Bibimbap is one of those dishes that can be very fancy with a glorious combination of beautifully prepared ingredients, or it can be a humble clean up hitter that consists of whatever you’ve got in your fridge. In many ways, bibimbap is the perfect go to meal for those who are quarantined at home or just want to eat simply.
Many think of bibimbap as a cool and trendy multi-color dish that they order at the their favorite Korean restaurant, but the meaning of bibimbap is the clue to why this is one of the simplest meals you can make at home. Bibim means mixed and bap means rice so technically, anything that is mixed with rice can qualify as bibimbap. Here are the basic building blocks:
ESSENTIAL: Short or Medium Grain Rice, 1 or 2 Vegetables, Gochujang, Sesame Oil
RECOMMENDED: Egg
OPTIONAL: Up to 6 Different Kinds of Vegetables, Meat
Start with a big helping of rice on the bottom of a large bowl, layer some sauteed or fresh vegetables attractively on the rice, and finish with a fried egg on top. All is mixed with gochujang and sesame oil and eaten as a one dish meal. That’s it!
Here are some ideas to get you started:
- SUPER EASY: Rice + Fresh Chopped Lettuce, Julienned Carrots, 2 Fried Eggs
- EASY: Rice + Sauteed Mushrooms, Fresh Spinach, Diced leftover steak
- CLASSIC: Rice + Spinach Banchan, Kongnamul Banchan, Gosari Banchan, Sauteed Zucchini, Sauteed Carrots, Bulgogi, Fried Egg
Mix together any of the above with gochujang and sesame oil and you have a great meal!
How To Videos
Sister Juney shows you how to make a simple bibimbop with a bunch of stir fried veggies and beef:
My Korean Kitchen uses a traditional combination of vegetables and meat with a premixed gochujang sauce.
Create your own version of bibimbap and make this a regular part of your eat-at-home rotation. ??