Vegan Kimbap (Vegan friendly Korean sushi roll) recipe - My Eclectic Bites (2024)

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Vegan Kimbap (Vegan friendly Korean sushi roll) recipe - My Eclectic Bites (1)

I have a very exciting vegan recipe for you today!! Don't be crinkling your nose at the word "Vegan"!! I promise you that this amazing vegan Kimbap (vegan Korean sushi roll) will impress your taste buds and whoever you decide to share this deliciousness! Let's get started!

So this is not a sushi roll. Sushi actually means "vinegar rice" in Japanese but most of us picture maki roll. Yes, the California roll that everyone loves is type of Maki (it means "roll" in Japanese). Kimbap is a Korean version of maki roll. Korean adapted this recipe from Japan and altered it to accommodate Korean's taste. It's savory and there is ZERO raw fish or vinegar involved!

There are two ingredients that may not be familiar to you. They are seaweed paper (a.k.a nori) and Korean pickled radish/turnip. As sushi is gaining great popularity among people, most of grocery store now carry seaweed paper at their international section but you may have to make a trip to Asian market for Korean pickled radish. Below is the type of seaweed paper and pickled radish that I use. I'm not saying you must use these for the recipe but I just wanted to give you guys an idea what they look like 🙂

Vegan Kimbap (Vegan friendly Korean sushi roll) recipe - My Eclectic Bites (2)
Vegan Kimbap (Vegan friendly Korean sushi roll) recipe - My Eclectic Bites (3)

As many of Asian dishes, this dish take some preparation of each ingredient in the beginning but it is so very worth it! Trust me!!

Vegan Kimbap (Vegan friendly Korean sushi roll) recipe - My Eclectic Bites (4)

I blenched and seasoned the baby spinach, quick stir fried the carrot, and cut the radish into thin strips. I also seasoned the rice with salt and sesame oil. The nutty and savory smell of sesame oil is going to fill your kitchen instantly!

Vegan Kimbap (Vegan friendly Korean sushi roll) recipe - My Eclectic Bites (5)

What I did for this recipe is I made many small rolls that are bite size. But if you are not comfortable at making rolls just yet, go ahead and make a big one like above. Don't worry about cutting the seaweed paper into four and make a tiny one. Once you are comfortable with rolling, then graduate to making mini size ones! 😉

Vegan Kimbap (Vegan friendly Korean sushi roll) recipe - My Eclectic Bites (6)

I've been rolling these stuff (Korean sushi roll) for a while so I went ahead and made small bite size rolls. I really love how cute these rolls are. I just could not resist although making small one is double the work!

Why don't you give this vegan Korean kimbap a try for your next meatless Monday?!! Your family will love you and so will your taste buds!!

Happy eating, my friends!

Vegan Kimbap (Vegan friendly Korean sushi roll) recipe - My Eclectic Bites (7)

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Vegan Kimbap (Vegan friendly Korean sushi roll)

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This delicious and flavorful vegan kimbap (Vegan-friendly Korean roll) is going to be your family's favorite vegan/vegetarian dish!

  • Author: Georgie
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
  • Category: Main course
  • Method: Assemble
  • Cuisine: Korean
  • Diet: Vegan

Ingredients

Scale

  • 4 cups cooked sushi rice
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 5 seaweed papers
  • 1 bag baby spinach
  • ⅓ teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons sesame oil
  • 3 small carrots, cut into match sticks
  • 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • Korean pickled radish (Dan-mu-ji)
  • Sesame oil (for brushing the roll at the end, optional)

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, mix together cooked sushi rice, 1 tablespoon of sesame oil, and ½ teaspoon of salt. Set it aside.
  2. Boil water for blanching spinach. Prepare an ice bath and set it aside.
  3. Once the water comes to a boil, add the entire bag of spinach.
  4. Stir to make sure all the leaves are submerged in boiling water and wilted, about a minute.
  5. As soon as all the spinach leaves are wilted, drain and submerge them in an ice bath to stop the cooking process for spinach.
  6. Squeeze all the water out of spinach and place them in a bowl. Season with ⅓ teaspoon of salt and 2 teaspoons of sesame oil. Use your hand to mix. Set aside.
  7. In a medium non-stick skillet, add 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil and stir fry the carrots. Season with ½ teaspoon of salt. Cook the carrot until it is bright orange, about 2-3 minutes. Set it aside.
  8. Cut the Korean pickled radish into thin strips. Set them aside.
  9. Cut the seaweed paper into 4 squares. Lay the seaweed on the board. One side of the seaweed paper is rough and the other side is shiny. Place the shiny side down. Add a small amount of rice and evenly spread them leaving half an inch on top.
  10. On top of the spread rice, place seasoned spinach, cooked carrots, and pickled radish on top.
  11. Grabbing the end of seaweed paper that’s near you, put it over the fillings, and carefully roll. You can brush the seaweed with a little bit of water to secure the roll. The water will act as glue. Place the seam side down and repeat until you use up all the ingredients.
  12. Brush the roll at the end with some sesame oil. This is optional but recommended This will help the kimbap not dry out and makes it more appetizing.

Keywords: vegan kimbap, mini kimbap


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Vegan Kimbap (Vegan friendly Korean sushi roll) recipe - My Eclectic Bites (2024)

FAQs

What's the difference between sushi roll and gimbap? ›

Sushi usually features raw fish, seafood, vegetables and rice seasoned with sushi vinegar. The name 'sushi' refers to this vinegared rice. Whereas, kimbap rice is seasoned with sesame oil and doesn't contain raw fish. Instead, kimbap fillings include meats like grilled bulgogi, or cheese, kimchi, ham and eggs.

