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Vegan Bibimbap

by erika 34 Comments

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Come onnnnnn weekend. I ate a lot of cookies last night. Let’s face plant into a bowl of vegetables.

Vegan Bibimbap Bowls // The Pancake Princess

Sarah B. recently talked about how a hit of acid (not that kind you fuh-reak!) is necessary in every dish. I—pause please while I shovel another pile of pickled vegetables into my mouth—couldn’t agree more.  Tanginess in addition to crunchiness makes carrots 898237x more interesting. The number two reason I’m obsessing over these bibimbap-inspired bowls is because of the pickled vegetables. The number one is the rice.

Vegan Bibimbap Bowls // The Pancake Princess

While in Austin with my mom and sister last month, I showed them my favorite Austin restaurant which serves up these enormous, colorful bowls of vegetables that typically top a base of the most extraordinarily tasty rice. It is heads and shoulders above any other rice I’ve eaten before. I think I figured out how they do it and luckily for us, it’s simple: a good slick of toasty sesame oil and salt.

Vegan Bibimbap Bowls // The Pancake Princess

I make no claim that these are authentic bibimbap. Bibimbap-inspired bowls would be a more appropriate name for these, but that was just too long. Lazy bibimbap-inspired bowls would have been best, because instead of any kind of proper sauce, I just dash fish sauce (try this vegan fish sauce!) and sweet soy sauce all over this before stuffing my face. Pickled vegetables add so much flavor that just a few sprinkles of sauce is enough for a great-tasting bowl.

Anyway, these are just vehicles to stuff really yummy, flavorful vegetable combinations in your face. I hope you like them. Now weekend, get your cute little butt over here.

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Vegan Bibimbap Bowls

A simple bibimbap-inspired bowl with an array of vegetables spanning the spectrum from raw to lightly pickled to cooked. A simple drizzle of fish sauce and sweet soy sauce is the perfect light and easy finishing touch to these healthy bowls.
Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 1.5 cups brown rice
  • drizzle of sesame oil
  • generous pinch of salt

  • 1 cup hot water
  • ½ cup rice wine vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2-4 carrots julienned
  • 1 large daikon julienned

  • 1 clove garlic sliced
  • red pepper flakes
  • ½ to 1 head of kale leaves torn off and rinsed

  • 1 block firm tofu
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
  • 1 cucumber sliced
  • 1 avocado sliced
  • 1 red bell pepper julienned
  • 2 cups red cabbage shredded

  • Vegan fish sauce or fish sauce if not vegan
  • Sweet soy sauce

Instructions

  • Make the rice: Set the rice on to cook if you haven’t done so (this is best with fresh rice, not leftover). Once fully cooked and warm, drizzle with sesame oil (I do about 1 tablespoon per cup of cooked rice or so) and add salt to taste.
  • Make the pickles: In a bowl, combine the water, vinegar, sugar and salt until sugar dissolves. Add the carrots and daikon and set aside at room temperature for at least one hour. These will keep, refrigerated, for at least a couple of weeks.
  • Prep the tofu: While carrots are pickling, start marinating the tofu. Slice your tofu into approximately 16 thin slices. Combine the soy sauce and ginger in a shallow pan or a bowl and coat the tofu in the marinade. Let sit for at least 15 minutes.
  • Make the kale: In a medium skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until garlic is golden. Add the kale and sauté until kale is wilted. Salt and pepper to taste.
  • Make the tofu: In the same skillet, fry the tofu slices in a bit of sesame oil over medium-high heat until browned on both sides.
  • Assembly: Over a bed of rice, layer the pickled vegetables, kale, tofu, cucumber, avocado, etc. Douse fish sauce and sweet soy sauce over the top and consume voraciously. (Not vegan alert: a soft egg over all this is also delicious.)

Notes

I use the julienne peeler from this set for pretty much all my julienned vegetables. It's functional for a cheap peeler, but I'm not wild about it.
Pickling potion adapted from this lovely blog.

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    Recipe Rating




  1. E

    September 26, 2014 at 6:38 pm

    Just a pet peeve, but don’t call this vegan. Call it “Easily Vegan”, “Almost Vegan,” or something. The recipe can be modified easily to be vegan but is not in the state you published it. Meat eaters hoping to cook for vegan friends may not read the fine print and trust the title (you would be surprised by how many people don’t realize that things, even things with meat in the names, are not vegan if they’re not actually flesh).

    Reply
  2. Sophie

    July 11, 2014 at 4:25 pm

    YES!! OK I am on the hunt for some of those incredible stone bowls so I can go all dol sot bibimbap at home, even though I have no idea how to do that without burning the house down 🙂 THIS in the meantime, yes. Delicious! And gorgeous!

