Korean Bibimbap Recipe for Gut Health

So why has bibimbap recipes become especially popular these days? “Bibimbap is comfort food, and everyone loves comfort food,” says Maggie Moon, MIND Diet Meals , Korean-American dietitian and brain health nutrition expert. “People are interested in flavors from around the world, and bibimbap is a beginner-friendly way to explore Korean cuisine.”

Bibimbap is also appealing for its practicality and convenience, as it can be made with any combination of leftover ingredients or staples from your pantry or fridge. So not only does it take your taste buds on a culinary journey of the Far East, it also allows you to put your own unique spin on the dish and help reduce food waste.

Read on to learn more about this nutritious, highly customizable Korean dish, then discover how to easily make it at home using Moon’s custom bibimbap recipe.

What is Bibimbap?

“Bibimbap is mixed rice,” Moon explains. Bap Bibimbap, which means “rice” in Korean, is a staple of Korean cuisine. “After rice, the next most popular ingredients are vegetables like spinach, bean sprouts, carrots and mushrooms, but I’ve also had bibimbap with zucchini, ferns and bellflower root,” she says. Next, a Korean sauce based on gochujang (a spicy fermented red pepper paste) is a must. With these basic ingredients in hand, your culinary adventure is pretty much up to you.

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“Bibimbap can be adapted from whatever leftovers you have in your fridge,” Moon continues, including adding whatever vegetables you have on hand and a variety of protein sources, both animal-based (meat and eggs) and vegan.

Health benefits of bibimbap

Because bibimbap contains a variety of vegetables and whole grains, you’re getting a variety of nutrients every time you make it. “Bibimbap is a great source of whole grains, and while any type of rice is fine, brown rice or multigrain rice are great for adding antioxidants and gut-healthy fiber to the dish,” says Moon.

Colorful vegetables also provide an easy way to eat vegetables in all colors of the rainbow (at least a few different shades) while still achieving the ultimate goal of eating 30 different vegetables per week, which is the ideal goal for a healthy gut microbiome, according to research from the American Gut Project. Unfortunately, only one in 10 American adults consumes the amount of vegetables recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But one serving of bibimbap can make a big difference in reaching those quotas, depending on how it’s prepared.

“The variety of colors means you’re getting a variety of polyphenol antioxidants that protect your body from harmful molecules, and research shows that diets high in anti-inflammatory polyphenols are associated with improved mental and cognitive health,” Moon explains.

If you’re an omnivore, adding a little meat can help you achieve the ideal ratio of plant-to-animal foods. “Bibimbap can have thinly sliced ​​lean ground beef or turkey as one of its toppings, and is usually cooked with garlic and scallions,” Moon explains. She also points out the benefits of adding eggs, which provide six grams of protein as well as the antioxidant lutein and memory-supporting choline.

5 Tips for Making Your Own Bibimbap Recipe

There are lots of ways to make your own bibimbap recipe at home, but we’ve included Moon’s recipe below, along with some tips to help you get started.

“This one-bowl balanced meal contains five of the 10 recommended brain-boosting MIND foods: more than 10 plants, including whole grains, green leafy vegetables, other vegetables, olive oil, and legumes,” she says, though she suggests adapting the recipe based on your own dietary preferences and what you have on hand.

1. Vary your vegetables

The ideal bibimbap bowl has at least three types of colorful vegetables sliced ​​into matchsticks or other small shapes, Moon says. “A simplified version of this recipe is [below] “In addition to rice and sauce, adding spinach, carrots, soy sprouts, mushrooms, and eggs makes it both tasty and nutritious,” says Moon. Other colorful veggies she suggests mixing in include chopped broccoli, matchstick peppers, and cucumbers.

2. Substitute plant proteins

It’s common to top bibimbap with an egg, and Moon uses it in his recipe, but he also suggests adding cooked black beans, soy sprouts, or seasoned tofu for extra plant-based protein.

3. Diversify your crops

You can use brown rice or multigrain rice to make your bowl, and Moon recommends using five-, seven-, or nine-grain blends, which are available at most Korean grocery stores.

