Vegetable Bibimbap with Stir-fried Gochujang Beef Sauce

Vegetable bibimbap, featuring a colorful array of vegetables served on top of white rice and mixed with stir-fried gochujang beef sauce, offers a delightful combination of the sauce's deep, rich flavors and the vegetables' fresh, crunchy texture. The spicy and silky gochujang melds perfectly between each plump grain of rice, marrying the beef's savory richness with the fresh vegetables. This blend gives rise to a vegetable bibimbap with a new flavor profile, inviting you to enjoy its healthy taste. 

'Bibimbap' (비빔밥) is a word formed by combining the verb '비비다' (mix) and the noun 'Bap' (밥, cooked rice), signifying 'rice mixed (with other ingredients)' or 'mixed rice.' The key to enjoying delicious vegetable bibimbap is to gently mix the various ingredients and gochujang sauce on top of the rice until thoroughly combined. Afterward, take a spoonful of the well-mixed bibimbap, savor it in your mouth, and enjoy the true flavors of bibimbap as they come together in a harmonious taste.

When mixing bibimbap, it's common to use either chopsticks or a spoon, but personally, I recommend using a spoon. Use a spoon to gently flip the rice from the bottom to the top, and mix well to ensure that areas with more and less gochujang sauce are evenly blended. Doing this ensures that the red gochujang sauce and the greens or vegetables are evenly mixed, creating an appetizing bibimbap that stimulates the appetite. 

For the egg topping on vegetable bibimbap, it's best to cook it to a soft-boiled consistency so that the rich taste of the egg yolk blends well with the other ingredients during the mixing process. After mixing the bibimbap, taste a spoonful. If it's too bland, add more gochujang or more greens or vegetables to suit your taste, then mix once again before eating.

Additionally, don't forget to add chamgireum (참기름, sesame oil) or deulgileum (들기름, perilla oil) to your bibimbap to enhance its nutty flavor and savory depth, creating the perfect vegetable bibimbap tailored to your taste. Scoop up a generous spoonful of the well-mixed bibimbap, take a big bite that makes your cheeks puff out adorably like a cartoon character, and you'll surprisingly find that it tastes even better. 

In Korean restaurants, there are several types of bibimbap commonly found, with the first being the classic bibimbap, a favorite both at restaurants and homes. It's enjoyed mixed at a slightly warm temperature, regardless of the season, be it summer or winter. Since the namul (나물, seasoned vegetables) and other veggies are fresh, they're kept in airtight containers in the fridge. When you're in the mood for bibimbap, just lightly warm the namul in the microwave to a tepid temperature, then mix them with rice and gochujang sauce to enjoy. 

The second is the Dolsot bibimbap, served in a hot stone pot. This method involves placing rice and namul into the stone pot and heating it up before serving. The stone bowl retains its heat, keeping the food warm throughout the meal. This characteristic distinguishes it from other types of bibimbap.

It is served hot regardless of the season, and the freshly served stone pot is extremely hot, so it should not be touched with bare hands. Slowly mix the rice and namul with a spoon before eating. As the rice and namul cook in the stone pot, you can hear a sizzling sound and smell the delicious aroma. After finishing the rice, there's also the delight of scraping off and eating the crispy nurungji (누룽지, crust of overcooked rice) from the bottom of the pot. 

The third is the Yangpun bibimbap (양푼비빔밥, wide bowl bibimbap), prepared for eating by several people together. Instead of each person eating their own bowl of bibimbap separately, mix 2 to 3 servings of rice, namul, and gochujang together in a wide bowl called a yangpun. Then, serve portions from the well-mixed yangpun bibimbap into individual bowls to share with family or friends.

Sharing a yangpun bibimbap with friends can be a fun and interactive dining experience. Sometimes, it turns into a playful 'spoon fencing' match as everyone tries to get more of the dish, or competes to grab the tastiest namul first. Memories of such bibimbap moments with friends from my school days are still remembered as enjoyable memories today. In this way, the names 'classic bibimbap,' 'dolsot bibimbap,' and 'yangpun bibimbap' distinguish between the types of bowls used to serve them, though the ingredients for the bibimbap consist of similar kinds.

Because bibimbap involves mixing rice with various vegetables or namul before eating, the ideal bowl is not a small, shallow dish or plate but one that is deep and wide, suitable for thoroughly mixing the ingredients. When filling a bibimbap bowl with vegetables and rice, it's best to fill it only to the mid-height of the bowl rather than to the brim. This prevents the contents from spilling over during the mixing process, making it more convenient to mix the rice.

