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Kicking off my Korean food series with Superfood Bibimbap with Crispy Tofu.
When I asked you guys in last Sunday’s Favorite’s post if you wanted to see some Korean inspired food, the response was an overwhelming, yes. Thankfully, I was already planning on sharing a few recipes before I leave for Korea on the seventh (it’s getting so close!), but now I am even more excited because I know you guys are looking forward to these recipes too!
It will be really fun to be able to see how Korean’s really make the dishes I am attempting to recreate. When I get home, I’m hoping to post a couple super authentic Korean dishes, but until then, I am pretty excited to share what I have today!
You guys, say hello to this Healthy January Bibimbap Bowl…the vegan Superfood Bibimbap with Crispy Tofu.
So pretty, right? I LOVE this bowl…
But it’s also so very different from anything I have ever shared with you guys. This is my very first tofu recipe here on HBH. For the longest time, I always said I would never cook tofu. It just wasn’t my thing, and to be honest, it’s not like I plan to eat it all the time, but I think it tastes incredible in this Korean inspired recipe, and I love that I was able to use it in place of the beef that’s traditionally used in Bibimbap.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with Bibimbap, it’s a Korean rice bowl that consist of thinly sliced steak, fried eggs, and pickled veggies. The bowls can vary depending on where you order them, but almost always they consist of rice, meat, and pickled veggies.
Today I am sharing a healthier vegan version, and no joke, it’s possibly one of my favorite “bowl” recipes I have created. It’s not very traditional, but it’s made with Korean flavors, healthy, colorful, and so good!
Let me break this bowl down.
For my base, I use farro, which I am having a major obsession with right now. It’s my new favorite grain. You can use brown rice, quinoa, barley, or regular white rice too, all will work.
Next comes the tofu, which is tossed in a little Korean sauce, then baked to crisp perfection. As mentioned, I’ve never been much of a tofu person, but this tofu? It’s exceptional, and it’s all thanks to the sauce…the sauce is the best. And the secret to this sauce? Gochujang, a Korean chili paste. You can find it on Amazon here.
The rest of the bowl is a mix of roasted and pickled veggies, fried eggs (of course), and avocado (not even close to traditional, but my bowls have to have an avocado).
There is for sure a lot going on in this bowl, and it takes a little time to prepare, but it still can be made in under an hour, and all on one sheet pan (with the exception of frying up that egg). If you have some cooked grains on hand, maybe from Sunday meal prep, then things go even faster (meaning, cook up a bunch a grains on Sunday for easy Bibimbap during the week).
Speaking of meal prep, this is the PERFECT recipe to prep on Sunday, just make the tofu and veggies, cook your grains, put everything in containers and add an egg before serving…meal prep done and done!
I know all of my family is really looking forward to trying all the noodle dishes Korea has to offer, but me? I’m super exited about the Bibimbap and can’t wait to compare my very American version with their very traditional version. Should be fun!
Until then, this bowl literally brings brightness to my life these days, I love it.
Also, if you’re looking for a meatier version of this recipe, check out the Half Baked Harvest cookbook. I have a similar recipe in the book, but instead of tofu I used steak and sweet potatoes. There is also a really freaking amazing spicy tomatillo sauce that goes with that bowl…so good!
Superfood Bibimbap with Crispy Tofu
Servings: 4 servings
Calories Per Serving: 682 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 block organic extra firm tofu
- 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce or tamari
- 1-2 tablespoons Gochujang (Korean chili paste)
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 1 inch fresh ginger, grated
- 2 cloves garlic, grated
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup broccoli
- 1 cup shiitake mushrooms, sliced or torn
- 1 bunch curly kale, roughly torn
- juice from 1 lime
- kosher salt
- 2 cups cooked barley, farro, or quinoa
- 4 fried eggs
- 1 avocado, sliced
- 1 cup fresh or pickled carrots and radishes
- toasted sesame seeds, for sprinkling
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.2. Press the tofu with paper towels to remove as much water as possible. Slice into 1/4 inch thick slices and add to a gallon size ziplock bag. 3. In a small bowl, combine the 2 tablespoon water, the soy sauce, Gochujang, sesame oil, ginger, and garlic. Add half the sauce to the tofu bag (reserve the remaining for serving), tossing gently to combine. Let sit 5-10 minutes. Remove the tofu from the sauce and place in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Transfer to the oven and bake 10 minutes. Flip and bake another 10-15 minutes, until the tofu is crisp.4. Meanwhile, toss the broccoli and mushrooms with 1 tablespoon oil and a pinch of salt. During the last 10-15 minutes of cooking, add the veggies to the pan with the tofu.5. In a bowl, massage the kale with the remaining 1 tablespoons olive oil, lime juice, and a pinch of salt. 6. To serve, divide the grains among bowls. Add the tofu, kale, broccoli, mushrooms, fried egg, avocado, carrots, and radishes. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve with the reserved sauce. Enjoy!
