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| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 252 | calories |
| 8g | Fat |
| 42g | carbohydrates |
| 6g | protein |
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| nutritional information | |
|---|---|
| Servings: 4 | |
| amount per serving | |
| calories | 252 |
| % Daily Value* | |
| 8g | 10% |
| Saturated Fat 1g | 6% |
| 0mg | 0% |
| 567 mg | 25% |
| 42g | 15% |
| dietary fiber 4g | 13% |
| total sugar 6g | |
| 6g | |
| Vitamin C 17 mg | 85% |
| Calcium 48 mg | 4% |
| Iron 1 mg | 8th % |
| Potassium 577 mg | 12% |
| *The % Daily Value (DV) indicates how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories per day is used for general nutritional advice. | |
(Nutritional information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)
Bibimbap is probably one of the most famous Korean dishes in the world. What distinguishes this dish? Not only is it a Korean classic, it's delicious, beautifully colorful, and easy to customize for endless variations.
Bibimbap is a combination of the Korean words for mix (bibim) and rice (bap) and refers to the combination of rice with an assortment of vegetables. It is usually served with vegetable spoons laid out neatly on top of the rice and then mixed at the table. To eat, add a small amount of sesame oil and desired amount of gochujang to the finished bowl and mix with a spoon.
What are the ingredients for classic bibimbap?
Bibimbap is known for its versatility, but there are several classic ingredients. The dish typically consists of a mix of cooked vegetables, such as sautéed carrots and mushrooms, and seasoned vegetables (called namul in Korean) such as spinach and mung bean sprouts.
While adding meat is optional, both raw (the most traditional way of cooking) and cooked meat work well. Koreans usually eat this rice dish with some beef.
Which type of rice is best for bibimbap?
Korean cuisine usually uses medium or short grain rice. Medium-grain rice, also called Calrose rice, isn't quite as starchy as short-grain rice (which is used for sushi), but the two are often used interchangeably.
Gochujang, a versatile Korean pantry staple
Gochujang, a fermented chili paste, is a must-have ingredient in the Korean pantry. Here, a dollop of gochujang is added to the bibimbap before mixing, adding a nice touch of warmth to each spoonful of rice and veggies. Now that you have a tub in the fridge, you can use gochujang in one of these delicious recipes:
Click play to see how this classic Korean bibimbap recipe is put together
“Preparing the different vegetables takes time, but the resulting bowls of bibimbap are so colorful and delicious! There was a wonderful mix of textures and flavors, and you can add as much or as little gochujang as your palate can handle. I also cooked some marinated beef from my local Korean market and a fried egg to make it an even more filling meal.” —Patty Lee
2 cups medium-grain Koreanor Japanese rice
1 large Cucumbercut into thin strips
1 1/2 cups mung bean sprouts
1 teaspoon Saltshared, more as needed
4 teaspoon sesame oilshared, more as needed
2 dashes Sesame seedsdivided
1 Pound spinach
2 Middle carrotscut into thin strips
10 Shiitake mushroomsrehydrated when dried, sliced
1 Middle zucchinicut into thin strips
1/2 pounds cooked beefOptional
Fried eggs or medium-boiled eggsOptional
gochuyangor red pepper paste to serve
Gather the ingredients.
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Cook the rice in the rice cooker or on the stove.
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Place the cucumbers in a colander over a bowl and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Mix with your hands and let stand for about 20 minutes. Rinse under running water and then drain.
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Bring a medium-sized saucepan of water to a boil. Add the mung beans and blanch for 30-60 seconds until slightly wilted at the tips but still crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and place in a small bowl.
Allow to cool until safe to handle, then gently squeeze out excess water over the sink. Season bean sprouts with 2 teaspoons sesame oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a pinch of sesame seeds.
The Spruce / Cara Cormack
Bring the water in the pot back to a boil and add the spinach in handfuls. Cook for 1-2 minutes until the spinach has wilted. Remove with a slotted spoon and place in a medium bowl.
Let cool until spinach is safe to handle, then squeeze spinach over sink with excess water. Season with the remaining 2 teaspoons sesame oil, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and the remaining sesame seeds.
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Put a dash of oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Fry the carrots with a pinch of salt for about 2 minutes until soft but still crispy. Remove from the pan and set aside.
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Then sauté the mushrooms with a pinch of salt and add more oil if needed. Cook until tender and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.
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Put a splash of oil in the pan. Fry the courgettes with a pinch of salt for about 4 minutes until tender.
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Place the cooked rice in a large bowl and arrange the vegetables on top.
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Beef, egg or both can be placed in the center if desired.
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Serve each serving with small bowls of gochujang and sesame oil.
The Spruce / Cara Cormack
recipe variations
- There are 6 veggies in this recipe, but you can make this with just 3 or 4 veggies, or whatever you have in your fridge right now.
- Replace the white rice with brown rice if needed.
- You can also top bibimbap with just an egg fried sunny-side up. The reason this dish is so popular is that not only is it super tasty, but it's also utterly versatile.
