Vegan Sriracha ‘Meatballs’ with Noodles and Grilled Vegetables
Bibimbap Bowls
Photo: Liz Andrew/Styling: Erin McDowell
Raise your hand if you love a hearty grain bowl. (Same.) But sometimes even we reach our quinoa limit. Shake things up with these bibimbap bowls, which are nourishing, satisfying and easy to assemble.
Bibimbap (which translates to “mixed rice”) is a Korean rice dish piled high with toppings like sautéed vegetables, kimchi, gochujang and egg. You can think of this version as an ode to the traditional meal—we swapped the meat and egg for mushrooms to make it vegan, but kept the crunchy, spicy veggies and irresistible flavor profile. Pass the soy sauce, please.
Ingredients
Sauce
¼ cup gochujang
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1½ tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
Bowls
2 cups brown rice
1 tablespoon sesame oil, divided
3 cups sliced shiitake mushrooms
2 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
5 ounces baby spinach
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 cup bean sprouts
1 cup julienned cucumber
1 cup julienned carrots
1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced
¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves
Black and white sesame seeds, for serving
Directions
1. Make the Sauce: In a medium bowl, whisk together the gochujang, rice vinegar, honey, tamari and sesame oil. Set aside.
2. Make the Bowls: In a medium pot, cover the rice with 5 cups water. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cover the pot, reduce the heat to low and simmer until the rice is tender and the water is absorbed, 35 to 40 minutes. (Alternatively, cook the rice according to the package directions.)
3. While the rice cooks, heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Add ½ tablespoon of the sesame oil and the mushrooms. Cook the mushrooms until they’re tender and browned, 7 to 8 minutes. Add the tamari and cook until it is absorbed.
4. Transfer the mushrooms to a bowl. Add the spinach, garlic and remaining ½ tablespoon sesame oil to the skillet and sauté over medium heat until the spinach is wilted, about 4 minutes.
5. When the rice is done, stir in the rice vinegar. Serve the rice topped with the mushrooms, spinach, bean sprouts, cucumbers and carrots. Garnish generously with scallions, cilantro, sesame seeds and the prepared sauce.
Nutrition Facts
Sauce
73 calories
2g fat
11g carbs
3g protein
8g sugars
Bowls
440 calories
7g fat
85g carbs
12g protein
5g sugars