Bring something out of the ordinary to grilling season! These spicy Korean-inspired vegan bowls are made with bulgogi tofu, sautéed spinach, and kimchi on brown rice.
A few years ago, I became a little obsessed with Korean cuisine. It all started when I visited Franchia in New York City and morphed into a kimchi habit that had me going through a jar a week.
While I was looking for more ways to include kimchi into my regular meals, I happened upon a non-vegan bulgogi recipe that David Lebovitz shared. His recipe was adapted from Koreatown: A Cookbook.
What is bulgogi?
In Korean, bulgogi literally means “fire meat.” It’s typically made with beef that has been marinated in a spicy sweet marinade and then cooked on a grill.
I decided to take some of those bulgogi flavors and use them on tofu instead. It is a blank slate that beautifully soaks up the tastes of gochujang, tamari, and toasted sesame oil.
Then I popped it onto my outdoor grill, and served it in bowls with brown rice, sautéed spinach, and kimchi.
Vegan kimchi
Kimchi is similar to sauerkraut in that they both include fermented cabbage. But kimchi takes things up a notch with spices and other fermented vegetables, garlic, and chili peppers.
Some kimchi brands use fish sauce. So you’ll want to read the ingredient list before buying.
However, I haven’t had any problems finding kimchi that is vegan. My go-to brands are Sunja’s and Gold Mine.
What is gochujang?
One of the bulgogi marinade ingredients is gochujang. If you’re not familiar with gochujang, it’s a fermented hot pepper paste that’s made with red chili, glutinous rice, and soybeans.
The taste and thick, sticky consistency is reminiscent of what would happen if miso paste and Sriracha fell in love.
A jar of gochujang lasts a long time in the refrigerator. You can find it in tubs in any Korean grocery store or in jar-form in Whole Foods in the Asian section. (This is the brand I’m currently using.)
How to make this recipe
Start by cutting 10 ounces of vacuum-packed super firm tofu into ½ inch slices.
(I use Trader Joe’s high protein tofu. Wildwood also makes a vacuum-packed tofu.)
If you don’t have vacuum packed tofu, you can use water-packed instead. Just press it from a 14-ounce package.
(Need more info? Check out this post on how to press tofu.)
The difference in ounces is because of the water you’ll lose once you press it out to make the tofu firmer & ready to pick up the flavors of this marinade.
Then put the tofu slices into a bulgogi marinade made with:
- Tamari
- Gochujang
- Agave syrup
- Brown rice vinegar
- Toasted sesame oil
- Granulated onion
- Ginger powder
- Minced garlic
- Black pepper
Let the it marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours. The longer it marinates, the more flavorful it will become. Aim for at least 8 hours.
Half way through the marinating time, flip the slices so that it’s evenly coated.
Once it’s fully marinated, it’s time to grill!
Bring the outdoor grill to 500 degrees. Grill the slices for two to three minutes on each side until nice dark grill marks form.
(Don’t move or flip the slices until you get those marks!)
To complete the meal, sauté garlic in oil. Once the garlic is fragrant, add baby spinach leaves to the skillet. Move the leaves across the pan until they are just wilted. Add salt to taste.
Serve the bulgogi tofu and spinach in bowls with brown rice and drained kimchi.
I like to give my spinach, rice, and kimchi a good stir before digging in, so that all of the flavors are combined.
Make it your own
- Serve it with kimchi fried rice.
- Use it in a tofu sandwich with kimchi & avocado.
- Serve it in a lettuce wrap with kimchi.
- Add it to a rice or noodle stir-fry.
- Top your favorite salad with it for an extra punch of protein.
- Instead of spinach, serve this bowl with sesame kale.
Bulgogi Tofu Bowls
Ingredients
For bulgogi tofu
- ¼ cup tamari
- 1 Tablespoon gochujang
- 1 Tablespoon agave syrup
- 1 teaspoon brown rice vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon granulated onion
- ½ teaspoon ginger powder
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- Grind black pepper
- 10 ounces super firm tofu in vacuum packaging, cut in ½ inch slices*
- Oil for grill grate if necessary
For bowls
- ½ teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 6 ounces baby spinach leaves
- Salt to taste
- 1 cup cooked brown rice
- ½ cup kimchi drained
Instructions
To make bulgogi tofu
- In a shallow glass baking dish, combine tamari, gochujang, agave syrup, brown rice vinegar, toasted sesame oil, granulated onion, ginger powder, minced garlic, and a grind of black pepper.
- Place the slices of tofu in the marinade, and then flip them so that both sides are coated. Marinate tofu slices for at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours. Flip the tofu again halfway through for even marinating.
- After the tofu has marinated, heat the outdoor grill to 500 degrees.** If necessary, lightly oil grill grate. Grill tofu slices on grill for two to three minutes on each side until brown grill marks form.
To make bowls
- Bring a non-stick skillet to a medium heat and add extra virgin olive oil. Sauté garlic in oil. Once the garlic is fragrant, add the baby spinach leaves to the skillet. Move the leaves across the pan until they are just wilted. Add salt to taste.
- Put a half cup of brown rice into two bowls. Divide the sautéed spinach between the two bowls. Top the rice with ¼ cup of kimchi each. Place 2 slices of tofu in each bowl, and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Reader feedback:
Here’s what Kathy had to say about this vegan bulgogi:
“This is probably the most delicious tofu I’ve ever tasted. Other than the time spent marinating, it comes together very quickly. I actually let mine marinate anywhere from overnight to up to 48 hours! Then I grill it in my grill pan and have to stop myself from eating the entire block of tofu. I will always, always have all these ingredients on hand so that I can make it on a regular basis.”