Bibimbap ingredients can include meats such as beef, pork, and chicken, as well as seafood like tuna, cockles, and sea squirts. Sea squirts, in particular, have a distinct aroma that may not appeal to everyone. Additionally, bibimbap often utilizes namul, which are vegetables that have been blanched or sautéed and then seasoned, or it can include fresh, uncooked vegetables.

When using unblanched vegetables directly, selecting about 4 to 6 types, considering their flavors and colors, is advisable. While preparing namul as an ingredient for bibimbap requires sufficient time and effort, this vegetable bibimbap recipe skips the process of making namul. It uses basic vegetables without compromising the taste of bibimbap, allowing anyone to easily and conveniently prepare a delicious bibimbap.

By sautéing minced beef with gochujang, you can create a stir-fried gochujang beef sauce. Using crisp and fresh vegetables, you can enjoy a vegetable bibimbap that is both healthy and rich in texture. The stir-fried gochujang beef sauce for bibimbap can be refrigerated and used for about 30 days, making it highly convenient. Whenever you crave bibimbap, you just need to prepare the vegetables, and you can whip up a meal right away. Additionally, a vegan gochujang sauce that delivers a spicy and sour flavor is also introduced, allowing vegans or vegetarians to enjoy fresh vegetable bibimbap.

Vegetable Bibimbap Ingredients

1. Main Ingredient
 ① Rice: 200g (approx. 7 oz) or 2 packets of Korean instant cooked rice

2. Secondary Ingredients
 ① Gochujang (red pepper paste):  250g / 9 oz
 ② Beef: 300g / 11 oz
 ③ Roasted seasoned seaweed: 8 sheets
 ④ Eggs: 2

3. Vegetables
 ① 1 Onion: 300g / 11oz
  * Three-quarters of the onion is used for the gochujang marinade, and one-quarter is used for the vegetable bibimbap.
 ② Green onion: 1/2 piece (60g / 2.1oz)
 ③ Cucumber: 1/2 piece (100g / 3.5oz)
 ④ Red cabbage: 70g / 2.5oz
  * If red cabbage is unavailable, regular cabbage can be used instead.
 ⑤ Carrot: 1/2 piece (100g / 3.5oz)
 ⑥ Lettuce: 3 sheets (20g / 0.7 oz)
 ⑦ Perilla leaves (kkaennip): 3 leaves (6g / 0.2 oz) 
  * Perilla leaves can be omitted according to taste, or replaced with other vegetables of your liking.

4. Seasonings
 ① Minced garlic: 1 tbsp 
 ② Cooking wine (or vinegar): 2 tbsp
 ③ Sugar: 1 tbsp
 ④ Honey (or starch syrup): 3 tbsp
 ⑤ Butter: 30g / 1oz
 ⑥ Cooking oil: 2 tbsp
 ⑦ Sesame oil: 1 tbsp

5. Vegan seasonings
 ① Gochujang (red pepper paste):  1 tbsp
 ② Starch syrup: 1 tbsp (or sugar: 1/2 tbsp)
 ③ Vinegar: 1/2 tbsp
 ④ Sesame oil: 1 tbsp
  * Mix the four types of sauce well in a mixing bowl before use. You'll get to enjoy the sour and sweet flavors of vegetable bibimbap. 
  * This vegan sauce is an excellent alternative if you prefer not to use the stir-fried gochujang.

Before Cooking Vegetable Bibimbap

1. Rinse 200g of rice two or three times before cooking. 
 * Soaking the rice in water for 10 to 15 minutes before cooking will result in plump and delicious rice.
 * Instead of cooking rice from scratch, you can opt for instant cooked rice.

Vegetable Bibimbap Ingredients Prep

1. For the vegetable bibimbap sauce, finely chop three-quarters of an onion and half of a green onion.

2. Slice the remaining quarter of the onion, red cabbage, and cucumber into thin strips, and cut the carrot into matchsticks. The perilla leaves and lettuce should be cut to the thickness and length of two thumbs side by side.
 * Slicing the onion thinly reduces its spiciness and enhances its sweetness.

