lunchprep – Plant Schef

This vegan bibimbap recipe is a take on the classic Korean dish. When in South Korea, I had the best bibimbaps. I was amazed at how simple yet flavorful they were. The most surprising thing was that a bibimbap is not hard to make at all. It typically consists of several raw and cooked elements brought together with a sweet and spicy Gochujang sauce made with Korean chilli peppers.

So much Kimchi! This was at the Gwangjang Market in Seoul. Kimchi and rice is the Korean version of bread and butter. If you have both, you have a meal. Kimchi has been around for thousands of years. Before when vegetables could not be kept for a long time, preserving them with salt prolonged their storage life especially during winter, through the fermentation process. Today, you will find a side of kimchi with all traditional Korean meals. Not only does it taste delicious, the fermantation makes it super good for digestion.

The middle of the market was filled with different booths to sit at for lunch. Many of them had bibimbap stations. Sweet Korean grandparents would fill your stainless steel bowl with rice and then you had your choice with toppings.

This is what mine ended up looking at. Trust me, it tasted so much better than it looks. I am actually dreaming of this right now.

Okay, so my take on bibimbap is nowhere as good as the ones in South Korea. However, these bowls do not lack in flavor and with all the fresh veggies, they are overflowing with nutrients. I am very excited for my lunches this week.

VEGAN BIBIMBAP BUDDHA BOWL

1 cup brown rice
7 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp olive oil
1 block extra firm tofu, pressed
1/2 tsp korean red pepper flakes
1/2 large cabbage, washed and shredded
1 bundle curly kale, stemmed and massaged
2 TBSP sesame seeds, toasted
3 TBSP rice wine vinegar
3 TBSP olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
3 large carrots, grated
1/2 large cucumber, grated
kimchi *make sure it’s vegan friendly!
scallions or green onion

Prepare rice according to package. Or use your rice cooker (like me). Allow to cool.
Heat 1 tsp olive oil in the small pan on medium-high heat. Add the garlic and mushrooms and cook for 2-3 minutes until the mushrooms has wilted down and are nice and soft. Remove from pan and set aside.
Cut pressed tofu into small cubes and gently toss with korean red pepper flakes. Using the same pan as before, add the tofu and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown and crispy. Remove from pan.
Massage your kale. Do not neglect this step. Massaging the kale helps to break down the tough cell structure and gives the kale a softer texture and a gentler flavor.
Gently toss shredded cabbage and kale together.
Grind the roasted sesame seeds in a mortar until fine. In a bowl mix together sesame seeds, rice wine vinegar, olive oil and salt.
Massage dressing into cabbage and kale mixture. Make sure every piece has some dressing on it.
Time to assemble the buddha bowls. Add a generous amount of kale/cabbage salad to the bottom of your bowls, then top with rice, crispy tofu, sauteed mushrooms, shredded carrots, cucumber, and kimchi. Top it with some sliced scallions or green onion and enjoy!