This Bibimbap recipe (aka Seoul Bowl) is made with gochujang-baked Tempeh, steamed veggies, kimchi and quick pickled cucumbers- a healthy vegan version of Bibimbap!
And I say to my heart: rave on.
~Mary Oliver~
Here’s a plant-based version of one of Korea’s most popular dishes- Bibimbap! I’ve nicknamed it a “Seoul Bowl,” and it’s loaded up with plant-based protein (gochujang baked tempeh), healthy veggies, rice, and healthy probiotics from kimchi. It just bursts with flavor!
I love all the textures and flavors here- it feels very nourishing and hearty, and we think you’ll love it too. I also show you a couple chef’ tips on how to make tempeh taste good!
Bibimbap Ingredients
Tempeh Marinade Ingredients
- Korean chili paste (Gochujang) – or use chili garlic paste or sriracha sauce
- Sesame oil
- Maple syrup or brown sugar
- Soy sauce or GF alternative
- Rice wine vinegar
Bibimbap Bowl Ingredients
- Cooked rice– short grain brown is my preference
- Korean Baked Tempeh
- Carrots- Steamed, grated or fresh match stick carrots
- Steamed spinach (or keep fresh)
- Steamed shiitake mushrooms
- Fresh cucumber, cut into thin disks ( we will pickle this)
- Kimchi (store bought or make your own!)
- Garnishes – scallions, cilantro, chili paste, sesame seeds, soft boiled eggs
Bibimbap Sauce: (The Dressing)
- soy sauce or GF alternative, sriracha, or Gochujang, sesame oil and maple syrup
Bibimbap Instructions
Step 1: Prep the tempeh. Slice the tempeh, then simmer in a pan with 2 inches of boiling water with a splash of soy sauce and 1-2 teaspoons of gochujang for 8-10 minutes to remove bitterness.
Step 2: Make marinade and dressing. Whisk the marinade ingredients together in a small bowl, and at the same time, whisk the Bibibap Sauce ingredients together in another separate small bowl.
Step 3: Bake the tempeh! Cut into squares, then triangles or strips. Dip each piece in the marinade and place on a parchment– lined sheet-pan, spooning any remaining marinade over top, and bake for 20 minutes, or until crispy.
Step 4: While the tempeh bakes, prep your veggies and garnishes. Soft boil your eggs if using. Cut the cucumber, place in a small bowl and season with generous pinch salt, a splash of rice vinegar, optional red onion and sesame seeds.
If steaming veggies: In a medium sauce pan, bring ½-1 inch of water to a simmer. Add the carrots and gently steam, just until wilted, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon remove, and place on a large plate. To the same simmering water, add the spinach, steam just until lightly wilted ( 1-2 minutes) remove, drain, place on the same plate next to the carrots. Remove and discard the shiitake stems and place the mushroom caps in the same simmering water, turning to steam both sides. Add little more water if you need to. Once tender, about 4 minutes later, place them on the plate next to the carrots and spinach.
Prep any garnishes you plan to use- cut scallions, tear cilantro leaves, and gather the kimchi, sesame seeds and hot chili paste – getting the bowls ready to assemble.
Step 5: Assemble the bowls. Divide the rice and tempeh into 2 extra hearty bowls or 3 medium bowls. Surround with the wilted veggies, cucumbers, kimchi, optional egg, fresh herbs and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Spoon the flavorful Bibimbap Sauce over top.
Serving Suggestions
- You can also add a soft-boiled egg (not vegan, obviously)!
- Serve with Kimchi!
- Sprinkle with our Peanut Chili Crunch (Seroendeng)
- Pair with our Korean Cucumber Salad
- Sesame Tomato Salad
- Instead of tempeh, try this Korean Tofu
Storage
Leftover rice and tempeh will keep up to 4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Chef’s Tips
- Tempeh is a vegan “patty” made from fermented soybeans or grains. It is high in protein and calcium and low in fat – with a very textured, nutty flavor. Many vegetarian and vegan recipes use tempeh as a meat substitute, it is firm and holds up well. Since it is a low-fat and high-protein food, many vegans choose to include tempeh in their diet on a regular basis.
- Remember to always steam or simmer tempeh for 8-10 minutes in seasoned water to remove bitterness, soften it, and open up its pores to the flavorful marinade. Once simmered, season it or marinate it as you wish. It is like tofu, in that it’s a nice canvas for other flavors. So Flavor it up!!!
More Favorite Tempeh Recipes!
I hope you love this as much as we have- let me know what you think in the comments below. Have a great week. If you enjoyed this, please rate it below! xoxo
Print
Bibimbap Recipe (Seoul Bowl)
- Prep Time: 25
- Cook Time: 20
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 3
- Category: Vegan Main
- Method: Bowl
- Cuisine: Korean
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked rice- short grain brown is my preference
- 1 batch Korean Baked Tempeh ( meat-eaters see notes)
- 1 cup steamed, grated or match stick carrots ( or keep fresh)
- 2 handfuls steamed spinach (or keep fresh)
- 2 ounces steamed shiitake mushrooms
- 1 turkish cucumber, cut into thin disks
- generous pinch salt and splash rice wine vinegar
- 1/8 cup thinly sliced red onion (optional)
- 1/2 cup fresh kimchi
- Garnishes – scallions, cilantro, chili paste, sesame seeds, soft boiled eggs
Korean Baked Tempeh:
8 ounce package tempeh
Tempeh Marinade:
- 1 1/2–2 tablespoons korean chili paste (Gochujang) – or use chili garlic paste or sriracha sauce
- 1 tablespoons sesame oil
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup or brown sugar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce or GF alternative
- 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
Bibimbap Sauce: ( The Dressing)
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce or GF alternative,
- 1 tablespoon sriracha, or Gochujang
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F
- Set rice to cook if using.
- Prep the tempeh. Slice tempeh in half widthwise (see photo) and place in a saucepan with 2 inches of water, a splash of soy sauce, and a teaspoon of gochujang; simmer for 8 minutes to remove bitterness.
- Whisk marinade ingredients together in a small bowl and at the same time, whisk Bibinbap sauce ingredients together in another separate small bowl.
- Remove tempeh from water carefully and pat dry. Cut into squares, then triangles or strips. Dip each piece in the marinade and place on a parchment- lined sheet-pan, spooning any remaining marinade over top, and bake for 20 minutes, or until crispy.
- While the tempeh bakes, prep your veggies and garnishes. Soft boil eggs if using.
- Cut the cucumber, place in a small bowl and season with generous pinch salt, a splash of rice vinegar, optional red onion and sesame seeds.
- In a medium sauce pan, bring ½-1 inch of water to a simmer. Add the carrots and gently steam, just until wilted, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon remove, and place on a large plate. To the same simmering water, add the spinach, steam just until lightly wilted ( 1-2 minutes) remove, drain, place on the same plate next to the carrots. Remove and discard the shiitake stems and place the mushroom caps in the same simmering water, turning to steam both sides. Add little more water if you need to. Once tender, about 4 minutes later, place them on the plate next to the carrots and spinach.
- Prep any garnishes you plan to use- cut scallions, tear cilantro leaves, and gather the kimchi, sesame seeds and hot chili paste – getting the bowls ready to assemble.
- Once the rice and tempeh are done, assemble the bowls.
- Divide the rice and tempeh into 2 extra hearty bowls or 3 medium bowls. Surround with the wilted veggies, cucumbers, kimchi, optional egg, fresh herbs and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
- Spoon the flavorful Bibimpap sauce over top.
- Eat with chopsticks and enjoy!
Notes
If you don’t want to use tempeh, free free to sub tofu, salmon or chicken using the same marinade. You may need to adjust the cooking time. If you have a beef lover amongst you, Traders Joe’s Bulgogi Beef is a nice option, especially when grilled. You can cook both tempeh and meat ( like chicken for example) on the same sheet pan, in separate corners for more options if you have vegans and meat eaters in the same house. Very adaptable!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 3 bowls without the egg.