All the bowls, with all the colors…my favorite!
Sorry, but we found this to be almost inedibly salty. Even the low-sodium Tamari or soy is still a very high amount of daily sodium per person.
Hey Tori,
Thanks for giving the recipe a try, sorry to hear it was not enjoyed. xTieghan
Yummm! I’ve been put on a Mediterranean diet by my doctor and looking for new healthy but tasty recipes. This really hits the spot!
Thanks so much! So glad you enjoyed this recipe. xTieghan
It’s not vegan.
She never said it was???
I would suggest making crispy rice which is how its traditionally served. That’s the best part. I use brown rice and sesame oil and let it sit in a skillet undisturbed until crispy. Great recipe. 🙂
Thanks for the recommendation Cheyenne!! xTieghan
So so good. This was definitely my favorite tofu I’ve ever made at home! It was so flavorful and had great texture. It never got crisp for me (cooked it for 30 total minutes at 400), but it was still really delicious. I have already sent this to all my friends and will be making again soon. It is a fun meal to switch things up. Thanks for a great recipe!
Hey Katelyn,
Thanks so much for trying out this recipe, I am thrilled that you liked it! I hope you have a great week:) xTieghan
This looked so good I had to try it ! Trying it now 🙂
Hope you love it Joni!
Super flavorful and pretty simple! Loved this recipe
Thank you so much Grace! xTieghan
Made this tonight and it was very good! I didn’t use the pickled vegetables but other than that, made as directed. Great complex flavors and worth the prep. Will make it again.
Thank you Stephen! So happy to hear that! xTieghan
This was amazing! I was worried it would just look pretty but no it was great! Used avacado mixed with lime juice for avacado and Seeds of Change Wuinoa and brown rice that was microwaveable so that helped. Prepping ahead next time but yum!!!
Thank you!! I am so happy to hear that! xTieghan
This is a horribly written recipe, glad I’m somewhat competent when it comes to cooking things, I managed to make a really great meal. Instructions could be much clearer on what is going on, steps 1-3 were great, everything made sense. Then it seemed like you gave up and rushed through the rest. Great recipe idea, poorly constructed explanation.
Hi Paige! I am glad you this recipe turned out so amazing for you! Thank you for trying it. I will try to work on the explanation. xTieghan
It looks interesting, but it isn’t vegan as it contains eggs.
Hi Jenny! I am so glad you like this. Feel free to leave the eggs out, or even use vegan eggs! I hope you try it!
This has become my go-to weekday lunch. The tofu and veggies are super tasty and the recipe is perfect for meal prep.
Thank you so much Sarah! I am so glad you have been loving this recipe!
Super delicious recipe!! We love it! Our family is very diverse: one has a tree nut allergy, one is a vegan, one won’t eat what a vegan eats, the other one puts arugula on everything. That being said, I am constantly looking for a recipe where I can have “add-ins” so we can eat together and have it look like we are all sharing the same meal. Your recipes have been perfect for us.
The one comment I have is that tofu is tricky. The tofu in this recipe did not get crispy in the oven. It was still tasty, but not that incredible crispy texture that Korean restaurants can do so famously. I experimented again with leaving the tofu layered n paper towel with a cookie sheet on top of it and then a textbook on top of that to squeeze as much water out as possible. This took ~6 hours. I then dredged the tofu in cornstarch and did a flash fry in canola oil on the cooktop. Them I dredged the fried tofu in your sauce and baked it. It was very crispy and creamy in the center. The entire experience was worth it, but a pain in the butt at the same time. Thanks, Tieghan and CONGRATS to Red! What an incredible performance!! So Proud!
I am so happy you loved this! Thank you so much! We are so proud of Red, it still feels unreal!
Made this for dinner last night with farro. Dee-lish! Thank you so much’
Thank you! I am so happy you enjoyed this Betty!
Oh wow! I love korean food and this bowl looks so good.
Thank you Maëva!
Ohh I love this take on bibimbap! I was in Korea last year: the food is delicious. I loved kimchi so much I started making my own at home. When eating at a restaurant, you get unlimited sides, which usually means unlimited kimchi, salad, and soup. They won’t tell you this, you just need to ask. Enjoy your trip!
Ooo what a great tip! Thank you Andrea, I am so excited!