Chicken and Mushroom Juk (Korean Rice Porridge) With Kimchi

A Warm Hug in a Bowl of Porridge

For at least 3,000 years, this soothing staple rice gruel has been cooked in various ways throughout Asia, deeply rooted in a number of culinary traditions. In its most basic form, the dish is comprised of grains, such as rice or barley, and water or stock, simmered together until they form a thick, cream-like porridge. Juk’s popularity is due in part to its healing and nourishing characteristics. It’s warming to the body, highly hydrating, and soothing for the stomach, and when made with a good stock or bone broth, is rich in protein and collagen. The comforting porridge is a quintessential sick day food, especially for an upset stomach. Mothers even also use juk to wean their babies, and the elderly often eat it to ward off disease.

Juk

Read more about Juk here.

Ingredients

Serves 4 portions

For the Rice Porridge

  • 1 cup short grain rice
  • 4 1/2 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, plus 4 extra for garnish, stems removed
  • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
  • 8 cups chicken stock (preferably homemade)

To Serve

  • 6 ounces roasted chicken meat, skinless and boneless, store-bought or leftovers
  • 1/2 packed cup drained cabbage kimchi
  • Pinch of salt
  • 4 tablespoons fried shallots
  • 4 teaspoons chopped chives
  • 1/4 teaspoon black sesame seeds
  • Soy sauce, for serving

Method

  1. Rinse and soak the rice, with enough water to cover the rice, for at least 30 minutes or longer. Drain well and set aside.
  2. While the rice is soaking, cut the mushrooms into 1/3-inch cubes. Set aside.
  3. In a large heavy-bottomed pot or a Dutch oven, heat the sesame oil over medium-low heat until just fragrant, but do not burn.
  4. Add drained rice and lightly toast it, for about 2 minutes, while stirring constantly. Add mushrooms and keep stirring to sauté another 1 to 2 minutes, until very dry. Make sure you scrape the bottom of the pan often to prevent the rice and mushrooms from sticking.
  5. Pour the chicken stock into the pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir well. Lower the heat to medium-low, and simmer for about 45 minutes until liquid is reduced, and rice is plump and broken. While simmering, make sure to stir the rice every 15 minutes to ensure it doesn’t stick to the bottom.
  6. Meanwhile, prepare the toppings to serve: Shred the chicken meat, set aside. Chop the kimchi, set aside. Slice the reserved 4 mushrooms thinly and place them in a lightly greased or a non-stick frying pan with a pinch of salt over medium heat. Toast the mushrooms until they are light brown in color on both sides. Set aside.
  7. To serve, warm up the shredded chicken meat. Divide the rice porridge between 4 bowls and garnish with warm shredded chicken meat, chopped kimchi, toasted mushroom slices, fried shallots, chopped chives, and black sesame seeds.
  8. Serve immediately with soy sauce on the side.

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Social media

@judyjoochef Instagram profile imageEvery stall has a story — and every face has fed a city. 🥬🌶️🐟

For me, Korean markets have always been the heartbeat of the cuisine. Everywhere you look, there’s movement and life: women neatly packing bundles of vegetables, bottling golden sesame oil, and scooping out rich gochujang and doenjang. A few steps away, fruit sellers stack seasonal peaches and vibrant melons beside piles of fresh greens. Down the row, fishmongers expertly fillet the day’s catch, while others build mountains of fiery red chilis — and sometimes, you’ll even spot a vendor catching a quick nap between customers.

After the Korean War, women known as ajummas (아줌마) became the backbone of these markets. They weren’t just selling food — they were feeding families, supporting communities, and keeping traditions alive during some of the country’s hardest years. Alongside them, men worked as butchers, fishermen, and produce sellers — roles often passed down through families, keeping skills alive from one generation to the next.

Even now, in the age of supermarkets and delivery apps, these markets endure. People come not just for the freshest fish or the ripest fruit — but for the trust, the stories, and the familiar faces that keep them coming back.

That, to me, is the true magic of Korea’s markets: the people who bring them to life every single day. ❤️

@visitkorea.uk 🇰🇷
#JudyJoo #JudyJooChef #KoreanFood #TasteOfKorea #KoreanCulture #KoreaTravel #FacesOfTheMarket #MarketLife #StreetFood #WomenInFood #ChefsOfInstagram #AsianFoodLover #FoodieReels #SeoulEats #VisitKorea #SeoulMarket #KoreanCuisine #EatTheWorld #FoodieAdventures #GlobalFoodie4 days ago via Instagram
@judyjoochef Instagram profile imagePart of my K-Quick Recipe Series — quick, bold Korean dishes from my newest cookbook!

Zingy. Crunchy. Instant gratification kimchi 🥬💫

This fresh kimchi is bright and bold — no fermentation time required. A perfect sidekick to your BBQ lineup or banchan spread. 

Make it once, crave it every day.

My mom used to whip up this vibrant little number every sweltering summer. I can still picture her—elbow-deep in a giant blue plastic tub, wearing those signature Korean hot-pink rubber gloves, tossing cabbage like a pro. This salad packs a punch that could wake up even the laziest heatwave afternoon. 