- Calories: 456
- Sugar: 19.5 g
- Sodium: 1066.8 mg
- Fat: 13.7 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 65.3 g
- Fiber: 9.6 g
- Protein: 19.8 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
This is one of my favorite dinner recipes. I make it all the time. Bravo!
Wonderful!
I originally gave this recipe 3 stars but the leftovers have been better than the original dish. I may try it again with a different protein…tofu?
Is the mainly the protein? Or anything else you would change?
I had high hopes, but this just wasn’t for me. I will say it resulted in edible tempeh (I am trying to “love” tempeh, but I think I will move on for good now). I have been eating mostly plant-based for less than a year so find this website a valuable resource.
Sorry about that Laurie. What could have made it better, do you think?
I have eaten the leftovers, without kimchi, the last couple of days. And enjoyed them…I will update my recipe rating.
Delightful! Let me start by sayin that I’m no vegan, far from it, but your vegetable based dishes look so colorful, so inviting, that had to at least try. Wonderful dish, really really is, will have it again!
Thanks!
So good!! First time cooking with tempeh and it turned out really well. I steamed it for 10 minutes instead of simmering. However, I thought 1 tbsp of maple suryp was sweet enough for the sauce, so I ended up with too little… Next time I’ll double it! Will definitely make this again.
So glad this worked for you Erika!
This is absolutely delicious, thank you!
Awesome Emma! Glad you enjoyed!
Hi Sylvia, can’t wait to try your recipe tonight. Actually gochujang is not used in making Kimchi, (traditionally anyways) it is gochu-garu which is pepper flakes that is used in Kimchi along with fish sauce and grind fruit like pears or apples that yields gochujang texture.
Korean recipes are pretty complicated but the results are so awesome!
This recipe is so fun and easy to make, and if you enjoy cooking with someone else it’s even better since you can divide and conquer the sauce, marinade and pickles. The tempeh marinade yields the tastiest tofu I have ever had, and we frequently make it to go with other dishes. Thank you for this healthy and delicious recipe.
Made this tonight. It was AMAZING. It was so good my 8 year old ate spinach and zucchini and said they were GOOD. This one is a keeper. Thanks Sylvia 😊
Oh Cool! hope you are hanging in there Jaeden! Crazy times. I’m kind of glad to still be in Santa Barbara during this time. 🙂
Love this so much we are making it two nights in a row! I changed up the veggies for lightly sautéed kale and cabbage but otherwise everything else was the same. I have to be honest, I have never had Korean food because I’m such a chicken about trying new things and foods/ingredients I can’t pronounce! I have found that your introduction to food styles and flavors makes it easier for me to try new things without fear. Thank you for this!
I used tofu instead of tempeh, still havent quite found the right tempeh for me and I was sure the kids would eat the tofu (just not with the gochujang for them) . Anyway, very tasty!
Glad they liked!
Made this recipe tonight, but used Trader Joe’s sriracha tofu in place of tempeh. It was FABULOUS. Even my 7 year old ate it without complaint (which is remarkable). Thanks Sylvia!
Awesome Jaeden!!! So glad you liked it! Coffee soon! xoxo
This was delicious! Better than takeout!!! Bookmarking and saving – definitely a keeper!
Great to hear and so glad you liked it!
I love this recipe! I make it frequently. And thanks for the tempeh prep tip-it really does make a difference in texture and flavor to simmer it first.
Never heard of Tempeh before, thank you so much with the new ingredients. Sometimes, I just don’t want to deal with the soft tofu. Thank you for amazing recipe1
Thanks Stacey! Appreciate the comment!
Tried this tonight with friends and is SO good!!! I might be making it again tomorow, it’s that good.
Glad you enjoyed!
I love Korean food and bibimbap! The tempeh in here looks so delicious and nothing like adding kimchi for that extra punch!
I am just starting to get into Tempeh, so I appreciate this recipe, this looks amazing!
I find that all Gochujang has either MSG or tons of sugar/preservatives. I’ve not found any brands that offer without.
Hey Lola- yes,there actually are some all-natural ones out there…try looking up the brand Mother In Law’s Gochujang and Wholly Gochujang!