Veggie Bibimbap

Ingredients

Rice

• 2 cups of white rice, washed

• 2 1/2 cups water

Pickles

• 1 cup white vinegar or apple cider vinegar

• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1 cucumber, peeled and julienned

Gochujang Sauce

• 1/4 cup gochujang

• 1/4 cup warm water

• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

Bibimbap

• 4 cloves of garlic, minced

• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 2 scallions, diced

• 1 tablespoon soy sauce

• 1 tablespoon water

• 1 inch of ginger, peeled and grated

• 1 carrot, peeled and julienned

• 1 large red bell pepper, julienned

• 2 cups shiitake mushrooms, sliced

• 3 tablespoons sesame oil

• 4 eggs

Preparation

1. In a rice cooker or pot add your 2 cups of washed white rice and 2 1/2 cups of water. Cook until fluffy and then remove. Fluff your rice and allow it to cool.

2. To a small bowl, add 1 cup white vinegar or apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1 julienned cucumber. Mix well to combine everything and then cover the bowl in plastic wrap. Place it in the fridge while you cook everything else.

3. To another small bowl, add 1/4 cup gochujang, 1/4 cup warm water, and 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil. Stir well to combine and then set aside.

4. In a large dutch oven over medium heat, sauté 4 cloves of minced garlic in 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil until it starts to brown. Then, add 2 diced scallions, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon water, 1 inch of grated ginger, and 1 julienned carrot. Sauté for 2 minutes over medium heat and then transfer the mixture to a small bowl.

5. Back in the dutch oven over medium heat, sauté 1 large julienned red bell pepper with 1/2 a tablespoon of vegetable oil until the pepper pieces start to blister. Once they reach that point, transfer the peppers to a small bowl.

6. Back in the dutch oven over medium heat, sauté 2 cups of sliced shiitake mushrooms with a heavy pinch of salt until the mushrooms have released their water. Then add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and 1 tablespoon sesame oil, and fry until they are golden brown and crispy. Once they reach that point, transfer the mushrooms to a small bowl.

7. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and 2 tablespoons of sesame oil to the dutch oven. Cook over medium-high heat until the oil starts to shimmer. Then, add in your rice and pack it down so it is an even layer across the bottom of the dutch oven. Cook without disturbing the rice until a golden crust appears on the bottom of the rice. You can check by gently picking up the side at about 4 minutes of cooking. While the rice is crisping, fry 4 eggs. Once the rice is golden, add your mushrooms, carrots, peppers, eggs, and gochujang sauce to the pot on top of the rice. Stir well to mix everything together.

8. Serve immediately with the pickled cucumber.

Notes

• Servings: ~ 4 people