[citation needed] The origin of doenjang, which is used as the primary ingredient of doenjang-jjigae, dates back to as early as the Korean Three Kingdoms period.

In the search for easily prepared relief substitutes of sources of protein, Korean farmers began cultivating jang (sauce/paste) from various plants and seeds.

Fermented soybean paste is a rich source of isoflavone,[6] which helps in preventing cardiovascular diseases and supplies daily nutrients to the body.

The earliest form of doenjang jjigae is mainly connected to ‘curled mallow soup’, which is mentioned in the Jeungbo sallim gyeongje, a record of Korean agriculture by physician Yu Jung-Rim during the rule of King Youngjo (1724 – 1776).

Since this period, various provinces and regions around the Korean peninsula began to develop their own unique recipes of doenjang-jjigae, and most varieties of these soybean paste stew are still maintained.

[10] Multiple varieties of doenjang-jjigae can be found in Korean cuisine, different in taste, presentation, regionality, and steps of preparation and consumption.