Vegetarian Bibim Bap

Presenting my version of bibim bap, or Korean mixed vegetables and rice. As I discussed in this earlier post, I decided to try Maanchi's recipe this week. I adjusted it for my tastes while making it, reducing the oil and omitting the beef and fried egg that traditionally tops each bowl.

This recipe reduces the fat even further, adds lettuce, and streamlines the labor-heavy preparation a little bit. I've changed the amount of some vegetables for personal preference, too. Please note that I have not yet tried the kosari but am including it as an ingredient.

There is a fair amount of prep work for this recipe. The key is to group tasks to make it go more quickly. Ingredients are listed in the order of use, as they are in all of my recipes. If something has to be prepared the night before, rest assured you’ll find that at the top of the list so you aren’t surprised when you get halfway through a recipe!

This should serve about 6-8 people, or create a whole lot of wonderful leftovers for two.


Vegetarian Bibim Bap

Dried kosari (bracken - available at Korean grocers)
6 shiitake mushrooms
2 carrots
2 medium zucchini
2 medium English or Armenian cucumber, peeled
2 ½ cups bean sprouts
3 cups spinach or any cooking greens (radish or turnip leaves, collards, kale, etc.)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 head leaf lettuce
Sesame seeds – total of 1 tablespoon + ½ teaspoon
4 tablespoons gochujang (available at Korean grocers)
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
Water
Toasted sesame oil
Salt – total of 3 teaspoons
Sugar – total of 2 ½ tablespoons
Soy sauce – total of 3 tablespoons
5 cups medium or long-grain white or brown rice

The night before

• Place 1 cup kosari in 20 cups of cold water in a large pot. Bring to a boil and cook for 30 minutes. Remove from heat but don’t drain. Let it soak overnight. In the morning, check to make sure it is no longer tough. If it is, boil briefly again. Otherwise, drain and refrigerate until needed in a further step.

Several hours before

• Put dried shiitake mushrooms in a large bowl of warm water to rehydrate. Turn them over periodically or weight them down so they are immersed in water. Check periodically to see if completely hydrated. When they are, drain, saving the soaking water. Cut off the fibrous stems; these can be chopped and simmered in the soaking water for a flavorful broth. Slice the rehydrated (or fresh) shiitakes thinly and set aside.


• Start prepping the remaining vegetables. The carrot, zucchini, and cucumber can be cut into julienne strips by hand or coarsely grated using a food processor. Process one vegetable at a time, in order, and keep them separated.


• Mince the garlic and set aside.


• Clean and dry the lettuce. Tear into bite-size pieces. Return to refrigerator until assembly.


• Toast sesame seeds in a small pan over medium heat, stirring constantly. Watch carefully and remove from heat as soon as they turn golden brown. Pour into a small bowl so they don’t continue browning. You can crush them slightly in a mortar and pestle to release more flavor, if desired.

45 minutes before

• Cook rice in rice cooker or on the stove.


• Rinse bean sprouts thoroughly. Place in a pot with 2 cups water & 1 ½ tsp salt. Cook for 20 minutes. Drain. Mix bean sprouts with 2 cloves minced garlic, a drizzle of sesame oil, 1 tsp salt & ½ tsp sesame seeds.


• Soak cucumber strips in salted water for 20 minutes. Drain and set aside.


• Clean greens. If using heavier greens, use only the leaves. (Chop the stems and simmer until tender as a tasty vegetable side dish.) Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add all the leaves at once and stir gently while cooking. Spinach will only need to blanch for a minute. Heavier greens will need several minutes to become somewhat tender. Drain. Rinse with cool water. Squeeze out enough water that you can chop the greens into smaller pieces. Toss with 1 clove minced garlic, a drizzle of sesame oil, a pinch of salt, & 1 ½ tsp soy sauce.


• Sprinkle zucchini shreds with salt and toss together. Set aside.


• Chop drained kosari into 2 ½” long pieces.


• Make red pepper sauce. In a small bowl, mix gochujang with 2 tsp sesame oil, 1 tbs sesame seeds, 1 tbs sugar, and 1 tsp rice vinegar. Add up to 2 tbs water to thin it slightly, if desired.

The final steps

• Four vegetables need to be sautéed and they need to be cooked separately. Do them in the order listed here, re-using the same pan. When one is done, remove it and add the next one. If you are using a nonstick skillet, you will not need to add any oil. If you are using a well-seasoned cast iron skillet, wipe the bottom of the skillet with oil (using a rag or paper towel) between each vegetable. There is no need to use a large amount of oil.


• Heat skillet over medium-high heat.


• Add the carrots and a pinch of salt. Sauté for about a minute. Remove.


• Add the salted zucchini. Sauté for several minutes until tender. Remove.


• Heat ½ tsp oil. Add kosari and sauté briefly. Add ½ tbs sugar & 1 tbs soy sauce. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Remove and drizzle lightly with sesame oil.


• Heat ½ tsp oil. Add shiitake mushrooms, 1 tbs sugar, & 1 ½ tbs soy sauce. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Remove and drizzle lightly with sesame oil.

Assemble each person's bowl

• Place cooked rice in large bowl and arrange some of each of the prepared vegetables on top. Traditionally, they are arranged like the spokes of a wheel radiating out from the center.


• Serve with red pepper paste (gochujang). To eat, add red pepper sauce to your bowl. Mix the rice, vegetables, and sauce together thoroughly.

To accommodate tastes of different family members, you can place all of the prepared vegetables on a large platter in the center of the table and a bowl of rice at each place setting. Each person can add the vegetables they desire and add as much red pepper sauce as they want.

Optional: provide additional side dishes to eat with the bibim bap. This can be extras of the prepared vegetables, kimchee, or other pickled vegetables.