Vegetarian Korean Bibimbap Recipe with Mushrooms and Brown Rice

This recipe suits me: a Korean culture lover, vegetarian, and healthy eater! Bibimbbap, meaning "mixed rice" in the Korean language, is a popular Korean dish comprised of rice, vegetables, meat, and fried egg. It's served with an attractive presentation, but before you eat it, you're meant to mix all of the ingredients together. As a fan of Hallyu, I often see the dish make an appearance in K-dramas or variety shows. I've enjoyed my fair share of it at Korean restaurants, but readily created my own version. 

My bibimbap recipe is completely vegetarian—I swap the standard beef bulgogi for marinated mushrooms. For extra fiber, I opt for short-grain brown rice instead of the white variety. Top it with a fried egg and gochujang for a savory, spicy, and sweet flavor. My version may not be entirely authentic, but I hope you enjoy it.  

Ingredients:

• 10 ounces of crimini (baby bella) mushrooms
• 1 bunch of fresh spinach or 3 cups of bagged spinach
• 2 carrots, peeled and sliced thinly
• 1 cup of mung bean sprouts 
• 2 green onions
• 2 cups of dry short-grain brown rice
• sea salt

For mushroom marinade:

• 1 tablespoon mirin
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• black pepper
• 2 cloves of garlic

Toppings: 

• sesame seeds
• vegan kimchi
• eggs (for frying)

Instructions:

1. Chop the mushrooms and add to a medium-sized bowl. Add the mirin, soy sauce, sesame oil, black pepper, crushed garlic, and sesame oil. Mix together. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes, or up to overnight.  
2. Cook the brown rice. Rinse the dry rice thoroughly to remove the excess starch. Add the rice to the pot with 4 cups of water, a teaspoon of olive oil, and a 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Turn on the heat to medium, and when it reaches a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer with the pot lid partially ajar until the liquid is gone, about 30-35 minutes.
3. Peel and thinly chop the carrots into matchsticks. If using a bunch of spinach, roughly chop it into smaller pieces. Trim and chop the green onions. Rise the bean sprouts and pat dry.
4. Heat 1 tablespoon of avocado oil in a large frying pan on medium heat. Add the carrots and a sprinkle of salt and cook for 2-3 minutes, until tender. Remove the carrots from the pan, set aside, and mix with a light splash of sesame oil. Next, saute the spinach for 2-3 minutes until tender. Set aside and mix with a splash of sesame oil. Sauté the bean sprouts for 4-5 minutes until tender, and set aside. 
5. In the same frying pan, cook the marinated mushrooms. Use a slotted spoon to remove the mushrooms from the bowl and add them to the pan, leaving behind the excess liquid. Cook on medium heat for 5-7 minutes, until thoroughly browned. Set aside, along with the other bibimbap vegetables.
6. Heat 1-2 tablespoons of avocado oil in a medium frying pan. Fry eggs to your preference of doneness, either sunny side up or hard-fried. 
7. Prepare to serve. In a large soup bowl or dinner bowl, add a generous serving of rice. Arrange the vegetables on top of the rice circularly. Top with fried egg, sesame seeds, and vegan kimchi. Serve with gochujang.