Vegan Bibimbap

Vibrant and colourful Korean bibimbap gets a plant-based makeover in this tasty vegan version: brown rice, tofu, shiitake mushrooms, carrots, spinach, beansprouts, and edamame served with pickled vegetables and a classic bibimbap sauce.

Vibrant and colourful Korean bibimbap gets a plant-based makeover in this tasty vegan version: brown rice, tofu, shiitake mushrooms, carrots, spinach, beansprouts, and edamame served with pickled vegetables and a classic bibimbap sauce.

This a a very straightforward recipe. You will need to press the tofu first for 20 minutes. While the tofu is draining, you can make the pickled vegetables and prepare the rest of the ingredients. To speed things up, I recommend that you use 2 frying pans to cook the vegetables and tofu.

The original inspiration for this recipe came from My Korean Kitchen which has a fantastic selection of Korean recipes.

What is bibimbap?

Bibimbap is a Korean dish traditionally made with rice, meat, eggs, and various seasoned vegetables. The ingredients are arranged on top of the rice and served with bibimbap sauce, a condiment made with gochujang, a Korean red chilli paste that has been fermented with rice, soybean, barley and salt. Its very unique sweet and spicy savoury taste, adds a lot of umami and depth to dishes.

There is so much to love about bibimbap. Not only is it delicious, but it is also highly customisable so you can use any of your favourite vegetables or simply what you have in the fridge.

This is a great recipe to use leftover rice and get your 5-a-day in one bowl.

How to make this vegan bibimbap?

To make this vegan bibimbap, I am using tofu, brown rice, shiitake mushrooms, carrots, spinach, beansprouts, and edamame as the base of the dish.

I am also pickling some radishes and cucumber while the rest of the ingredients are cooking. I am using them as toppings alongside scallions and sesame seeds.

For the bibimbap sauce, you will need gochujang paste, light soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, maple syrup, rice vinegar, and some garlic. There are many different versions of bibimbap sauce so feel free to play around with the ingredients to suit your own taste preferences.

Step 1: Press the tofu

Press the tofu for at least 20 minutes to extract as much water as possible. You can use a tofu press or wrap the tofu slab in a clean towel and press it between 2 plates by securely placing something heavy on top.

When done, drain the water and cut the tofu into 2cm / 3/4 inch dice.

Step 2: Prepare the pickled vegetables

Place the sliced cucumber and radishes in 2 separate small heat-resistant containers. In a small saucepan, heat together over medium-high the rice vinegar, water, sugar, and salt.

Once the sugar has dissolved and the liquid starts boiling, remove from the heat and divide the liquid between the cucumber and radishes to cover the vegetables. Set aside for at least 30 minutes.

Step 3: Make the bibimbap sauce

In a small bowl stir together the gochujang paste, soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, maple syrup, rice vinegar, and garlic. Set aside.

Step 4: Marinate the tofu

Toss the diced tofu in cornflour until covered all over. Coat in 3 tablespoons of bibimbap sauce and set aside covered for 10 minutes.

Step 5: Prepare the rest of the vegetables

Prepare the rest of the vegetables, placing each one in a separate bowl.

Thinly slice the shiitake mushrooms. Wash and dry the spinach.

Peel the carrots and cut into thin strips using a sharp knife or julienne peeler. Wash and dry the beansprouts. Place the edamame in a bowl and cover with boiling water.

Step 6: Cook the tofu

Start cooking the vegetables and tofu: Heat some vegetable oil in 2 large frying pans.

Fry the tofu over medium-high heat in one of the frying pans until golden all over, about 5 to 7 minutes. Set aside in a bowl and keep warm.

Step 7: Sauté the shiitake mushrooms

Sauté the shiitake mushrooms over medium-high heat in the other frying pan, until soft and brown, about 3 to 4 minutes. Season with salt. Set aside in a bowl and keep warm.

Using the same frying pan, and adding vegetable oil as needed, cook the rest of the vegetables.

Step 8: Sauté the spinach

Sauté the spinach until it wilts, about 2 minutes. Season with salt. Set aside in a bowl and keep warm.

Step 9: Sauté the carrots

Sauté the carrots until they start to soften, about 2 minutes. Season with salt. Set aside in a bowl and keep warm.

Step 10: Sauté the beansprouts 

Sauté the beansprouts until they start to soften, about 2 minutes. Season with salt. Set aside in a bowl and keep warm.

Step 11: Drain the edamame and pickled vegetables

Drain the edamame and pickled vegetables.

Step 12: Build the bibimbap bowls

Share the rice evenly between 4 bowls. Top each bowl with shiitake mushrooms, spinach, carrots, beansprouts, edamame, and pickled vegetables.

Step 13: Add toppings

Top with scallions, sesame seeds, and a drizzle of bibimbap sauce.

Step 14: Serve

Serve straight away with the remaining bibimbap sauce on the side. The best way to enjoy bibimbap? Mix it all up so that all the flavours blend in together!

Watch how to make this vegan bibimbap

I hope you enjoy this vegan bibimbap recipe as much as we do. If you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram!

Vegan Bibimbap

Vibrant and colourful Korean bibimbap gets a plant-based makeover in this tasty vegan version: brown rice, tofu, shiitake mushrooms, carrots, spinach, beansprouts, and edamame served with pickled vegetables and a classic bibimbap sauce.