    Reply
    • erika

      July 14, 2014 at 2:49 pm

      Oooh I never even THOUGHT to buy bowls so I could make actually authentic bibimbap! Love it–now I’ll be on the hunt as well 🙂 Thanks so much Sophie!

      Reply
  3. Nora (A Clean Bake)

    May 19, 2014 at 5:19 pm

    Ok, I know you aren’t even in this continent, and I am so far behind on all of this, but I guess better late than never that I see this because OMG I need to make this!! Everything looks so good, and gahhhh….I am pretty much at a loss for words right now. Holy shmoly.

    Reply
  4. Millie

    May 17, 2014 at 2:14 pm

    Oooohh!! These look totally amazing! I love bibimbap so looking forward to trying these!

    Reply
  5. Allison @ Clean Wellness

    May 13, 2014 at 6:34 am

    I just found your blog and this recipe via Pinterest and now I’m totally addicted! Love love love! I so enjoy a vegan meal in a bowl -they’re my go-to for a satisfying, healthy dinner. Yum!

    Reply
    • erika

      May 26, 2014 at 1:28 pm

      Thanks so much Allison!! So glad you hopped over from Pinterest and omg vegan bowls–SO GOOD!!! I have def been lacking in the veggie department while on vacation but I’m so excited to join you in a satisfyingly healthy dinner soon!! 🙂

      Reply
  6. Irina @ wandercrush

    May 10, 2014 at 6:30 am

    These are stunning bowls of colour! I feel like I’m eating it with my eyeballs from here. Ugh it’s been insane lately and I haven’t been to your blog in ages… so glad to be back, though. Lovely space (and did you get a new layout?) You’re so right—a hit of acid in every dish, and nobody knows it better than Asians with their pungent pickled veg.

    Reply
  7. Courtney @ Neighborfood

    May 9, 2014 at 10:21 am

    These bowls look gorgeous! I would love to take a big face plant into these veggies!

    Reply
  8. Pang

    May 8, 2014 at 9:41 pm

    i will take your Bibimbap-inspired bowls anytime!!! this looks delicious, erika 🙂

    Reply
  9. Valentina @Hortus

    May 8, 2014 at 2:40 am

    LOVE this! Bibimbap is one of my favorite dishes ever, and it’s easily veganizable anyway. Even when you take the meat and egg out, it remains a truly kick-a$$ dish.
    I love seeing people’s takes at bibimbap. I love both the pickled carrots and marinated tofu idea. I’d love to try marinated tofu with silken tofu…not sure it would work as well, but I’m not a fan of cotton tofu.

    Thank you so much for the ideas! *goes on a hunt for kimchi* <3

    Reply
  10. The Vegan 8

    May 7, 2014 at 12:15 am

    Erika, I don’t know how I missed this post!! This looks insanely delicous and I am SO with you on the sesame oil and the rice…wow, yum!! I think I’ve told you before that the only oil I really would still consume for the most part, is sesame oil. It is one that I just can’t say I would never have again, the flavor is absolutely incredible and on rice, oh yeah! Everything looks so beautiful and colorful. Super jealous when you mention Austin again, too…you know that is my favorite place in the universe?!! 🙂

    Reply
  11. Natasha @ The Cake Merchant

    May 6, 2014 at 2:20 pm

    I feel like you read my mind with this post! Did you know it’s impossible to get veggie bibimbap around here? I must make this immediately. Also, I’m going to Austin next month, so will definitely try Koriente. It looks like the perfect place to cancel out my Gordough’s binge.

    Reply
    • erika

      May 6, 2014 at 3:05 pm

      WHAT?! GASP.

      Actually, I say that and I don’t think I’ve ever had bibimbap in Houston either lol. And YES. That is a perfect plan. Aka my plan always. Koriente, then straight to Gourdough’s 😉 😉 Oh my gosh. Eat a Granny’s Pie for me. Or the chocolate one. Or any of them, really.

      Reply
  12. [email protected]

    May 5, 2014 at 5:56 pm

    vegan bibimbap?! that sounds really good right now! 😉

    Reply
  13. laurasmess

    May 5, 2014 at 12:51 am

    One click back over to read Sarah B’s ‘acid’ comment and I was lost for half an hour reading her beautiful posts! Ah, I want to live in her kitchen. And yours, shovelling forkful after forkful of your wonderful vegan colourful deliciousness into my mouth. Of course I’d stop to speak every now and then. I am sure we’d have SO much to talk about (through mumbled cookies). Anyway, ahem. This bibimbap (inspired or real!) is gorgeous. Love all of the yummy textural additions you’ve added. That tofu looks DIVINE xx

    Reply
    • erika

      May 5, 2014 at 9:49 am

      Yes!!!! I get SO lost in her blog every time I go. There’s just so much goodness–not just beautiful photos and AMAZING recipes, but so many awesome nutrition tips!

