Easy Gochujang Sauce

Seoul, the capital of South Korea, is one of our favorite cities and a famous country.

The food, culture, landscape, and people are all amazing. The food! The food is all incredible.

We have shared an easy version of kimchi before on this blog, but we recently craved that quintessential red pepper paste called gochujang.

What is Gochujang?

It is spicy, savory, and slightly sweet, with a lot of complexity. The sauce is traditionally fermented, which develops the flavors. However, there are other ways to make the sauce more quickly and easily. We love it.

This recipe is easy. It’s easy. It’s easy to make. Five ingredients, five minutes, and a blender (or food processor) are all you need.

What is in Gochujang?

Start with miso, as it is a quick way to get that fermented taste. We also prefer chickpea-based miso, as it avoids the possibility of GMO soybeans. If you can only find miso made from soy, it will work, too. Both flavors are similar.

We’ve found that Korean chili powder and flakes are different from other chili flakes. The flakes are not as hot as cayenne, but they’re more complex than the red pepper flake. You can order them online (the link is in the recipe) or go to an Asian shop in your area if possible.

How to Use Gochujang

There are so many choices! It can be used as a paste for marinades and sauces. You can substitute gochujang in any recipe that calls for chili-garlic sauce for a more complex flavor.

Ingredients

• Use soy or chickpea paste, but make sure to check that it is vegan-friendly and gluten-free.
• 1/4 cup maple syrup plus more to taste
• Add more according to taste.
• Use 1/4 cup of coconut aminos, plus more to taste. (Or sub tamari, but reduce the amount because it is salty)
• Four cloves of garlic (minced).
• Water – 2-4 Tbsp (too thin).

Instructions

• Add chickpeas miso, maple, chili flakes, and coconut aminos to a small food processor. Add water to make a smooth paste.
• Adjust flavor according to taste. Add more garlic to “zing,” or add more salt if you want it saltier.
• Use on dishes like tempeh, a href=”https://minimalistbaker.com/spicy-korean-style-cauliflower wings/”>cauliflower wings/a>, sauces, marinades, etc. Use on tempeh, cauliflower wings, or other dishes.