5 from 1 vote

DieTARY CHOICEDairy-Free Recipes, Egg-Free Recipes, Gluten-Free Recipes, High Fibre Recipes, Low Fat Recipes, Vegan Recipes

Print Recipe Add to Shopping ListAdd to Shopping List Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Course Rice & Grains

Cuisine Korean

Servings 4 people

Calories 377 kcal

Equipment

1 tofu press

2 frying pan

Disclaimer: the equipment list above includes affiliate links to products I use and like.

Ingredients

 

MetricUS Customary

 

1x2x3x

• 400 g extra-firm tofu
• 2 tablespoons cornflour (see note 1)

FOR THE PICKLED VEGETABLES:

• 60 ml rice vinegar
• 60 ml water
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 8 slices of cucumber, halved
• 3 radishes, sliced

FOR THE COOKED VEGETABLES:

• 250 g shiitake mushrooms
• 125 g baby spinach
• 2 medium carrots (around 150g / 5.3 oz)
• 150 g beansprouts
• 90 g shelled edamame, frozen
• vegetable oil
• salt

FOR THE BIBIMBAP SAUCE:

• 4 tablespoons gochujang paste
• 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 grated garlic clove

TO SERVE:

• 450 g cooked brown rice (see note 2)
• 3 scallions
• sesame seeds

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Instructions

 

• Press the tofu for at least 20 minutes to extract as much water as possible. You can use a tofu press or wrap the tofu slab in a clean towel and press it between 2 plates by securely placing something heavy on top. When done, drain the water and cut the tofu into 2cm / 3/4 inch dice.
  400 g extra-firm tofu
• In the meantime, prepare the pickled vegetables: Place the sliced cucumber and radishes in 2 separate small heat-resistant containers. In a small saucepan, heat together over medium-high the rice vinegar, water, sugar, and salt. Once the sugar has dissolved and the liquid starts boiling, remove from the heat and divide the liquid between the cucumber and radishes so that to cover the vegetables. Set aside for at least 30 minutes.
  60 ml rice vinegar, 60 ml water, 2 Tbsp sugar, 8 slices of cucumber, halved, 3 radishes, sliced, 1 tsp salt
• Make the bibimbap sauce: In a small bowl stir together the gochujang paste, soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, maple syrup, rice vinegar, and garlic. Set aside.
  4 tablespoons gochujang paste, 2 tablespoons light soy sauce, 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil, 1 tablespoon maple syrup, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, 1 grated garlic clove
• Toss the diced tofu in cornflour until covered all over. Coat in 3 tablespoons of bibimbap sauce and set aside covered for 10 minutes.
  2 tablespoons cornflour
• Prepare the rest of the vegetables, placing each one in a separate bowl. Thinly slice the shiitake mushrooms. Wash and dry the spinach. Peel the carrots and cut into thin strips using a sharp knife or julienne peeler. Wash and dry the beansprouts. Place the edamame in a bowl and cover with boiling water.
  250 g shiitake mushrooms, 125 g baby spinach, 2 medium carrots (around 150g / 5.3 oz), 150 g beansprouts, 90 g shelled edamame, frozen
• Start cooking the vegetables and tofu: Heat some vegetable oil in 2 large frying pans. Fry the tofu over medium-high heat in one of the frying pans until golden all over, about 5 to 7 minutes. Set aside in a bowl and keep warm.
  vegetable oil
• Sauté the shiitake mushrooms over medium-high heat in the other frying pan, until soft and brown, about 3 to 4 minutes. Season with salt. Set aside in a bowl and keep warm. Using the same frying pan, and adding vegetable oil as needed, cook the rest of the vegetables.
• Sauté the spinach until it wilts, about 2 minutes. Season with salt. Set aside in a bowl and keep warm.
• Sauté the carrots until they start to soften, about 2 minutes. Season with salt. Set aside in a bowl and keep warm.
• Sauté the beansprouts until they start to soften, about 2 minutes. Season with salt. Set aside in a bowl and keep warm.
• Drain the edamame and pickled vegetables.
• To build the bibimbap bowls, share the rice evenly between 4 bowls. Top each bowl with shiitake mushrooms, spinach, carrots, beansprouts, edamame, and pickled vegetables.
  450 g cooked brown rice
• Top with scallions, sesame seeds, and a drizzle of bibimbap sauce.
  3 scallions, sesame seeds
• Serve straight away with the remaining bibimbap sauce on the side. The best way to enjoy bibimbap? Mix it all up so that all the flavours blend in together!

Video

Notes

Note 1: use cornflour (UK) or cornstarch (US)

Note 2: traditionally, short-grain or medium-grain white rice is used for bibimbap. I prefer to use brown rice. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1bowlCalories: 377kcalCarbohydrates: 62gProtein: 18gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gSodium: 1226mgPotassium: 1008mgFiber: 7gSugar: 17gVitamin A: 8166IUVitamin C: 21mgCalcium: 131mgIron: 5mg

Keyword bibimbap, rice, tofu

Find this recipe online:

Vegan Bibimbap

https://theflexitarian.co.uk/recipe-items/vegan-bibimbap/

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