Vegan Bibimbap with Baked Tofu

Name: Vegan Bibimbap with Baked Tofu
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 1 large carrot (shredded); 1/2 English cucumber (thinly sliced); 3 medium red radishes (thinly sliced); 10 oz mushrooms (sliced); 5 oz leaf spinach; 1 cup mung beans; 1 tbsp tamari (used to sauté the mushrooms and spinach); 1/4 tsp pepper; 14 oz tofu (pressed and cubed); 2 tbsp tamari (or soy sauce); 1 tbsp go-chu-jang sauce; 1 cup brown rice; 2 cups water; 1/4 tsp salt; 2 tbsp tamari (or soy sauce); 2 tbsp go-chu-jang suace; 1 tbsp maple syrup; 2 tsp rice wine vinegar

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This colorful and flavorful vegan bibimbap is a take on the classic Korean dish! It is a combination of fresh vegetables, marinated baked tofu, brown rice, and topped with a spicy and sweet sauce. It’s a delicious way to eat the rainbow!

overhead vegan bibimbap with baked tofu, spinach, mushrooms, radishes, mung beans, rice, and cucumber

My all time favorite cuisine is hands down Asian! Japanese, and Korean flavors are my absolute favorite!

Luckily, I’ve gotten the rest of my family on board with my obsession. It all started when I was a kid. My best friend’s mom is Burmese, and she loved to cook. She introduced my family to unique Asian dishes.

About once a week when I was in high school my mom and I went out for lunch with my best friend and her mom. We usually went to Korean or Japanese. There were two restaurants right next to one another in a shopping complex with easy parking.

Thus, those became our go to lunch spots. When we went to the Korean restaurant I always ordered bibimbap. I ordered it in a stone bowl which makes the rice so nice and crispy!

The rainbow of colors, and the flavorful vegetables topped with the most amazing sweet and spicy sauce was addictive! It was such an explosion of umami flavor!

It all seemed so complicated that I never tried making my own bibimbap until now!

With my favorite Korean restaurant closed, I just couldn’t wait any longer! I needed to cure my craving, and came up with this flavorful and simple vegan recipe! This dish also makes an excellent meal prep dinner!

What is bibimbap?

Bibimbap is a Korean dish made with rice, assorted vegetables, beef, and topped with a sunny side up egg. The translation of bibimbap is mixed rice with meat and vegetables.

There are so many different varieties. When you go to a Korean restaurant you’ll find versions with beef, seafood, and tofu. It is also commonly accompanied with kimchi.

This version does not include the beef or the egg. Instead, marinated tofu is added for protein. Instead of kimchi, I’ve added spinach. Kimchi is usually made with fish sauce, thus not vegan friendly.

Although this version has some substitutions, the sauce is what really makes it pop!

The traditional go-chu-jang sauce is a sweet and spicy hot pepper paste!

close up of tofu bibimbap with mixed vegetables

Why you’ll love this vegan bibimbap…

Healthy
Flavorful
Easy
High in Protein
Vegan and Vegetarian
Egg-Free
Dairy-Free
Great way to use up extra veggies!
Hearty and Delicious
Whole Food Plant-Based
Oil-Free

Recipe Ingredients and Notes

sliced cucumbers in white bowl, shredded carrots in glass bowl, sliced mushrooms in glass bowl, mung beans in glass bowl, spinach in white bowl, sliced radish in glass bowl, sliced scallions in glass bowl

Vegetables: While you can use whatever vegetables you have in your fridge, I’ve chosen to use mushrooms, spinach, radishes, cucumber, and mung bean sprouts. You’ll need to prep the vegetables for easy assembly. Shred the carrot, and thinly slice the radishes, and cucumber.

Brown Rice: Traditionally this dish is served with white rice, but to amp up the fiber, and use whole grains, I used brown rice.

cubed tofu in black bowl, with marinade sauces in small bowls beside it

Tofu: You’ll need extra firm tofu. Be sure to press the water out of the tofu before marinating it in the tamari and go-chu-jang sauce.

Go-Chu-Jang Sauce: This sweet and spicy sauce it what makes bibimbap so flavorful! It’s difficult to find in your typical grocery store. Check the ethnic food aisle. I had to order mine online!

Tools and Equipment You’ll Need

You don’t need any fancy tools or equipment.

A large saucepan to cook your rice.
A large sauté pan to sauté the spinach and mushrooms.
A mandoline to finely slice the radishes and cucumber. If you don’t have one of these you can finely slice the vegetables with a knife.
A cheese grater to shred the carrot.

For Serving:

I like using shallow wide bowls to serve this dish! You’re able to beautifully arrange the vegetables and tofu.

How to Make Vegan Bibimbap – Step by Step

While making this bibimbap is not difficult it does have several steps, to create each component of the dish. You’ll need to prepare the brown rice, prepare the fresh vegetables, sauté the cooked vegetables, bake the tofu, and make the sauce. Then assemble all the pieces into your bowl.

Prepare the Tofu

Step 1:Press the block of tofu for 10-20 minutes to remove the access water. Place several paper towels under and on top of the block of tofu. Place a heavy pot on top. Weight the pot with a few cans or jars. After 20 minutes remove paper towels.

Step 2: Preheat oven to 350 F. Cut the tofu block into equal cubes. In a small bowl whisk together the tamari or soy sauce, and the go-chu-jang sauce.

Step 3:Pour the marinade over the cubed tofu. Allow to sit for 10 minutes in the marinade.

Step 4: Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Arrange marinated tofu on the baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes at 350 F.

marinated tofu cubes on aluminum lined baking sheet

Prepare the Rice

Step 1: While the tofu is baking, combine 1 cup of brown rice with 2 cups of water in a saucepan, and a dash of salt. Bring the rice and water to a boil.

Step 2: Lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 30-45 minutes. Refer to your package for exact cooking time.

Prepare the Vegetables

Step 1: While the rice is cooking, and the tofu is baking, prepare the vegetables. Peel and grate the carrot, finely slice the cucumber, and radishes using a mandoline or knife.

Step 2: Prepare the mushrooms. In a sauté pan add 1 tablespoon of tamari. Add the mushrooms. Sauté on medium heat until cooked through. Transfer to a bowl.

Step 3: Using the same sauté pan, add the spinach. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add a touch more tamari or soy sauce if needed. Sauté until spinach wilts.

Make the Sauce

Step 1: In a small bowl whisk together the tamari, go-chu-jang, rice vinegar, maple syrup, and garlic.

Assemble Your Vegan Bibimbap

Step 1: Using a wide and shallow bowl, add the rice and vegetables around the edge. I like to arrange by color. First the rice, followed by the carrots, mung beans, radishes, mushrooms, and tofu. Arrange the cucumbers on top. Sprinkle with scallions, and drizzle the sauce overtop. Add a few sesame seeds, or nori for added color and texture.

overhead vegan bibimbap with mixed vegetables and baked tofu

Top Tips for Making the Best Vegan Bibimbap

Press your tofu ahead of time to save yourself some time.
Prepare your rice in advance, or use steamed rice bags to save cook time.
If you have an air fryer you can use it to bake your tofu more quickly.
Use the go-chu-jang sauce for authentic bibimbap flavor!
You can use the same pan to sauté the mushrooms and the spinach. Just cook them separately.
Add a bit of salt and pepper to reduce the water released from the mushrooms and spinach.

What makes vegan bibimbap healthy?

High in Fiber: The brown rice and all the added veggies give this dish 12 grams of fiber! That’s about half of your daily recommended fiber! Increasing your fiber intake helps with digestion, and keeps you feeling full and satisfied.

High in Plant Protein: The baked tofu in this dish, along with the rice, and veggies gives this recipe 27 grams of plant protein!!

Rich in Vitamins and Nutrients: Eating a colorful array of vegetables in this dish means you’ll be getting a good dose of your daily vitamins and nutrients. Carrots are high in beta-carotene. Radishes are a good source of vitamin C, folate, and riboflaven. Cucumber are packed with vitamin K. Mushrooms are a good source of B vitamins, and spinach is a good source of manganese, magnesium, and iron.

two bowls of vegan bibimbap with chopsticks and bowl of radishes

Recipe FAQS

What vegetables do you use in bibimbap?

Traditionally, kimchi (fermented cabbage and spices), namul (seasoned greens), carrots, and mung beans. However, you can use up any vegetables that you have on hand. It’s a great way to clean out your vegetable drawer. For this dish, I choose my vegetables based on their color, and flavor.

What type of rice do you use in bibimbap?

Short grain white rice is the traditional rice used for this dish. It’s a bit sticky, and clings better to the stone bowl to create a crunchy rice. In this recipe I used brown rice to keep this recipe whole food plant-based and increase the fiver.

What is go-chu-jang sauce?

Go-chu-jang is a Korean chili paste. It is slightly sweet and spicy with a hint of smoky flavor. It is the signature flavor of bibimbap, and used in other Korean dishes

What other spices and sauces do you use to make the sauce for bibimbap?

I used tamari in this recipe, however, you can also use soy sauce. The marinade for the tofu is made with tamari and go-chu-jang. The sauce that is poured over top the rice and vegetables is oil-free. It’s made with tamari, go-chu-jang, maple syrup, rice vinegar, and garlic. It has a sweet, tangy, spicy flavor that really brings the vegetables, tofu, and rice together with a rich signature flavor.

Variations and Substitutions

No Go-Chu-Jang Sauce? While I highly recommend you get this sauce, trust me, once you have it you’ll put it on everything! But if you’re in a bind, and can’t get your hands on it, you can use sriracha instead. Sriracha is spicy without the sweet, so if you mix it with some maple syrup it will taste more like the original.

Use Different Vegetables: If you don’t have cucumber, use zucchini, and if you don’t have radishes, try purple cabbage. Really anything you have you can add to this dish. Just think about the different colors and textures when choosing your vegetables.

How to Serve

I like to arrange my bowl with all the colors of the vegetables and tofu around the edge, with the spinach in the center. Then top with the spicy sweet sauce. When I eat it, I mix it all together, but I love to see all those colors before I stir it up to create the perfect bite!

How to Store, Keep, and Reheat Vegan Bibimbap

Store: I recommend storing each individual component of this dish in a separate glass container in the refrigerator. Place the rice, all the vegetables, the tofu, and the sauce in their own containers. This keeps everything fresh.

Keep: The ingredients, when stored individauly should keep for about 3-4 days. After fresh vegetables are sliced, they don’t keep as long, so you may want to eat those carrots, cucumbers, and radishes more quickly!

Reheat: When you’re ready to enjoy this dish again, assemble in your bowl as suggested, and warm in the microwave for about 60 seconds or until heated through. Top with sauce, and enjoy!

close up of vegan bibimbap in gray bowl with mixed vegetables and baked tofu

Check out these other vegan Asian recipes!

If you’ve tried my vegan bibimbap, please rate the recipe and let me know how it turned out. You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest for more plant-based family recipes your whole family will enjoy!