This vegetarian bibimbap bowl contains quinoa instead of regular rice. This is a delicious healthy dinner recipe that’s perfect for meatless Mondays!
Today’s recipe comes from a very dear friend of ours: Melissa from The Fake Martha, from her new book The Minimalist Kitchen! Do you know the people you hit it off with in minutes? It’s Melissa. She’s kind, hilarious, and an incredibly talented creator and cook. She also happens to live in Minneapolis, which is where I’m from. Every time we visit the house, we visit Melissa. She designed a perfect home there (The Fauxhouse) and I feel just as much at home as I do at home.
Melissa is a minimalist at heart, which is true for Alex and me. In fact, that’s what drew us to the kitchen first! When we first started in the kitchen, we were afraid of involvement. It was a minimalist mindset that convinced us that we could learn to cook without a lot of fancy gadgets, spices and know-how.
Related:The best recipes for gluten free dinners
What is minimalism?
So really, what is minimalism? Here’s what Melissa has to say:
“Minimalism is my natural inclination, but I’ve fought against it my whole life. It’s not popular to want less when the American dream is to have more. A minimalist lifestyle is characterized by living with less. I like to think that one lives efficiently and only keeps the bare essentials. In many ways it’s like yoga, a practice. It is an ongoing, active practice that manifests differently over time. In short, minimalism is the practical application of the idea that less is more.
What is a minimalist kitchen?
So what is a minimalist kitchen? Melissa says think of it as a capsule wardrobe. Once you cut down, you realize all the things you can do. You reduce so that you can do more. The 100 recipes in his book range from 3 to 20 ingredients and use the same handful of tools and ingredients but offer a wide variety of flavors. A well-stocked pantry, elegant tools, efficient techniques and maintenance lead to the minimalist kitchen.
Her book is beautifully written, with that down-to-earth Melissa charm that we love. In the introduction, Melissa offers a practical and in-depth look at managing a minimalist kitchen. The rest of the book explains how to implement these minimalist principles through 100 colorful and delicious recipes. A few that caught our eye: the ancho-ladas (enchiladas with ancho-chili sauce), the chilaquiles, and the pasta with quick vodka sauce. Although the book is not vegetarian, it contains many recipes that can or are modified, like this bowl of vegetarian bibimbap!
How to make this vegetarian bibimbap bowl
I’ve counted bibimbap among my all-time favorite foods ever since friends took us to an amazing Korean restaurant in town years ago. Bibimbap is a Korean rice bowl filled with pickled vegetables, spicy sauce and a runny egg, all mixed together for a delicious savory delight. My first vegetarian bibimbap was Bibimbap Dolsot, which is bibimbap prepared in a hot stone bowl. The bowl makes a layer of crispy rice on the bottom that is straight heavenly-A must try if you ever see it on a menu!
Making bibimbap at home that rivals the restaurant version is tricky, so this vegetarian quinoa bibimbap bowl is perfect for the minimalist kitchen. It’s an interpretation of the original flavors, using quinoa instead of rice. The original recipe uses beef, but we left it out here and opted for a vegetarian bibimbap bowl and added a little more quinoa to keep it filling. Gochujang sauce came handy in our fridge so we used it since it’s typically used in bibimbap sauce. Gochujang sauce is an amazing Korean condiment, and we love having some on hand to put on rice bowls.
Buy the book!
The Minimalist Kitchen isn’t just a cookbook, it’s a compelling ode to a minimalist lifestyle. Our warmest congratulations to Melissa on this masterpiece! Also: Hear Melissa on our podcast, Episode 9, Getting Minimalist in the Kitchen.
Get the book! Melissa Coleman’s minimalist kitchen
This vegetarian bibimbap recipe is…
This Vegetarian Bibimbap Bowl recipe is vegetarian and gluten-free.
The description
This vegetarian bibimbap bowl contains quinoa instead of regular rice. This is a delicious healthy dinner recipe that’s perfect for meatless Mondays!
For quick pickles
- ¾ cup the water
- ½ cup distilled white vinegar
- 2 teaspoons Sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup grated carrot and radish mixture
for the sauce
- 2 tablespoons Gochujang (or Chili Garlic Sauce)
- 2 teaspoons soy pasture
- 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons Honey
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
For the quinoa (or use our Instant Pot Quinoa)
- 3 cups the water
- 1½ cups raw quinoa
- 1½ tablespoons butter
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
For the green beans
- 8 ounces green beans (French green beans)
- Kosher salt for salting water
For the eggs
For garnish
- 1 Jalapeño, sliced
- 2 Spring onions, sliced
- Quickly prepare the pickled radishes and carrots: Bring the water to a boil in a small saucepan. In a pint-sized ball glass with measure or glass bowl, add vinegar, sugar, salt, and peppercorns. Add boiling water to the vinegar mixture. Stir until the salt and sugar have dissolved. Dip the carrots and radishes in the marinade solution and let sit for at least 30 minutes. This can be made up to 3 weeks in advance and stored covered in the fridge.
- In the meantime prepare the sauce: Mix all the ingredients for the sauce in a small bowl. Put aside. This can be done a day or two in advance.
- Prepare quinoa: Place all quinoa ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then cover, reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes or until water is absorbed. Fluff up the quinoa with a fork.
- Prepare the beans: Fill a medium saucepan two-thirds full with water; bring to a boil. add beans; salt the water generously. Boil 5 minutes. drain.
- Boil eggs: Heat a 10-inch non-stick skillet over medium-low heat. Once hot, add the oil. Crack the eggs into separate corners and pull in the egg whites with a silicone spatula. When the egg whites start bubbling, reduce the heat further or take the pan off the heat for a second. Cook for 1 minute, then pour oil into pan over egg whites until cooked. Carefully remove the eggs from the pan. Put aside.
- Assemble bowls: Divide the quinoa, beans, and eggs into 4 bowls. Spoon the pickles on top, including a generous dollop of the vinegar mixture. Drizzle with sauce and garnish with jalapeños and spring onions, if you like.
- Category: main course
- Method: Cook
- Kitchen: Korean inspired
Keywords: Bibimbap, Vegetarian Bibimbap, Bibimbap Bowl, Vegetarian, Gluten Free, Healthy, Quinoa, Gochujang
Looking for healthier bowls?
Aside from this vegetarian bibimbap bowl recipe, here are some of our favorite healthy bowl recipes:
Looking for more quinoa recipes?
We have lots of quinoa recipes on A Couple Cooks! Here are some of our favorite quinoa recipes:
