Making bibimbap at home is super easy! This vegan bibimbap comes together pretty quickly and you can prepare most of the ingredients in advance. It’s a Korean classic that is packed with flavor and color – all in one bowl!
Why This Recipe Works
Bibimbap is such a great dish to use leftover vegetables. It comes together in only 30 minutes and it makes the perfect weeknight dinner. Healthy, easy, and so delicious!
For those of you who haven’t heard of it yet: it’s a popular Korean dish that consists of white rice with several sautéed and fresh vegetables and gochujang sauce, a Korean sauce made with chili pepper paste. It’s all served in one bowl.
Some versions also call for tofu, chicken, beef, or even seafood. I obviously chose tofu, which adds lots of protein to this easy dish. It’s a super versatile plant-based protein and pan-fried to crispy perfection it brings a hearty, satisfying element to the dish.
The secret ingredient for crispy tofu is corn starch. Just roll the tofu cubes in corn starch and pan fry it with a bit of soy sauce until crispy and browned. It’s so good and super easy to make!
Now, the magic sauce: A mix of gochujang (Korean chili paste), sesame oil, rice vinegar, and soy sauce ties everything together. It infuses the ingredients with a spicy, umami kick that elevates this dish to a whole new level. A splash of maple syrup adds the perfect sweetness.
The Gochujang sauce isn’t overly spicy, so it’s also great for people who aren’t into spicy food.
This vegan bibimbap is a great way to clear out the leftovers in your fridge. The recipe is super flexible. I usually use whatever veggies I have on hand.
So, grab your ingredients, get your chopsticks ready, and give this recipe a try. Maybe it will become your new comfort food!
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Rice – I used Jasmine rice. For a healthier version you could replace it with brown rice. For a low-carb version, you could also make it with cauliflower rice.
- Tofu – make sure to use firm or extra-firm tofu. The recipe doesn’t work with soft or silken tofu as it doesn’t hold its shape.
- Corn Starch – it makes the tofu cubes super crispy.
- Soy Sauce – for a gluten-free version replace it with tamari.
- Gochujang Sauce – a sauce made with Korean chili pepper paste. You can find it in Asian supermarkets or in the Asian food aisle of most grocery stores. You can either use store-bought gochujang sauce or buy gochujang paste and make the sauce yourself (I included a recipe for you in the recipe card at the end of this post).
- Sesame Oil – I usually buy it a our local Asian supermarket. It’s much cheaper there.
- Rice Vinegar – the one that can also be used for sushi.
How to Make This Recipe
1. Step: Make the Gojuchang sauce. Place the gochujang paste, the sesame oil, the rice vinegar, and the maple syrup in a small bowl and stir well.
2. Step: Cook the rice according to the instructions on the package.
3./4. Step: Peel the carrots and the cucumber and grate. Slice the mushrooms and the radishes. Cut the green onions into rings. Cut the garlic into thin slices.
5. Step: Drain the tofu and pat it dry with paper towel.
6. Step: Cut the tofu into cubes.
7. Step: Roll the tofu cubes in corn starch.
8. Step: Heat the sesame oil in a large pan and fry the tofu for about 4 minutes. Add one teaspoon of soy sauce and cook for another minute. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of sesame seeds. Put aside.
9./10. Step: In the same pan, cook the mushrooms on high heat for about 5 minutes. After 3 minutes add the garlic. Deglaze with one teaspoon of soy sauce. Set aside. Add some water in the pan (about 2 tablespoons), add the spinach, and put a lid on the pan. Cook for about 2 minutes or until the spinach wilts. Season with salt and cayenne pepper and add another 1/2 teaspoon of soy sauce. Sprinkle with one teaspoon of sesame seeds.
11. /12. Step: Serve everything in a bowl together with the rice and the gochujang sauce. Sprinkle with the remaining sesame seeds. Enjoy!
Tips & Tricks
- This recipe is super flexible. It is also great with kimchi, edamame, shiitake mushrooms, or red cabbage.
- You can either either sauté the spinach or serve the vegan bibimbap with fresh baby spinach. I love both versions!
- I included a recipe for homemade Gojuchang sauce, but for an even quicker version you could also use store-bought sauce. But make sure you’ve got actual Gochujang sauce and not just the paste, which is the base for the sauce.
- Make sure to use firm or extra-firm tofu for this recipe. Soft tofu won’t hold its shape and won’t become crispy.
Storing
I recommend storing the vegetables, the tofu, and the rice in different airtight containers in the fridge.
