In the Pacific Northwest, early summer and late spring can feel like fraternal twins. So much alike and yet, at the same time, so different. Just as you're ready to toss your hoodies and jeans into the bottom drawer of the dresser until you reluctantly dig them out again in the fall, a cool maritime front blows in from the coast causing the mercury to plummet 20 degrees.

In cases like that—and I'm not speaking hyperbolically, since today's 94 degrees is predicted to be a cool 75 tomorrow—it's wise to have a good soup recipe sequestered in your back pocket when the chillier of our early summer twins is in residence. Luckily for me, I found an extra jar of my favorite local kimchi hanging out in the back of the fridge (we're out of my homemade kimchi, a situation soon to be remedied in about a month when Napa cabbage is available at the farmers' market) along with a tub of local Ota tofu and just enough leftover roasted chicken to shred into it.

Oddly, in searching through recipes online, I came across one from Joanne Molinaro, aka The Korean Vegan, that called for black beans to be added to this most Korean of stews. Coincidentally I had just cooked up a big pot of those legumes and, since Joanne said it was okey-doke to add them, I did, though not only for the added fiber alone. Just two cups of beans added a pop of color and a bit of that bean-y texture that complemented the crunch of the fermented cabbage quite nicely. It might just be a combo I'll try in other dishes.

Kimchi Jjigae

1 Tbsp. sesame oil
2 Tbsp. gochugaru
1/2 c. diced onion
4 green onions, sliced crosswise into 1" pieces
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium-sized potato, chopped into 1/2" dice
2-3 c. Napa kimchi (cut into bite-sized pieces)
3 Tbsp. gochujang
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1/2 c. water
4 c. stock (chicken or vegetable)
1 16-oz. block medium firm tofu, diced
2 c. cooked, drained black beans or 1 15-oz. can of black beans, drained
1-1 1/2 c. shredded chicken (optional)

Heat a Dutch oven or your favorite soup pot over medium heat, then add sesame oil until it shimmers. Add gochugaru and cook for about one minute, then add onion and sauté until onions begin to become translucent. Add green onions and garlic, stirring often to keep the gochugaru from sticking to the bottom of the pot.

Add potatoes, kimchi, and gochujang, stirring to combine. Add water and soy sauce, stir, then add stock. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes. Add sliced tofu, black beans and shredded chicken, if using, return stew to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Serve with jasmine rice. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds, roasted unsalted peanuts or more finely sliced green onions if desired.

Even in the coldest months we keep our house at a moderate 66 degrees, both to save energy and money, though I've been known to sneak it up a degree (to 67!) if the chill begins to seep too far into my bones even under several layers of clothing.

In the past couple of days our furnace kicked on for the first time this fall, which inevitably signals the beginning of serious soup, stew and braising season around here. Warming from the inside out, not just filling growling bellies, is the point of setting down a steaming bowl in front of my family, and we keep them in regular rotation through the cold months.

Some soups and stews benefit from spending hours melding their flavors in a big pot on the stove, filling the house with an aroma that promises something hearty and mouthwatering to come. Others can come together in less than 30 minutes—I see you Creamy Tomato Soup and your cousin, Split Pea—or can be made ahead to serve when the need arises. The stew below is one of those, quick to make but one that is equally happy to simmer on the stovetop or even wait in the freezer for its debut.

Since I now have homemade kimchi on hand, it's a handy solution for one of those I-don't-feel-like-cooking nights when inspiration and/or time are in short supply. If you don't make your own kimchi, I heartily recommend locally produced Choi's Kimchi or those available at local farmers' markets.

This recipe calls for pork belly, but it's also fantastic with smoked bacon, shredded leftover chicken or even no meat at all. Exquisitely flavored, it needs nothing more than the addition of fluffy rice to make a company-worthy feast.

Kimchi Stew

Adapted from Susana Holloway

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1/2 lb. pork belly, in 1/4" dice
1/2 onion, diced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
2 c. (1 pint) napa cabbage kimchi
4 c. chicken stock
1 block firm tofu, cut in 1/2" dice
1 Tbsp. fish sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
Chopped cilantro or sliced green onions for garnish (optional)

Heat vegetable oil in a soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. When the oil shimmers, add the pork belly. When it has rendered most of its fat, add onions and sauté until tender, then add garlic. When garlic is warmed, add in kimchi and stock, bring to a simmer and cook on low heat for about 30 minutes. Add tofu and fish sauce and simmer for a final 5-7 minutes to warm tofu through. Season to taste with salt and pepper if needed and garnish with cilantro or green onions if desired.