Pan-fried tofu is my protein of choice for this Vegetarian Bibimbap Recipe. Topped with seasoned vegetables, a dippy fried egg, and flavorful gochujang sauce, you don’t have to be a vegetarian to enjoy this recipe!
Bibimbap is a traditional Korean dish that is made up of a base of White Rice, a fried egg and gochujang sauce, along with an assortment of veggies and a protein as well. This recipe has so many different textures and flavors, it is truly the most satisfying dish!
I won’t lie, this recipe does take a little bit of work. However, it is mostly chopping everything up, so I always volunteer my husband to be my sous chef and assist me to make the process easier!
Table of Contents
April is National Soyfoods Month, so when House Foods reached out to me about sponsoring a post on The Wanderlust Kitchen, I jumped at the opportunity for an excuse to eat more tofu. I’ve been buying House Foods’ organic tofu for ages, so I already knew that the quality, texture, and flavor would be just right for a Tofu Bibimbap recipe.
Why We Love This Recipe
- There’s a variety of flavors and textures in every bite.
- I love that it is easily made into a vegetarian bibimbap recipe by swapping out meat for tofu.
- There is something so scrumptious about cracking open the egg yolk and mixing it into everything that is heavenly, just like in my Sweet Potato Power Bowl.
- This recipe is so fun to enjoy with a group of people. Just give everyone a bowl with rice, tofu, and a fried egg, then let them all build their own bowl!
How to Make Vegetarian Bibimbap
Step #1: Pickle your vegetables. Prepare the pickled vegetables by combining the daikon, carrot, salt, sugar, vinegar, and warm water in a large glass container with lid. Shake well to dissolve the salt and sugar. Set aside to pickle (at least 10-15 minutes).
Step #2: Pan-fry tofu. Arrange the sliced tofu between two double-layers of paper towels. Gently press the tofu to absorb excess liquid. Use a fresh paper towel to pat the exterior of the tofu dry. Combine the soy sauce and cornstarch in a small bowl and whisk until combined. Heat one tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large non-stick pan over medium heat. Toss half of the tofu pieces in the soy sauce and cornstarch mixture, then immediately transfer to the hot pan and fry for 1-2 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Transfer to a paper-towel lined plate to drain. Repeat with the remaining tablespoon of oil and second half of tofu.
Step #3: Prepare the cucumbers. Squeeze the excess moisture out of the cucumbers using a paper towel. Toss the cucumbers with the sesame oil, sprinkle on the toasted sesame seeds, and set aside.
Step #4: Cook the mushrooms. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sliced mushrooms and cook in a single layer until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side. Set aside.
Step #5: Sauté the Spinach. Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-heat. Add the spinach leaves and sauté for 1-2 minutes, until wilted. Immediately rinse the spinach with cool water. Use your hands to squeeze out excess liquid, until the spinach feels dry. Toss the spinach with the minced garlic, sesame oil, sesame seeds, and scallion.
Step #6: Prepare the gochujang sauce. Prepare the sauce by whisking together the gochujang, honey, sesame oil, water, rice vinegar, and sesame seeds in a small bowl.
Step #7: Plate your bibimbap. Place 1 cup rice into four separate serving bowls. Top with one quarter of the fried tofu and one fried egg each. Serve with prepared toppings (pickled vegetables, cucumber, mushrooms, spinach, bean sprouts, and sauce) and allow guests to build their own bowls to his or her liking.
FAQs
No. You can choose any protein or even no protein if that is your preference. Traditionally beef is served with this dish but you can also use chicken, pork, or any protein you like best!
Simply remove the egg from this Korean rice bowl and you are all set!
This is primarily dependent upon how much of the gochujang sauce is used. Use less if you want it more mild and more if you love all things spicy!
It is ideal to store everything separately in airtight containers. This allows you a longer storage time of 2-3 days. If you store everything together it will only last 1-2 days.
More Delicious and Colorful Bowl Recipes
- Soba and Sweet Potato Noodle Bowls
- Vegan Brazilian Bowl
- Tempeh Buddha Bowls with Miso-Almond Sauce
- Winter Vegetable Ramen Bowls
Vegetarian Korean Bibimbap Bowls Recipe
Ingredients
For the Pickled Vegetables
- 1 cup daikon radish matchsticks
- 1 cup carrot matchsticks
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/3 cup rice vinegar
- 1/3 cup warm water
For the Tofu
- 1 12-ounce package House Foods Extra Firm Tofu, sliced into bite-sized pieces
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil - divided
For the Cucumbers
- 1 cup thinly sliced English - or other seedless cucumber
- 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1/8 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
For the Mushrooms
- 4 ounces brown mushrooms - sliced
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
For the Spinach
- 6 cups baby spinach leaves
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
- 1/2 teaspoon finely minced garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1/8 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
- 1 scallion - finely minced
For the Bibimbap Sauce
- 2 tablespoons gochujang
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons water
- 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
For the Bibimbap Bowls
- 4 cups cooked jasmine rice
- 4 eggs - fried
- 1 cup bean sprouts
Instructions
Pickled Vegetables:
- Prepare the pickled vegetables by combining the daikon, carrot, salt, sugar, vinegar, and warm water in a large glass container with lid. Shake well to dissolve the salt and sugar. Set aside to pickle (at least 10-15 minutes).
Tofu:
- Arrange the sliced tofu between two double-layers of paper towels. Gently press the tofu to absorb excess liquid. Use a fresh paper towel to pat the exterior of the tofu dry. Combine the soy sauce and cornstarch in a small bowl and whisk until combined. Heat one tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large non-stick pan over medium heat. Toss half of the tofu pieces in the soy sauce and cornstarch mixture, then immediately transfer to the hot pan and fry for 1-2 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Transfer to a paper-towel lined plate to drain. Repeat with remaining tablespoon of oil and second half of tofu.
Cucumbers:
- Squeeze the excess moisture out of the cucumbers using a paper towel. Toss the cucumbers with the sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds. Set aside.
Mushrooms:
- Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sliced mushrooms and cook in a single layer until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side. Set aside.
Spinach:
- Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-heat. Add the spinach leaves and sauté for 1-2 minutes, until wilted. Immediately rinse the spinach with cool water. Use your hands to squeeze out excess liquid, until the spinach feels dry. Toss the spinach with the minced garlic, sesame oil, sesame seeds, and scallion.
Bibimbap Sauce:
- Prepare the sauce by whisking together the gochujang, honey, sesame oil, water, rice vinegar, and sesame seeds in a small bowl.
Bibimbap Bowls:
- Place 1 cup rice into four separate serving bowls. Top with one quarter of the fried tofu and one fried egg each. Serve with prepared toppings (pickled vegetables, cucumber, mushrooms, spinach, bean sprouts, and sauce) and allow guests to build their own bowls to his or her liking.
VIDEO
NOTES
Nutrition
THANK YOU, House Foods, for supporting The Wanderlust Kitchen by sponsoring this recipe!
this was delicious! And pretty simple to make. Thank you! I didn’t have all the ingredients so made a few substitutes– teriyaki sauce for soy sauce, sriracha for the gochujang, white wine vinegar for the rice wine, braised greens for the spinach, and risotto rice for jasmine rice. Still came out tasty and added it to the recipe list.
Hi Adrienne,
Thanks for sharing your adaptations, your changes sound delicious and I’m happy you loved it!
– Linda
Fantastic recipe with clear instructions. I forgot to take a photo for Insta, but it was picture perfect and absolutely delicious!
So delicious! Wow! Thank you for this amazing recipe! I followed your instructions exactly and my husband even pitched in and we had a really great Koran meal that was even better (and cheaper) than takeout! I did sub shiitake for the brown mushrooms, and added kimchi, which just elevated the flavor profile even more. I also loved that I didn’t have to buy any complicated sauces- soy sauce, sesame oil and rice wine vinegar are pretty standard for anyAsian dish. I just got the gochujang from Whole Foods. Definitely making this again!
Thanks for this delicious recipe 🙂 I made this for my partner and myself over the weekend, and we both loved it! I am curious, though — why should the spinach be immediately rinsed in cold water after sautéeing?
It keeps the color nice and bright and prevents it from being over-cooked 🙂
That’s my dinner sorted… not sure if I can get hold of beansprouts today, so may have to improvise!