What is gimbap in Korea? ›

Gimbap (Korean: 김밥; lit. Gim rice; IPA: [kim.p͈ap̚]), also romanized as kimbap, is a Korean dish made from cooked rice, vegetables, fish, and meat rolled in gim—dried sheets of seaweed—and served in bite-sized slices. The origins of gimbap are debated.

What is veg kimbap made of? ›

Arrange 2 tablespoons of spinach, a few carrots, cucumbers and bell peppers across the center of the rice. Roll the sushi mat up and away from you, using your fingers to hold the vegetables in place as you roll the nori. Pull the mat forward, rolling the nori and rice around the filling. Continue rolling until sealed.

Is gimbap not sushi? ›

Origins: Kimbap is a Korean rice roll while sushi is a Japanese rice roll with its true origins in China. Ingredients: Kimbap is stuffed with cooked meats and pickled vegetables. Sushi is usually filled with raw seafood and vegetables and is often topped with roe.

Is kimbap healthy? ›

Kimbap is packed with a variety of fresh vegetables, making it a jam-packed source of vitamins, minerals, protein, and fiber. With carbs from the rice, protein from the meat, egg, and seaweed, and vitamins from the veggies, kimbap offers a well-rounded meal.

Is kimbap Korean or Japanese? ›

That could explain why Korean food has recently become so popular in the United States and other countries. And one of the most popular dishes in Korea at the moment is Kimbap, which is a mixture of ingredients wrapped in seaweed and rice.

What's the difference between kimbap and gimbap? ›

Sometimes referred to as Kimbap, Gimbap translates literally to 'seaweed rice' as the two main ingredients in the roll are the seaweed wrapper and the short-grain rice. One of the large flavor differences between sushi and gimbap is the use of sesame oil instead of sushi vinegar in the rice.

Do you eat kimbap hot or cold? ›

Kimbap should be eaten fresh or at room temperature; refrigerating it makes the rice hard. If you want to prepare kimbap the night before and refrigerate it to eat the next day, the best way to heat it is by frying: dip the whole (uncut) rolls in beaten egg, then dredge in panko (Japanese bread crumbs, sold in bags).

What's the difference between bibimbap and gimbap? ›

Kimbap and bibimbap are both Korean dishes featuring rice. Kimbap consists of sesame-flavored rice and fillings like meat, veggies, egg, and cheese wrapped up in nori. It has a similar appearance to a sushi roll. Bibimbap is a bowl dish of hot rice, toppings like bulgogi and vegetables, and egg.

What is kimbap called in English? ›

Rolled kimbap photo by Grace Lee. Kimbap translates to seaweed (“kim”) rice (“bap”), and it is decidedly not “Korean sushi,” as some may describe it. Yes, it's technically rice wrapped in seaweed with fillings, but the comparison stops there.

Which came first, kimbap or sushi? ›

The Japanese claim that Korean sushi recipes did not emerge until the early 20th century when Japan annexed Korea. It is said that the people of Korea were fond of Japanese sushi creations and found ways to make the recipe their own by incorporating Korean ingredients and cooking techniques to make kimbap.

Is kimchi vegetarian? ›

Is kimchi vegetarian? Not always. According to the 2022 iteration of the Codex Alimentarius international food standards, kimchi is vegetarian in that it's simply “prepared with Chinese cabbage as a predominant ingredient and other vegetables which have been trimmed, cut, salted and seasoned before fermentation”.

What is bibimbap in English? ›

The word bibimbap means stirred or mixed rice. It is served as a bowl of rice with more ingredients on it. These ingredients can include some vegetables (spinach, herbs, potherb, and gosari). Beef or seafood can be added too.

What is the most popular kimbap? ›

Tuna kimbap and bulgogi kimbap are the popular variations. You can stick to classic fillings like pickled radish, imitation crab, ham, braised burdock root, egg, carrot, fishcake, and cucumber. Or, get creative and use whatever ingredients you have in your kitchen for a modern twist.

Do you dip kimbap in anything? ›

Then, brush some sesame oil on the surface of the kimbap to give it extra flavor and give it a shiny appearance. To make the special dipping sauce, combine all the ingredients for the sauce: 1 Tbsp soy sauce, 1 Tbsp water, 1 tsp vinegar, 1 tsp yellow mustard, and 1 tsp Sugar.

What's the difference between kimbap and California roll? ›

One of the biggest differences between sushi rolls and kimbap is that the latter does not use wasabi. Also, the accompaniment of pickled ginger as a palate cleanser with sushi is substituted with kimchi in the Korean version.

What is the difference between kimbap and gimbap? ›

Gimpab and kimbap are two different spellings of the same dish. “Gim” (also spelled “kim”) in Korean is the term for “edible seaweed,” while “bap” means “rice.” Gimbap is a seaweed rice roll full of cooked protein and vegetables. Kimbap is also a seaweed rice roll full of cooked protein and vegetables.

What's the difference between sushi and Korean sushi? ›

The main difference is that Japanese sushi uses sushi rice, which is mixed with rice vinegar, sugar and salt, while Korean Sushi rice is seasoned only with salt and sesame oil.

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