Let's Start Cooking Vegetable Bibimbap

1. First, make the stir-fried gochujang for the bibimbap sauce. Put the minced onion and green onion, along with 2 tbsp of cooking oil, in a pan and sauté over low-medium heat for about 2 minutes.
 * It's important not to burn the onions and green onions. To prevent them from burning, sauté them slowly over low-medium heat for about 2 minutes.
 * Bibimbap made with stir-fried gochujang beef sauce offers a deliciously spicy flavor, a subtle hint of butter, and the chewy texture and rich taste of beef, creating an even more flavorful bibimbap experience.

2. After sautéing for about 2 minutes, the onions will become translucent and emit a cooked aroma. At this point, add 300g of minced beef, 1 tbsp of minced garlic, 1 tbsp of sugar, and 2 tbsp of cooking wine, and continue to sauté for about 3 more minutes. 
 * Adding cooking wine helps remove any unpleasant odor from the beef, resulting in a cleaner flavor.

3. After adding the beef and sautéing for about 3 minutes until the color changes, add 250g of gochujang, 30g of butter, and 3 tbsp of honey. Stir well and continue to sauté over medium heat for another 6 minutes. 

4. While sautéing to ensure the gochujang cooks evenly, continuously stir slowly in a circular motion. 

5. After stirring the gochujang for about 5 to 6 minutes, turn off the heat and transfer it to an airtight container to finish the stir-fried gochujang. Please lightly place the lid on the container at an angle to allow the steam to escape. If you've reached this step, then you've essentially completed 80% of the vegetable bibimbap dish.

6. Please add one serving of rice to a bibimbap bowl and spread it evenly.
 * For bibimbap, rice that is slightly warm is more suitable than rice that is either too hot or too cold.

7. In a bibimbap bowl, properly arrange the rice, sliced seaweed, and all the julienned vegetables. Then, top it with a spoonful of the prepared stir-fried gochujang beef sauce and a soft-boiled egg in the center.
 * After mixing the rice, if it tastes bland, adjust the seasoning by adding more stir-fried gochujang beef sauce as needed.

8. Finally, add a spoonful of sesame oil or perilla oil, mix well, and then enjoy the delicious flavors of your vegetable bibimbap.  
 * It's better to add the sesame oil almost after mixing everything, right before eating, rather than at the beginning of mixing the rice.

* Jal meokgesseumnida. - A Korean greeting used before eating a meal, somewhat similar to “bon appétit!”

Delicious Pairings with Vegetable Bibimbap

1. Kongnamulguk (콩나물국, bean sprout soup)
 𑛀 Bean sprouts are a healthy ingredient low in calories and rich in dietary fiber, which helps prevent the accumulation of body fat. When eaten with bibimbap, bean sprout soup with a touch of salted shrimp is not only non-spicy but also cool and light, enhancing the flavors of the bibimbap. 

2. Doenjang Jjigae (된장찌개, soybean paste stew)
 𑛀 Soybean paste, made from soybeans, is high in protein but low in vitamins. The namul (seasoned vegetables) and other vegetables in bibimbap compensate for the lack of vitamins in the soybean paste, while the potassium found in vegetable aids in the excretion of sodium from the soybean paste, making it an excellent combination.

3. Kimchi
 𑛀 Kimchi, indispensable in all Korean cuisine, adds a cool and crisp flavor that makes bibimbap even more delicious. If someone knows the taste of eating a spoonful of bibimbap with a piece of kimchi on top, then that person would be highly knowledgeable about Korean cuisine's flavors.

4. Pakimchi (파김치, spring onion kimchi)
 𑛀 Pakimchi is a type of kimchi celebrated for its natural spiciness and refreshing, tangy flavor of the spring onions. With each bite, the sharp spiciness of the spring onions tingles the tip of your nose, while the aroma of the fermented fish sauce rises, and the crunchy texture becomes addictive and delightful. It's especially tasty when enjoyed with bibimbap, as well as with ramyun or jjapaghetti.

5. Yeolmu Kimchi (열무김치, young radish kimchi)
 𑛀 Yeolmu, rich in vitamins and fiber, is used in various Korean dishes. Its crunchy and tender texture makes for a delightful chew, making it perfect for creating a simple bibimbap with just yeolmu kimchi. If you have well-fermented, sour yeolmu kimchi, frying it with perilla oil can unlock the best savory and a rich, nutty flavor. The cool and crunchy taste of yeolmu kimchi complements any Korean dish beautifully. 

