**This is a sponsored post featuring Cremini Mushrooms by Giorgio available at select Costcos nationwide
Bibimbap is a tasty Korean rice dish, meaning “mixed rice”, that mixes rice with different toppings like vegetables, beef, and a spicy sauce. It’s great for using up leftovers and can be made in many ways.
Today, we’re making a special version with Cremini mushrooms from Giorgio that you can find at Costco. These mushrooms add a nice, meaty taste to the dish.
Why Cremini Mushrooms are Great:
Adding mushrooms is a fantastic way to boost your dishes with extra nutrients and antioxidants. Cremini mushrooms, in particular, are my go-to for their meaty texture and deep flavor. They’re perfect for making your bibimbap vegetarian without losing that satisfying, umami-rich profile. Plus, they’re a great source of fiber!
Ingredients for a Tasty Bibimbap:
- Rice (cooked)
- Eggs (fried sunny side up)
- Cho-gochujang sauce (spicy sauce, store-bought or homemade)
- Oil (for cooking veggies)
- Sesame oil and sesame seeds (for extra flavor)
For the Bulgogi (Korean Beef):
- Thinly sliced rib eye beef
- A small onion
- A couple of green onions
- Garlic
- Brown sugar
- Apple sauce (a quick trick instead of blending pear or apple)
- Soy sauce
- Sesame oil
- Mirin (a sweet cooking wine)
- Honey
- A pinch of black pepper
Veggie Toppings:
- Cremini mushrooms (these are tasty and meaty)
- Carrots
- Baby spinach (you can use frozen for an easy option)
- A little more garlic
For the Cho-gochujang Sauce:
- Gochujang (a red pepper paste)
- Soy sauce
- Toasted sesame oil
- Honey or agave syrup
- Rice wine vinegar
- A garlic clove
- A green onion
- Water (to thin the sauce)
Making It All Come Together (Steps):
Prepare the Bulgogi: Mix the beef with all the bulgogi ingredients, then throw in the onions. Let this sit while you get the veggies ready.
Cook Your Veggies: Heat some oil and cook the carrots till they’re softer. Add a bit of garlic and sesame oil for flavor. Do the same with the spinach – cook it until it’s wilted, then add garlic and sesame oil. For the mushrooms, cook them up until they’re nice and dark, then mix in some soy sauce and sugar.
Cook the Beef: Now cook the beef in the pan until it’s all browned up.
Assemble Your Bibimbap: Put some rice in a bowl. Arrange the veggies and beef around it, then top with a fried egg. Drizzle some sesame oil over it and add a spoonful of the spicy sauce.
Serve It Up: Add some sesame seeds on top for the final touch. Mix it all up and enjoy your homemade bibimbap!
Making It Vegetarian:
For a vegetarian option, simply skip the beef bulgogi and double up on those delicious Giorgio’s Cremini Mushrooms. They pack enough flavor and texture to make the dish hearty and satisfying without the meat.
Happy Cooking!
Making bibimbap is a simple way to enjoy a delicious and nutritious meal any night of the week. You can easily switch up the toppings based on what you have, making it a new experience every time. Enjoy making your own bibimbap bowl!
Bibimbap
Ingredients
- 4 servings cooked rice
- 4 eggs fried sunny side up
- Cho-gochujang sauce you can use store-bought or make your own using this recipe
- neutral oil for cooking vegetables
- toasted sesame oil and sesame seeds to garnish
Simple Bulgogi
- 1 lb thinly sliced rib eye
- 1 small onion thinly sliced
- 2 green onions chopped into 1 inch strips
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 single serving container of apple sauce
- 4 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tbsp mirin
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Mushroom Topping
- 2 cup sliced mushrooms
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1/2 tbsp sugar
Carrot Topping
- 2 cup carrots chopped into matchsticks
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp minced garlic
Spinach Topping
- 8 oz baby spinach
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp sesame oil
Cho-gochujang Sauce
- 1/2 cup red pepper paste available at Asian markets and labeled "Gochujang"
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1.5 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 3 tbsp honey or agave syrup
- 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 1 garlic clove grated or 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 green onion thinly sliced
- water one tbsp at a time to thin out the sauce
Instructions
Make the bulgogi beef
- Add ingredients for bulgogi into a bowl (beef, garlic, soy sauce, brown sugar, mirin, honey, black pepper, apple sauce) and mix until the beef slices are evenly coated with the sauce. Add sliced onions and green onions and mix. Set aside to marinate while you cook the vegetable toppings.
Cook the toppings
- In a heated pan, add about a tablespoon of neutral oil and saute carrots until softened (about 4-5 minutes). Add garlic, sesame oil, and salt and mix until the garlic has cooked (about 1 minute). Transfer to a large platter.
- Do the same thing with the spinach. Add a tablespoon of oil to a heated pan and saute spinach until it wilts down (about 1-2 min). Add garlic, sesame oil, and salt and mix until the garlic has cooked (about 1 minute). Transfer to a large platter.
- To the same pan, add mushrooms and saute without oil. Once mushrooms are darkened and cooked down, add soy sauce and sugar. Mix to ensure mushrooms are coated in the sauce then transfer to a large platter.
- Next add the bulgogi to the pan and cook until the meat is no longer red. Transfer to a plate.
Assemble the bibimbap
- Scoop a serving of rice to the center of a wide bowl. Add the vegetable toppings (about ¼ cup of each) around the rice, then place a sunny side egg over the rice. Drizzle with sesame oil and add desired amount of cho-gochujang (I recommend starting with 1 tbsp if this is your first time).
- Garnish with sesame seeds and serve immediately.
