Photos by Rikki Snyder
Bibimbap! Have you heard of it? You will love it!
What exactly is bibimbap? It’s a traditional Korean dish which translates to “mixed rice” (bibi = mixed, bap = rice). A variety of sautéed, raw, and pickled vegetables are served on top of white rice with a raw or over-easy egg and sliced meat. I took the Make it Meatless vegetarian approach to this bibimbap recipe by substituting roasted sweet potato slices for the meat. Sweet potatoes for meat? Does that sound like a strange substitution? I assure you, it works! The sweet potatoes are filling, flavorful, and add life to the meal.
One of my favorite parts about this dish is how much variety goes into the bowl. You can pick and choose your favorite vegetables, and create a combination of raw and cooked vegetables with a tasty sauce. I went with sautéed shiitake mushrooms and sweet potatoes, which I served with raw shredded carrot, eggs, pickled cucumbers (I used store-bought, but I've linked to a recipe in the ingredient list if you can't find them!), kimchi, and a gingery chili garlic sauce drizzled over everything.
These bowls are so flavorful and satisfying that it took only a split second to realize they would be a staple in my household.
Ingredients
For the Sauce:
- ½ cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 green onions thinly sliced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 2 tsp garlic chili sauce
- 1 tsp fresh grated ginger
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
For the Mushrooms:
- 1 tbsp light sesame oil or any other neutral-flavored oil with a high smoke point
- 6 oz shiitake mushrooms thinly sliced (discard stems)
- 1 tbsp sauce
For the Fried Eggs:
- 1 tbsp light sesame oil or any other neutral-flavored oil with a high smoke point
- 4 eggs
For the Bowl:
- 4 cups cooked brown rice
- 1 large roasted sweet potato sliced
- sesame seeds
- kimchi
- grated carrots
- pickled cucumbers
- mung bean sprouts
Instructions
To Prepare the Sauce:
- Whisk all of the ingredients for the sauce together in a small bowl. Set aside.
To Cook the Mushrooms:
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook until the liquid is released and then evaporated, about 5 minutes, stirring often.
- Stir in 1 tablespoon of the prepared sauce and cook about 1 minute more, until absorbed. Transfer the mushrooms to a bowl and wipe out the pan.
To Fry the Eggs:
- Heat the oil over medium heat in the same skillet you cooked the mushrooms in.
- Once the oil is heated, crack the eggs into the pan. (There should be room for all 4 if your skillet is large enough; if not, cook them in batches.) Let the eggs cook until set, then remove from heat. (You can flip the eggs and cook them on both sides if you're not a runny yolk fan!)
To Assemble the Bowls:
- Divide the rice into 4 bowls.
- Top the rice with sweet potato slices, mushrooms, and one egg. Let everyone add the remaining ingredients to their liking; serve with sauce.
Melissa @ Nourish By Melissa says
I've only had bibimbap once but I remember it being extremely good! I also adore sweet potatoes so I'm sure I'll love this variation 🙂
Julia Mueller says
There's something about a bowl full of sauteed veggies over rice that really does the body good 🙂 The sweet potato adds so much character to the meal - hope you try it!
Kare Troughton says
This looks SO good! Where oh where has bibimbap been in my life?! I need to try this immediately!
Julia Mueller says
YES, you'll love it, Kare!! Now that I've bibimbaped, it's pretty much all I want to do for dinner. Cheers to many, many bibimbaps to come 😉
Daniela @ FoodrecipesHQ says
I had my first bibimbap yesterday evening! I am so glad you shared this recipe, I liked it very much and wanted to make it at home. Sweet potato makes it even more nutritious!
Julia Mueller says
Awesome! Welcome to the wonderful world of bibimbap! It's definitely a cinch to make and the sweet potato version is delicious! 😀
Lindsey @ American Heritage Cooking says
Is it bad that I kind of want to make it purely because of the name? How can a dish with a name that will make you giggle, not be delicious?! Beautiful photos too!
Julia Mueller says
Haha! I was intrigued by the name, too. I'm still not entirely sure I know how to pronounce it correctly, but I certainly have fun with both the name and the eating it part.
Lindsey @ American Heritage Cooking says
Phew glad I'm not the only one! And I'm sure I'm saying all wrong!
Cara's Healthy Cravings says
I live for bibimbap! Really, I could eat it everyday...I think I did when I lived in Korea.
And don't worry, the pronunciation is phonetic, so you are right on track! 🙂
I have yet to try sweet potato in my many variations, but one can never go wrong with sweet potato.
One of my fav variations is mixed mushroom bibimbap...A whole bunch of fun mushrooms sautéed, and of course topped with the requisite fried egg.
Julia Mueller says
Ooh I can see a mushroom medley being amazing in bibimbap. I'll have to try that idea! Let me know how you end up liking the sweet potato version 🙂
Cara's Healthy Cravings says
I live for bibimbap! Really, I could eat it everyday...I think I did when I lived in Korea.
And don't worry, the pronunciation is phonetic, so you are right on track! 🙂
I have yet to try sweet potato in my many variations, but one can never go wrong with sweet potato.
One of my fav variations is mixed mushroom bibimbap...A whole bunch of fun mushrooms sautéed, and of course topped with the requisite fried egg.
Judit & Corina @Wine Dine Daily says
Beautiful photos Julia! Thanks to you, we are intrigued as well with this delicious Bibimbap! Love all the ingredients and together looks like a very flavorful dish or Bibimbap... 🙂
Julia Mueller says
So glad you ladies like the recipe. Thanks for the thoughtful compliment on the photos, but I actually didn't take them - Rikki Snyder did. She's an amazing and talented photographer, indeed! Hope you try the bibimbap and thanks so much for your feedback!
Meg@ Beard and Bonnet says
OMG!!!! I want this like right now. Holy cow, Julia this sounds and looks amazing:)
Julia Mueller says
Wahoo! Thanks, Meg! I'm definitely going to make another round of it this week. Come on over, sister! 😉
Joanne says
Who needs meat when there are sweet potatoes in this world! That is my new life motto. Love this!
mjskit says
I love bibimbap and how versatile it is. I've made it many times with just things I had in the fridge; however, I've never made it with sweet potatoes. What a great idea and what a lovely dish. Great pictures!
Grace @ FoodFitnessFreshAir says
I love Bimibap! It's a go-to of mine here in Philly when I go out to eat. I wish my local spot had a sweet potato option!!
Denise Carlin says
Hi,
I love your blog and your recipes. You didn't mention if the rice and sweet potato were hot?? Is this a breakfast dish. I can see that it would easily work for lunch or dinner too.
Thank you,
Denise
Julia Mueller says
Hi Denise. Yes, Bibimbap is served hot and I typically eat it for dinner although I have to admit, I'd never be opposed to eating it for breakfast 😉 Let me know if you have any more questions and thanks for your interest in the recipe.