When I think of my favorite comfort foods, the vast majority of them are, shall we say, a bit wanting in the nutrition department. Dolsot bibimbap is the exception. Like mac and cheese or potato pancakes, this popular Korean dish has plenty of carbs – but it's also a well-balanced meal, with a rainbow of vegetables and protein crowning the bowl of hot, steaming rice.
In Korean, bibimbap means "mixed rice" – a dish composed of cooked rice and an assortment of vegetables (and often meat or tofu and an egg), all stirred together with a dollop of hot red pepper paste just before eating. It's a flavorsome and remarkably healthful medley of colors, textures, and flavors.

The best kind of bibimbap, in my opinion, is dolsot bibimbap, in which the ingredients are served in a heated dolsot, or stone pot. The heat from the pot makes the rice sizzle and turn crispy on the bottom. Here the egg can be added raw and it cooks as it's mixed into the hot bowl. Don't have a dolsot? No problem; it can also be made in a cast iron skillet. (And if you prefer not to use raw egg, you can fry the egg first, or omit it altogether.)
The toppings in this recipe are pretty basic and open to modification. Substitute bulgogi for the tofu if you eat meat; try mushrooms, radishes, zucchini, onions... Burdock and lotus roots are two of my favorite mix-ins but I wanted to keep this version fairly accessible. Just keep in mind that a variety of colors and textures will make this beautiful to look at and fun to eat. Bibimbap is also a great way to eat leftovers if you have little bits of various vegetables and grains in the fridge.
The one ingredient that I'd argue isn't really optional is gochujang, or red pepper paste. Made from chiles, rice, fermented soybeans, and salt (and frequently a sweetener), this thick, deep red condiment is a staple in Korean kitchens. It gives the bibimbap a spicy, umami, and slightly sweet flavor. If you don't have access to a Korean market, you can find gochujang online at HMart. (I've seen bibimbap recipes that use Sriracha instead of gochujang and although it might be tasty, it is not the same.)
1/2 cucumber, julienned
Salt
8 ounces firm tofu
Toasted sesame oil
1 large carrot, julienned
1 cup soybean sprouts
5 cups spinach leaves
Toasted sesame seeds
4 cups cooked rice
1 egg
1/2 sheet roasted seaweed (preferably Korean-style kim, but Japanese nori also works), cut into small strips with scissors
Gochujang (red pepper paste)
Cucumbers: Sprinkle cucumbers with salt and leave to drain in a colander for 20 minutes. Squeeze out excess water.
Tofu: Rinse and drain tofu. Cut into 1/2-inch thick slices and place between clean kitchen towels (or paper towels). Place a heavy object such as a skillet or cutting board on top to press out excess liquid. Let sit 15 minutes. Heat a tablespoon of sesame oil in a pan and fry tofu, turning once, until golden. Remove tofu from pan. When cool enough to handle, cut into strips.
Carrots: Heat a tablespoon of sesame oil in a pan. Add carrots and a pinch of salt and stir fry until cooked through. Remove from pan.
Soybean Sprouts: Blanch in a pot of salted boiling water, just until wilted. Plunge into ice water to stop cooking, then drain and squeeze out excess water. Mix in a small bowl with 1 teaspoon sesame oil, a pinch of salt, and a dash of sesame seeds.
Spinach: Blanch in a pot of salted boiling water, just until wilted and bright green. Plunge into ice water to stop cooking, then drain and squeeze out excess water. Mix in a small bowl with 1 teaspoon sesame oil, a pinch of salt, and a dash of sesame seeds.
To assemble: Place a dolsot or 10-inch cast iron skillet over medium heat. When it's good and hot, add a tablespoon of sesame oil and swirl to coat. Add the rice and pack it down evenly; it should sizzle at the bottom. Arrange the cucumber, tofu, carrot, soybean sprouts, and spinach on top. Cook for a few minutes until ingredients are heated through. Place the egg on top and garnish with sesame seeds and seaweed.
To serve: Bring the pot or pan to the table. (It's hot, so make sure to protect your hands and the table with a trivet!). Add a tablespoon of gochujang and a drizzle of sesame oil and mix well with a spoon. Divide into individual bowls. If desired, each diner can add more sesame oil and gochujang to taste.

Related: Recipe: Chap Chae (Korean Noodles With Vegetables)
(Images: Emily Ho)
Peeler by Normann C...