Find the recipe below — perfect for your next BBQ 🥬

💡: @samsunguk 
 🛒: @koreafoodsuk 
 📚: K-Quick — From my latest cookbook, K-Quick — link in bio if you want the full collection!

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@quartobooksuk @quartobooksus @whitelionpublishing
#JudyJoo #JudyJooChef #KQuick #KoreanRecipes #KoreanSoulFood #SamsungUK #SamsungKitchen #KoreanCooking #Korea #Seoulplaza #QuickKimchi #Geotjeori #CabbageSalad #Kimchi #FreshKimchi

Fresh Cabbage Kimchi Salad (Baechu Geotjeori)

Ingredients (Serves 2–3):
• 1kg (2lb) baechu (Chinese leaf/Napa cabbage)
• 1 tbsp coarse sea or kosher salt
• 25g (¼ cup) gochugaru (Korean chilli flakes)
• 1 tbsp caster sugar
• 1 tbsp saeu-jeot (salted shrimp), or to taste 
• 1 tbsp fish sauce, or to taste 
• 1 tbsp grated garlic
• ½ brown onion, thinly sliced (5mm / ¼in)
• 3 spring onions, halved lengthwise & cut into 5cm (2in) pieces
To Serve:
• Drizzle of roasted sesame oil (optional)

Method:
1️⃣ Trim the base of the cabbage, wash thoroughly, discard wilted leaves, and cut into ~5cm (2in) pieces.
2️⃣ Place cabbage in a colander over a bowl. Toss with salt and let sit 10 min.
3️⃣ Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, mix gochugaru, sugar, saeu-jeot, fish sauce, and garlic.
4️⃣ After 10 min, drain any liquid from the cabbage.
5️⃣ Add the sauce mixture, onion, and spring onions. Toss well.
6️⃣ Drizzle with sesame oil (if using) and serve immediately.5 days ago via Instagram
@judyjoochef Instagram profile imageRolling into K-Viral Kitchen with a protein packed glow-up: Chamchi (Tuna) Keto-Gimbap @judyjoochef style 🥢💛 

No rice, no problem — this keto-friendly roll swaps steamed rice for silky egg crepe (jidan), and still delivers all the flavor of a classic gimbap — a genius hack that’s gone viral in Korea.  

Here’s what’s inside:

🍳 Paper-thin egg strips
 🥒 Salted fresh cucumber + sautéed sweet carrot
 🐟 Creamy tuna mayo 
 🥬 Pickled tangy radish + herby perilla leaves (if you’ve got it!)
 🌿 Wrapped in seaweed and brushed with nutty sesame oil for that glossy finish

Low-carb, big flavor. A lunchbox hero turned meal-prep MVP. 

📍 Ingredients via @koreafoodsuk 
 💄 Glam by @jonesroadbeauty & @justbobbidotcom 
 👩🏻‍🍳 Pro tip: Oil your knife for that picture-perfect slice.

💬 Comment “KETO” and I’ll DM you the recipe!
 📌 Save this for your next lunch idea
 👯‍♀️ Tag a friend who’s always on the clean-eating grind 

#KviralKitchen #KetoGimbap #ChamchiGimbap #LowCarbEats #KoreanFoodRemix #TunaMayoRoll #RiceFreeGimbap #HealthyKoreanFood #EasyKoreanRecipe #MealPrepGoals #EggCrepeRolls #DishesThatBrokeTheInternet #JudyJoo #JudyJooChef #QuickHealthyMeals #GimbapGlowUp #savethisrecipe2 weeks ago via Instagram
@judyjoochef Instagram profile imagePart of my K-Quick Recipe Series — quick, bold Korean dishes from my newest cookbook!

Chewy. Spicy & Sweet. Saucy. Seoul in a bowl 🥢💥

My version of this totally viral dish brings the heat with gochujang, gochugaru, and a deep dashi base. Add fish cakes, eggs, and scallions — or keep it veg, add some tofu, and let the sauce shine. 

I have so many late-night memories of devouring this dish on the streets of Seoul—post-clubbing, slightly disheveled, and very hungry. The plates came wrapped in plastic bags for quick clean-up, chopsticks replaced with humble toothpicks. My friends and I would huddle around, jostling for bites, skewering those chewy rice cakes and smacking our way through like it was the best thing we’d ever eaten. (Spoiler: it was.) 

How do you tteokbokki? Drop your favorite add-ins below 🔥👇

Drop a comment below for the recipe!

💡: @samsunguk 
 🛒: @koreafoodsuk 
 📚: K-Quick — From my latest cookbook, K-Quick — link in bio if you want the full collection!

#AD
@quartobooksuk @quartobooksus @whitelionpublishing 
#JudyJoo #JudyJooChef #KQuick #KoreanRecipes #KoreanSoulFood #SamsungUK #SamsungKitchen #KoreanCooking #Korea #Seoulplaza #Tteokbokki #SpicyRiceCakes #KoreanStreetFood #Gochujang #EasyKoreanRecipes #KoreanFoodTok #QuickRecipes #seoulplaza2 weeks ago via Instagram
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