Vegetarian Bibimbap Recipe with bibimbap sauce
Vegetarian Bibimbap Recipe with bibimbap sauce, made gluten-free and soy-free. This Korean bibimbap rice bowl is filled with vegetables that you can pick-and-choose what you want to make. They taste even better the day after and are great for side dishes, too!
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 3 medium zucchinis
- 3 medium carrots
- 10 oz. mung bean sprouts
- 10-15 oz. spinach
- ½ tsp fine sea salt for each vegetable item or to taste
- 1.5- 2 tsp grated garlic for each vegetable item or to taste
- 2-3 tsp Toasted sesame oil for each vegetable item or to taste
- 3-4 bulbs scallions chopped, about 1 bulb for each vegetable item
- Toasted white sesame seeds sprinkle
- 1 tbsp coconut aminos for each vegetable item or to taste, optional
Bibimbap Sauce:
- 6 whole medjool dates torn apart with your hands
- 3 tbsp water
- 2.5 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2-3 tsp gochugaru or 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 2.5 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tbsp coconut aminos
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- Little salt to taste
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar, to taste
Other:
- 1-1.5 tbsp avocado oil to saute zucchini
- 4 large eggs pan fried sunny side up
- Cauliflower fried rice or steamed white rice
Instructions
For the zucchini, if using:
- Slice the zucchini to a little thinner than ¼-inch (0.6 cm) in thickness or use a mandolin slicer. Sprinkle 1.5 tsp fine sea salt and gently rub the salt into each slice. Let sit at room temperature for at least 20 minutes or up to 1 hour. Squeeze out the water then do a quick saute with avocado oil, garlic, and sesame oil. Sprinkle scallions and sesame seeds. Chill in the fridge.
For the carrots, mung bean sprouts, and spinach:
- Julienne the carrots. These vegetables have the same cooking steps but please cook them separately. Bring a large pot of water to boil and season with some salt. Hot water blanches the carrots for 2 minutes, bean sprouts for 2 minutes, and spinach for 30 seconds. Soak in cold water and squeeze out the liquid. In a big mixing bowl, season each vegetable item with salt, garlic, sesame oil, scallions, and sesame seeds. Taste and adjust the salt quantity. Chill in the fridge. I like to add a tablespoon of coconut aminos for extra flavor but that’s totally optional.
For the bibimbap sauce:
- In a small food processor, add the ingredients from the dates to salt. Blend a few times until you get a smooth paste. You might need to scrape the bowl a few times. Transfer the paste to a small bowl. Stir-in the sesame oil and vinegar. Adjust the vinegar quantity to taste.
To assemble:
- Add the cooked rice (or cauliflower rice) to the bottom of serving bowls, place each vegetable item on top of the rice. I like to alternate the colors between the vegetables so they look colorful. Top with a sunny side up fried egg, a big spoonful of homemade bibimbap sauce, and a teaspoon sesame seeds. Mix it all up with a spoon and dig-in!
Notes
- If you are not a vegetarian, try adding bulgogi beef, roasted salmon, or even smoked salmon like I did in the photos.
- Besides bean sprouts, carrots, zucchini, and spinach, you can also saute fresh sliced shiitake with some salt, toasted sesame oil, and a dash of coconut aminos as another topping choice.
- This is a great make-ahead summer recipe as each vegetable item can be served independently. Check out my Korean-inspired mung bean sprouts recipe and chilled zucchini side dish.
- Store the vegetables in a sealed container and in the fridge. Best finish in 4-5 days. Zucchini and bean sprouts will continue to produce more liquid as they sit in the fridge but that won’t affect the flavor.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 229kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 186mg | Sodium: 750mg | Potassium: 953mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 13395IU | Vitamin C: 42mg | Calcium: 142mg | Iron: 4mg