4. Add more Korean flavor

Adding Korean staples, namely banchan (Korean side dishes) and other savory toppings to your bibimbap, whether you make it yourself or buy them, is a great way to enjoy Korean cuisine. For example, adding fermented foods such as kimchi (Korea’s national dish and lip-smacking flavor) to your bibimbap can double the gut-friendly benefits of fiber and probiotics.

5. Be particular about your tableware

Cooking bibimbap in a torso (stone bowl) gives the rice a nice golden brown on the bottom, which adds an extra bonus. “You can eat the golden brown rice as is, or pour hot water over it to make after-meal tea without wasting any of it,” Moon tells us.

Plant-Based Bibimbap Recipe

Serves 4

material

4 cups cooked brown rice (or whole grain rice)

For vegetables:
1 large carrot
8 ounces mung bean sprouts
1 tablespoon + 1.5 teaspoons sesame oil, divided
10 ounces spinach
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 cloves of garlic (minced, separated)
1 medium zucchini
8 ounces Shiitake mushrooms

For the jian (fermented paste):
1/3 cup gochujang
3 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon sesame seeds

For musaengchae (spicy radish salad):
5 ounces Jeju radish (or daikon)
2 teaspoons brown rice vinegar (or light vinegar)
1 teaspoon gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes) or crushed red pepper flakes
Minced garlic
Salt and pepper to taste

4 large eggs
Optional garnishes: green onions, sesame seeds, nori seaweed

1. Cooking rice: Cook rice on the stove or in a rice cooker according to package directions. For vegetables, fill a medium saucepan halfway with water and heat to boiling.
2. Prepare the produce: While the rice is cooking and the water is boiling, wash, dry and prepare the vegetables. Peel the radishes and peel or scrub the carrots. Julienne the zucchini, carrots and radishes. Place the zucchini in a fine colander lined with paper towels. After 10 minutes, squeeze out excess water and drain. Chop the mushrooms into 1/4 inch slices. Measure out all other ingredients.
3. Make Jean: Combine the gochujang, apple cider vinegar, sesame oil, and sesame seeds in a small bowl and set aside for at least 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Making Musenche: In a medium bowl, combine the Jeju daikon, brown rice vinegar, gochugaru, and half the minced garlic, and gently mix. Adjust the amount of chili flakes depending on your desired spiciness.
5. Boil the carrots and bean sprouts. Once the water is boiling, prepare the ice water by filling a large bowl with ice and water. Cook the carrots in the boiling water for 1 to 3 minutes or until just cooked through, then transfer to the ice water, stir for 30 seconds, and allow to cool. Set aside to dry. Squeeze out excess water and drain, then place in a small bowl with 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil. Season with salt.
6. Cook the sprouts in the same boiling water used for the carrots for 3 to 5 minutes until just cooked through. Transfer to ice water and repeat the remaining steps with the carrots.
7. Saute spinach, zucchini and mushrooms. Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the spinach and remaining half the minced garlic. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Sauté for 60 to 90 seconds or until wilted. Squeeze out excess water, cut into 2- to 3-inch pieces, mix with 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil and set aside.
8. In the same skillet as the spinach (add a little more olive oil if pan is dry), sauté the zucchini for 60 to 90 seconds or until just cooked through. Squeeze out any excess water and mix with ¼ teaspoon of sesame oil and set aside.
9. In the same frying pan used for the spinach and zucchini, heat ½ teaspoon of sesame oil until hot but not smoking. Add the mushrooms and season with salt. Fry until browned, about 3 to 5 minutes. Drain off excess water and set aside.
10. Plate the bibimbap. Divide the rice among 4 bowls. Arrange the spinach, carrots, mushrooms, zucchini, and bean sprouts, each one visible, like spokes of a wheel, from the center of the bowls outwards.
11. Cook the eggs: Heat a small amount of olive oil in a non-stick frying pan until hot but not smoking. Cook the fried eggs for 2-3 minutes or until the egg whites are set. Place a fried egg in each bowl. Garnish as desired. Serve.