The vegetables and the tofu will be good for 3-5 days. The cooked rice will last only for about 3 days.
Reheating
To reheat the tofu, I recommend popping it in the oven for about 15 minutes (at 350 °F) tossing it halfway.
Gluten-Free Version
This dish isn’t gluten-free, but you can make it gluten-free very easily. Just replace the soy sauce with tamari.
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I Love to Hear From You!
I hope you like this vegan bibimbap as much as we do around here.
If you give it a try, I’d love to know what you think about it. Just leave me a comment and a star rating below. Your comments really make my day!
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Vegan Bibimbap
Ingredients
For the Bowl:
- 2 cups cooked Jasmine rice
- 8 oz firm tofu, cubed
- 2 tablespoons corn starch
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 cups mushrooms, sliced
- 1 carrot, grated
- 1/3 English cucumber, grated
- about 5 radishes, cut into thin slices
- 2 green onions, cut into rings
- 3 cups spinach
- 1 clove of garlic, cut into thin slices
- 3 tablespoons sesame seeds
- 2 1/2 teaspoons soy sauce
- cayenne pepper
- salt
For the Gochujang Sauce:
- 1 tablespoon gochujang paste
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
Instructions
- Make the Gojuchang sauce. Place the gochujang paste, the sesame oil, the rice vinegar, and the maple syrup in a small bowl and stir well.
- Cook the rice according to the instructions on the package.
- Peel the carrots and the cucumber and grate. Slice the mushrooms and the radishes. Cut the green onions into rings. Cut the garlic into thin slices.
- Drain the tofu and pat it dry with paper towel. Cut the tofu into cubes. Roll the tofu cubes in corn starch.
- Heat the sesame oil in a large pan and fry the tofu for about 4 minutes. Add one teaspoon of soy sauce and cook for another minute. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of sesame seeds. Put aside.
- In the same pan, cook the mushrooms on high heat for about 5 minutes. After 3 minutes add the garlic. Deglaze with one teaspoon of soy sauce. Set aside. Add some water in the pan (about 2 tablespoons), add the spinach, and put a lid on the pan. Cook for about 2 minutes or until the spinach wilts. Season with salt and cayenne pepper and add another 1/2 teaspoon of soy sauce. Sprinkle with one teaspoon of sesame seeds.
- Serve everything in a bowl together with the rice and the gochujang sauce. Sprinkle with the remaining sesame seeds. Enjoy!
Notes
- This recipe is super flexible. It is also great with kimchi, edamame, shiitake mushrooms, or red cabbage.
- You can either either sauté the spinach or serve the bibimbap with fresh baby spinach. I love both versions!
- I included a recipe for homemade Gojuchang sauce, but for an even quicker version you could also use store-bought sauce. But make sure you have got actual Gochujang sauce and not just the paste, which is the base for the sauce.
- I recommend storing the vegetables, the tofu, and the rice in different airtight containers in the fridge. The vegetable and the tofu will be good for 3-5 days. The cooked rice will last only for about 3 days.
- To reheat the tofu, I recommend popping it in the oven for about 15 minutes (at 350 °F) tossing it halfway.
Dominic
Absolutely lovely and easy to make!! I don’t often cook and I could do it!
Tom
I have thought that vegetarians don’t have diverse foods in their diets until I see this recipe. This is an extra recipe to enjoy with healthy ingredients.
Nolan
I often have leftover foods in my fridge and no idea how to solve them. Wow, I found this article by chance and I think I should try vegan bibimbap. Thanks a lot!
Diya
Um, this looks delicious. Can’t wait to try! Also…LOVE your logo 👌
Erika
Wonderful. I added bulgogi beef to it as we like beef. Can’t wait to make it again
Ann
seriously… why not skip the cruelty. This website shows is certainly not required
ROBYN
I love Bibimbap! Your pictures are gorgeous. Your sauce is different then the usual sauce I get at my local Bibimbap place, but looks delicious. I will try your recipe soon.
howard
I also add the following
broccoli stalk trimmed, thinly sliced and cooked in water with low sodium tamari
carrots, zucchini trimmed and saute in water
lots of mushrooms pre-cooked and sliced
peppers sliced
seaweed saute with scallions
Stacey
I love eating mushroom along with gochujang sauce. Sweet and spicy! Yummy!
Eve
Oh my god! This was so delicious. I tried it last night and substituted a few ingredients but it turned out so great. Thanks for the great recipe