

    Easy Gochujang-Style Korean Chili Paste


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    • Author: Allison
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    Description

    You’ll find yourself craving this easy gochujang-style paste over and over again. It’s at once spicy, sweet, salty, and bursting with umami!


    Ingredients

    Scale
    • 2 tbsp rice vinegar
    • ¼ cup chickpea miso
    • ¼ cup pure maple syrup
    • ¼ cup tomato paste
    • ¼ cup water
    • 1–2 tablespoon tamari (start with 1 tbsp and add more to taste)
    • 4 medium garlic cloves
    • ½–1 teaspoon chili flakes (depending on how spicy you want it to be)

    Instructions

    1. Place all of the ingredients in an upright blender and blend until smooth.
    2. Transfer to an airtight glass jar and store in the refrigerator, where it will keep for at least two weeks

    Notes

    This recipe is inspired by Minimalist Baker.

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    About image for Up Beet Kitchen

    Hi, I'm Allison! Welcome to Up Beet Kitchen, a food blog with wholesome, nutrient-dense recipes designed to unearth vibrant health and wellness.

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