Korean Bibimbap Meal-Prep Bowls: Rice, Seasoned Vegetables and Beef with Gochujang Sauce

Whisk the gochujang, sesame oil, honey and rice vinegar into a smooth sauce; divide into 4 small lidded cups.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 3 cups cooked short-grain rice
• 8 oz lean ground beef
• 2 tbsp soy sauce plus 1 tsp for vegetables
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 6 oz fresh spinach
• 2 carrots, julienned
• 2 cups soybean sprouts
• 1 zucchini, julienned
• 6 shiitake mushrooms, sliced
• 4 eggs, fried or soft-boiled
• 3 tbsp gochujang, 1 tbsp sesame oil, 1 tbsp honey, 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• Toasted sesame seeds

Instructions

1. Whisk the gochujang, sesame oil, honey and rice vinegar into a smooth sauce; divide into 4 small lidded cups.
2. Brown the ground beef with the garlic, 2 tbsp soy sauce and brown sugar until caramelized, about 6 minutes.
3. Blanch the spinach and bean sprouts separately for 1 minute each, squeeze dry and season each with a drop of sesame oil, soy sauce and salt.
4. Sauté the carrots, then the zucchini, then the mushrooms, each for 2 to 3 minutes in a lightly oiled pan so the colors stay separate.
5. Divide the rice among 4 containers and arrange the vegetables and beef in neat sections on top, finishing with sesame seeds.
6. Fry or soft-boil the eggs; add them the same morning or pack soft-boiled eggs whole in the shell.
7. Refrigerate up to 4 days. Reheat 90 seconds, then stir in the sauce just before eating.
8. Bibimbap literally means mixed rice, and it began as a way to use up the banchan side dishes already on hand. Cooking each topping in one pan in quick succession makes it an ideal Sunday prep for a week of bright, balanced lunches.

Nutrition (estimated, per serving)

• Calories: 520 kcal
• Protein: 27g
• Fat: 16g
• Carbohydrates: 66g
• Fiber: 5g
• Sugar: 12g
• Sodium: 980mg