      Ah yes, the mumbled cookies are a must. We must make this a reality someday!! Thank you for your sweet, sweet words, as always <3

      Reply
  14. janet @ the taste space

    May 4, 2014 at 7:46 pm

    Awesome! I ended up at Koriente on our last Austin trip and ate with Tess.. who also quickly made a recreation of their bibimbap. I made it last week and it was great. Yours looks different but I like how you have the quick pickled veggies. We still have some of those leftover from our banh mi wraps. 🙂

    Reply
    • erika

      May 5, 2014 at 9:47 am

      Ooh who is Tess?? I want to try her version! I LOVE KORIENTE!!!

      Reply
  15. tahnycooks

    May 3, 2014 at 6:39 am

    BEAUTIFUL! I want to eat all these veggies right now! Great pictures. This is totally up my alley on how I eat, I need to try this ASAP!

    Reply
    • erika

      May 5, 2014 at 9:46 am

      Thanks Tahny! As I feel like I say every time, I feel like we would have SUCH FUN eating together! 🙂

      Reply
  16. Rosie

    May 3, 2014 at 1:43 am

    I love the sound of these – that rice combo sounds killer!

    Reply
    • erika

      May 5, 2014 at 9:46 am

      Thanks Rosie! 🙂

      Reply
  17. Nancy @ gottagetbaked

    May 2, 2014 at 6:30 pm

    Daaaaaaaaaamn that looks good, Erika! I usually don’t like pickled things but this is reminiscent of the pickled veggies in banh mi sandwiches, which are truly tasty. I can’t wait to try making rice this way. The toasty sesame oil and soy sauce is making me drool. And I’m totally topping this with a fried egg. Yum!

    Reply
    • erika

      May 5, 2014 at 9:45 am

      Yes yes exactly!!! Those pickled veggies are what got me hooked for good. And I feel like you can always judge a good foodie by whether they elect to put a fried egg on top or not 😉

      Reply
  18. Karen @ The Food Charlatan

    May 2, 2014 at 6:12 pm

    Biblmap. Bibipap. Bibibab. Blimpoflap.

    The title is making me anxious Erika.

    (Why have I never heard of this before! So uncultured! I want veggies, now please!)

    Reply
    • erika

      May 5, 2014 at 9:45 am

      Omg. Karen. I literally exploded in laughter after reading your comment for the first time. It’s still making me explode a little at work (but I’m trying to keep it contained). Blimpoflap is my fav. Okay seriously, THANK YOU for reminding me that not everyone knows what bibimbap is!! (“bee-bim-bap”) I didn’t even know what it was last year, probably. But basically, think: rice, vegetables, mix. Because bibimbap means mix mix in Korean. I think. Don’t quote me on that. Anyway, sorry to make you anxious, you hilarious lady!

      Reply
  19. Erica

    May 2, 2014 at 5:33 pm

    Haha I am obsessed with pickled veggies too — I eat pickled ginger from the jar… is that weird?

    Reply
  20. Geeeeee

    May 2, 2014 at 2:13 pm

    Ohhhh erikaaa, you are my light during the dark finals week. I am veli veli jealous of your boyfriend and his belly.

    Reply
    • erika

      May 2, 2014 at 2:20 pm

      Ge, I love you. I’m gonna bring you a cake. …You like chocolate right? Peanut butter?

      Reply
  21. Katie (The Muffin Myth)

    May 2, 2014 at 2:03 pm

    I’ve been thinking about pickled vegetables a lot lately… like, for real. Pickled carrots especially, which I’m totally planning to do soon. I’ll admit I’ve never had a real bibimbap, so yours could totally set the bar. Game on?

    Reply
  22. Selena @ thenutritiouskitchen.com

    May 2, 2014 at 2:03 pm

    These photos are just plain gorgeous! Possibly the most appetizing picture of veggies I have seen in awhile! I’ve been looking or a recipe to intrigue me back into eating tofu and I think this is the one!! Pinning and will be my lunch for next week 🙂

    Reply
  23. Pamela @ Brooklyn Farm Girl

    May 2, 2014 at 1:40 pm

    I feel the same way as you. I was away on a trip, ate a ton of cookies and tacos and then when I got home needed a big bowl of vegetables. This looks great!

    Reply
  24. Michelle @ Hummingbird High

    May 2, 2014 at 11:05 am

    OMG, I love your vegan twist on bibimbap — bibimbap is seriously like, one of my favorite things ever. Your photography is beautiful! I especially love that first shot.

    Reply

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