Comments (25)
I used to work at a Korean restaurant, and that place made me fall in LOVE with bibimbap. It's so easy to make and absolutely delicious. In our house, we top it with dried seaweed, a drizzle of sesame oil, and liberal amounts of Sriracha and Hoisin sauce. Om nom!
I recently started making this dish and my family is nuts for it. My first version was mostly raw thanks to some Ani Phyo cookbook guidance - but I can now adapt like crazy with whatever is in the fridge.
Sesame oil, YES! I'm sorry but you can NOT eat this with sriracha sauce!
Oh, this recipe makes my day. I can't wait to try it.
That looks DELICIOUS.
You can eat absolutely EVERYTHING with sriracha sauce! It's a staple in our house!!
This recipe looks so freakin good! great images too.
We eat ours with kimchi on top. So good. I'm craving it right now!
I love to order dolsot bibimbap when I'm out and I love making bibimbap at home but I never thought to use my cast iron skillet. Thank you, Emily! I'm totally doing this next time.
@asmallcontempt -- Yes, you should really go get some gochujang but I agree that in a pinch, sriracha and hoisin mixed together makes a totally tasty substitute. I've done that when I've run out of gochujang myself.
That's amazing, our food blog just posted a bibimbap recipe earlier this week! http://thegoodbowl.com/2012/01/23/bibimbap-by-heather-davenport/ Must be the need for comfort food! Nicely done.
Bibimbap reminds me of childhood, it's definitely my number 1 comfort meal. My mom says that the dolsot is a fancy restaurant thing and not (or wasn't when she grew up near Seoul) a home cooking thing...I love the crunchy rice, despite what she says ;)
Also, though I love Sriracha and all sorts of other chile sauces, but I really don't think there is a replacement for the gochujang.
gochujang is so worth it! lasts forever too...
Dolsot bibimbap is one of my favorite things to order out and also one of my favorites to cook, especially when I have a fridge full of bits of vegetables left over from other meals. I probably make it once a week, and I always keep a ziploc bag of sliced beef in bulgogi marinade in my freezer. I must admit, my recipe is a bit more low key. I used to julienne my carrots and zucchini to match what I saw in restaurants, but it's much faster just to chop into pieces, though less elegant. I typically saute zucchini, adding spinach and mushrooms to the pan after a few minutes. Then I cook bulgogi beef, followed by an egg. I add raw bell pepper and carrot right before serving. I prep bowls of rice in advance because this allows me to better control the amount of rice everyone wants. Going light on rice helps this to be an even healthier meal. I've been thinking of buying stone bowls, but a cast iron pan is an excellent idea, and probably more useful in my kitchen!
My local restaurant calls this gob dol bap and a cold version as bibimbap. What's the difference?
This looks tasty - like a desconstructed fried rice, and no need for the wok arm workout! I don't like raw egg white, so I would poach the egg.
The difference between gob dol bap and dolsot is the bowl itself.Gob dol is a crystallized stone that has white, grey and black in the coloring while dolsot is also a stone (sometimes clay) but is not that particular type of stone. I have two gob dol bowls from my mother's side and I have to admit they tend to hold heat longer and seems hotter than the Hmart regular stone/clay versions. But that just could be because I grew up them and have always thought they were special.
I have a question about the presentation. Should it be mixed up or should the ingredients be kept separate when serving?
JAIMEMARIEL about presentation, my mom had two versions. One that look like what you see in the photos and one she made for the family which was mixed up in the kitchen and slapped in a bowl to eat quickly before running off in a million different direction. However, if you spoke with my Grandmother, there are no options. It is presented with the various choices on top (pickled veggies, meat, egg, etc) because the person eating it can chose if to mix in all of it, or select things they do not like or moderate the heat (chogochujang)
This vegan thinks that comment was totally unnecessary.
Yum! In my home, whenever my mom would make it, she would throw whatever banchan together. I didn't actually have the dol sol version until a few years ago while teaching in Korea. As Korean food is my comfort food, I'm so excited to see people paying more attention to it, especially in mainstream media.
Bibimbap is our office staple when the boss springs for lunch!
Korean food is my favorite comfort food. In 1998, I worked at a Korean acupuncture school, and all the food served in the cafeteria was Korean. One of the Korean "interns" recommended bibimbap one day, and it was love at first sight. The banchan served at that school was amazaing and beats anything I've eaten at Korean restaurants, from L.A. to New York. Every time I even look at pictures of that dish it reminds me of the wonderfully kind people I met while working at that school, and my sweetheart, who was one of the Korean acupuncturists I met there.
I made this last night after exploring and bugging people at H-Mart. So easy to modify for what you have on hand :)
Delicious!! Thanks for the great veggie recipe!
I tried it with ingredients I could scramble together in my fridge and it turned out delish
http://fieldsprouts.com/2012/07/26/bibimbap-bliss/
Thanks for identifying the secret ingredient: gochujang. I always order this but could never get it right at home, and now I know why.