Originally posted April 2016. Content & photos updated July 2019.
Dianne
This looks so good! I don’t have nearly enough Korean food in my life!
Cadry
Thanks, Dianne! I can’t wait to try Hangawi the next time I’m in NYC. Maybe you can be my date. 🙂
Becky Striepe
Oh my gosh, Cadry! This looks amazing!!
Cadry
Thanks, Becky! Got to love those grill marks! 😀
Little Vegan Bear
Yum, these look fab! I have also been eating more Korean food lately, though I haven’t really tried my hand at cooking it myself, just eating out – in fact I had a tofu bulgogi dish last time I had Korean! I am also trying to include more fermented foods in my diet – I still have a big golden turmeric sauerkraut I made in the fridge but have not had a crack at kim chi for a while, perhaps I’ll make a batch this weekend 🙂
Cadry
That’s great! Fermented foods are so good for you. I’ve never tried to make my own kimchi. I’ll be interested to hear how it goes for you!
Amey
This sounds so good, I am going to make it. I’ve still never even tried Kimchi. I really don’t know much about Korean food. But those tofus look great, and I have some Guochugang in my cupboard. Fun! I’ll report back.
Cadry
Awesome! I can’t wait to hear what you think. You could try the kimchi from your friends at Farmhouse Culture sometime. I’ve never tried theirs! 🙂
Amey
We just had it for dinner and it was SO good. In fact, Musty is still eating his seconds. So quick and easy to throw together. I marinated my tofus all day so they were super flavorful. I think Musty left a few so I can have more for lunch tomorrow. Thanks for sharing a great recipe, we loved it! The kimchi I bought is super spicy, so we used it sparingly. I’ll try the Farmhouse Culture one next time. <3
Cadry
Yay!! I’m so happy to hear that you and Musty both loved it! The kimchi I have been using is Sunja’s, and it’s on the mild side. So that’s another option. Thanks for making my recipe! 🙂
Susan
This looks amazing. I don’t eat a lot of Korean food because it always seems like it would be spicy, and I don’t do spicy. I need to make my own kimchi sometime so I can make it nice and mild.
Cadry
Thanks, Susan! The kimchi that I’ve been eating, Sunja’s, is pretty mild. Maybe you’d like that one if you don’t get around to making your own.
Kittee Bee
Gojujang contains gluten and sugar and it makes me want to cry! I love it so much.
Your tofooos are beautiful, we would be good friends if we had the chance.
xo
kittee
Cadry
Aw, that’s such a bummer! I didn’t realize that it has gluten in it. My tofu would have liked to be friends with you too. xo
Tracey
Yum! Where do you get your kimchi? Is there a particular brand you like?
Cadry
Thanks, Tracey! I buy it at my regular natural grocery store. They sell 3 different vegan & raw kimchi brands there, actually! The one that I buy and have been loving is Sunja’s.
Tracey
ok, thanks!!!
Kristina
we LOVE gochujang! I know Jason and I will both love this – cannot wait to try!
Cadry
That’s great! I hope you and Jason enjoy it!
Jess
Ummm, well since this bowl is all about kimchi and I can’t seem to get enough of it, I’m all over this! Might just have to go grab a bite of it from the fridge to tide me over until I can get out and look for gochujang later today…
Cadry
Ha! I’ve totally snacked on kimchi or sauerkraut, and I don’t even have pregnancy as an excuse! Good luck with the gochujang search. 🙂
Mary Ellen @ VNutrition
Ooh this looks delicious! I am very into kimchi as well and go through a jar every week or so. I didn’t realize how much I liked Korean food until visiting Franchia too. Since then I’ve been looking for vegan Korean recipes. Can’t wait to try this!
Cadry
Oh, wow! Franchia is making fans of Korean food right and left. 🙂 The next time I’m in NYC, it will be a must, and I can’t wait to try their other restaurant, Hangawi. Terry Hope Romero has a bibimbap recipe in Vegan Eats World that you might enjoy as well. I’m eager to buy a stone bowl at some point, so that I can have a true bibimbap/stone bowl experience at home. 🙂
Kris
Pickle it I will eat it. Make it hot and spicy, even better. This recipe needs to happen in my kitchen sooner rather than later. Although, after seeing the Strawberry rhubarb pie at Modern Love tonight I may be making a road trip there first : } Oh yes us poor vegans suffering from lack of good eats.
Cadry
I feel the same way about pickled foods. I can’t get enough. Let me know if you make the bulgogi tofu! I totally understand if it needs to take a back-burner, though, while you travel to Modern Love. Strawberry rhubarb pie is a very worthy distraction. 🙂
Kathy
This is probably the most delicious tofu I’ve ever tasted. Other than the time spent marinating, it comes together very quickly. I actually let mine marinate anywhere from overnight to up to 48 hours! Then I grill it in my grill pan and have to stop myself from eating the entire block of tofu. I will always, always have all these ingredients on hand so that I can make it on a regular basis. The gochujang can be found at Whole Foods, or online of course.
Cadry
I am so thrilled to hear that you loved this tofu, Kathy! Thanks for the glowing review. You made my day.