Extra Tips for Vegetable Bibimbap

1. When adding sesame oil to your vegetable bibimbap, also mix in some fish roe. The combination of vegetables and the popping of fish roe mingle in your mouth and add a fun texture and a unique flavor. 

2. Stir-fried gochujang, a sauce for bibimbap, is also delicious when spread on toasted bread. Try warming the gochujang and spreading it on warm bread toasted in a toaster or pan. From now on, you might not think of any other jam when eating bread.

3. Try frying sausages in a pan and dipping them in stir-fried gochujang. The sausage's texture and the gochujang's flavor create a harmonious and unique taste. Also, if you have frozen dumplings at home, frying them and eating them with the stir-fried gochujang is delicious, too.

4. After cooking, transfer the stir-fried gochujang to an airtight container and let it cool completely before storing it in the refrigerator. Using a clean spoon each time you take some out can last for about 30 days in the fridge. Having this stir-fried gochujang beef sauce prepared allows you to quickly and easily make delicious bibimbap anytime. 

Vegetable Bibimbap Recipe Summary

Basic content
Cuisine type	𑛀 Main dish
Total time	𑛀 Approximately 30 minutes   (Prep time: 15 mins, cook time: 15 mins)
Servings	𑛀 2 to 3 servings
Ingredients
Main Ingredient	𑛀 Rice: 200g (approx. 7 oz) or 2 packets of Korean instant cooked rice
Secondary Ingredients	𑛀 Gochujang (red pepper paste):  250g / 9 oz 𑛀 Beef: 300g / 11 oz 𑛀 Roasted seasoned seaweed: 8 sheets 𑛀 Eggs: 2
Vegetables	𑛀 1 Onion: 300g / 11oz 𑛀 Green onion: 1/2 piece (60g / 2.1oz) 𑛀 Cucumber: 1/2 piece (100g / 3.5oz) 𑛀 Red cabbage: 70g / 2.5oz 𑛀 Carrot: 1/2 piece (100g / 3.5oz) 𑛀 Lettuce: 3 sheets (20g / 0.7 oz) 𑛀 Perilla leaves (kkaennip): 3 leaves (6g / 0.2 oz)
Seasonings	𑛀 Minced garlic: 1 tbsp 𑛀 Cooking wine (or vinegar): 2 tbsp 𑛀 Sugar: 1 tbsp 𑛀 Honey (or starch syrup): 3 tbsp 𑛀 Butter: 30g / 1oz 𑛀 Cooking oil: 2 tbsp 𑛀 Sesame oil: 1 tbsp
Vegan Seasonings	𑛀 Gochujang (red pepper paste): 1 tbsp 𑛀 Starch syrup: 1 tbsp (or sugar: 1/2 tbsp) 𑛀 Vinegar: 1/2 tbsp 𑛀 Sesame oil: 1 tbsp

Simple Instructions
①	Soak 200g of rice in water for about 10 to 15 minutes before cooking it.
②	To make stir-fried gochujang, finely chop three-quarters of a 300g onion and half a stalk of green onion.
③	Slice the remaining quarter of the onion, red cabbage, cucumber, and carrot into thin strips, and cut the perilla leaves and lettuce into sizes comparable to that of a thumb.
④	In a pan, add the chopped onions and green onions with 2 tbsp of oil, and stir-fry over medium heat for about 2 minutes.
⑤	After frying the onions for about 2 minutes, add 300g of minced beef, 1 tbsp of minced garlic, 1 tbsp of sugar, and 2 tbsp of cooking wine. Continue stir-frying over medium heat for an additional 3 minutes.
⑥	After stir-frying the beef for 3 minutes, add 250g of gochujang, 30g of butter, and 3 tbsp of honey. Stir well and continue to fry over medium heat for an additional 6 minutes.
⑦	Once you've been stirring the gochujang slowly for about 6 minutes, the stir-fried gochujang beef sauce is ready. Turn off the heat and transfer the finished stir-fried gochujang into a storage container.
⑧	In a bibimbap bowl, spread a serving of rice widely at the bottom and then beautifully arrange the sliced seaweed and julienned vegetables on top.
⑨	Place a spoonful of the prepared stir-fried gochujang on top of the vegetables and top it with one sunny-side up egg that's cooked to a soft yolk.
⑩	Slowly mix the rice, gochujang, vegetables, and fried egg together with a spoon until well combined, then add a spoonful of sesame oil or perilla oil to complete a delicious vegetable bibimbap.