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Vegetable Bibimbap

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on October 16, 2019

Time

1½ hours, plus 30 minutes marinating

Yield

Serves 4

Vegetable Bibimbap

Ingredients

Pickled Vegetables

4 ounces (2 cups) bean sprouts 1 carrot, peeled and shredded1 cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, and sliced ¼ inch thick1 cup rice vinegar

Rice

2 cups short-grain white rice 2 cups water 2 teaspoons rice vinegar 1 teaspoon salt

Vegetables and Eggs

2 tablespoons vegetable oil 12 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced ½ inch thick3 garlic cloves, minced10 ounces (10 cups) baby spinach 2 tablespoons soy sauce 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil 1 tablespoons rice vinegar Salt and pepper 4 large eggs

Before You Begin

Grate the carrots on the large holes of a box grater. You can use either seasoned or unseasoned rice vinegar in this recipe. You can substitute sushi rice for the short-grain rice; if using medium- or long-grain rice, increase the amount of water to 3 cups and simmer until the grains are tender, 18 to 20 minutes, in step 2. For this recipe to be gluten-free, you must use gluten-free soy sauce or tamari.

Instructions

    for the pickled vegetables

  1. Combine all ingredients in bowl, pressing to submerge vegetables in vinegar. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours. Before serving, strain vegetables, discarding liquid.
  2. for the rice

  3. Bring rice, water, vinegar, and salt to boil in medium saucepan over high heat. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook until liquid has been absorbed, 7 to 9 minutes. Remove rice from heat and let sit, covered, until tender, about 15 minutes.
  4. for the vegetables and eggs

  5. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until they release their liquid, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in spinach, 1 handful at a time, and cook until wilted, about 3 minutes. Off heat, stir in soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, and vinegar, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to platter and tent loosely with aluminum foil.
  6. Crack eggs into 2 small bowls (2 eggs per bowl) and season with salt and pepper. Wipe out now-empty skillet with paper towels, add remaining 1 tablespoon oil, and heat over medium heat until shimmering. Working quickly, pour 1 bowl of eggs in 1 side of pan and second bowl of eggs in other side. Cover and cook until whites are set but yolks are still runny, 2 to 3 minutes.
  7. To serve, portion rice into bowls, top with vegetables and fried egg, and serve with pickled vegetables.
Vegetable Bibimbap
Photography by Keller + Keller. Styling by Catrine Kelty.

Vegetable Bibimbap

Headshot of America's Test Kitchen
By America's Test Kitchen
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Time

1½ hours, plus 30 minutes marinating

Yield

Serves 4

Ingredients

Pickled Vegetables

4 ounces (2 cups) bean sprouts
1 carrot, peeled and shredded
1 cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, and sliced ¼ inch thick
1 cup rice vinegar

Rice

2 cups short-grain white rice
2 cups water
2 teaspoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon salt

Vegetables and Eggs

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
12 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced ½ inch thick
3 garlic cloves, minced
10 ounces (10 cups) baby spinach
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoons rice vinegar
Salt and pepper
4 large eggs

Ingredients

Pickled Vegetables

4 ounces (2 cups) bean sprouts
1 carrot, peeled and shredded
1 cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, and sliced ¼ inch thick
1 cup rice vinegar

Rice

2 cups short-grain white rice
2 cups water
2 teaspoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon salt

Vegetables and Eggs

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
12 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced ½ inch thick
3 garlic cloves, minced
10 ounces (10 cups) baby spinach
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoons rice vinegar
Salt and pepper
4 large eggs

Ingredients

Pickled Vegetables

4 ounces (2 cups) bean sprouts
1 carrot, peeled and shredded
1 cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, and sliced ¼ inch thick
1 cup rice vinegar

Rice

2 cups short-grain white rice
2 cups water
2 teaspoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon salt

Vegetables and Eggs

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
12 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced ½ inch thick
3 garlic cloves, minced
10 ounces (10 cups) baby spinach
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoons rice vinegar
Salt and pepper
4 large eggs

Why This Recipe Works

A staple in Korean cuisine because of its versatility, bibimbap often features short-grain rice topped with sautéed vegetables, beef, and a fried egg. We swapped the beef for shiitake mushrooms flavored with soy sauce, garlic, and toasted sesame oil. Then we made a quick pickle of bibimbap toppings: Grated carrot, bean sprouts, and cucumber steeped in rice vinegar provided bright flavor and crunch. The final step was topping each bowl with a fried egg. We left the yolk runny so that it could be broken and stirred throughout the rice and vegetables, providing richness to the otherwise lean dish.

Before You Begin

Grate the carrots on the large holes of a box grater. You can use either seasoned or unseasoned rice vinegar in this recipe. You can substitute sushi rice for the short-grain rice; if using medium- or long-grain rice, increase the amount of water to 3 cups and simmer until the grains are tender, 18 to 20 minutes, in step 2. For this recipe to be gluten-free, you must use gluten-free soy sauce or tamari.

Instructions

    for the pickled vegetables

  1. Combine all ingredients in bowl, pressing to submerge vegetables in vinegar. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours. Before serving, strain vegetables, discarding liquid.
  2. for the rice

  3. Bring rice, water, vinegar, and salt to boil in medium saucepan over high heat. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook until liquid has been absorbed, 7 to 9 minutes. Remove rice from heat and let sit, covered, until tender, about 15 minutes.
  4. for the vegetables and eggs

  5. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until they release their liquid, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in spinach, 1 handful at a time, and cook until wilted, about 3 minutes. Off heat, stir in soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, and vinegar, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to platter and tent loosely with aluminum foil.
  6. Crack eggs into 2 small bowls (2 eggs per bowl) and season with salt and pepper. Wipe out now-empty skillet with paper towels, add remaining 1 tablespoon oil, and heat over medium heat until shimmering. Working quickly, pour 1 bowl of eggs in 1 side of pan and second bowl of eggs in other side. Cover and cook until whites are set but yolks are still runny, 2 to 3 minutes.
  7. To serve, portion rice into bowls, top with vegetables and fried egg, and serve with pickled vegetables.

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