Vegan Bulgogi
Vegan Bulgogi is a vegan twist on traditional Korean BBQ beef with portobello mushrooms. Marinated in a sweet and spicy Bulgogi sauce, this vegan bulgogi recipe is delicious in a sandwich, served with rice, or on top of greens!
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds Large Portobello Mushrooms (6 large)
- 1 Asian Pear or Bartlett pear or apple
- ½ white onion diced
- 1 ½ Tablespoons maple syrup
- ½ inch fresh ginger
- ⅓ cup low sodium soy sauce
- 2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspon gochujang sauce
Kimchi Mayo
- ⅓ cup cashew mayo
- 2 Tablespoons kimchi squeeze out the kimchi, and chop
- 1 teaspoon gochujang sauce
Sandwich Ingredients
- 2 large ciabatta buns Cut lengthwise in half, or 4 small ciabatta buns, or bread of choice.
- 1 Roma tomato, sliced thin
- 1 head Little gem lettuce
- ½ cup pickled red onion or raw red onion dry on a paper towel to remove excess brine.
- 1 English cucumber sliced thin on an angle for long, thin slices
Instructions
Marinated Mushrooms
- Clean the portobello mushrooms by removing the stems and gills. I use a small spoon to scrape away the gills.
- Slice the mushrooms into thin slices (as thin as you can).
- In a blender, combine the garlic, ginger, onions, soy sauce, Asian pear (skin and all), rice vinegar, and maple syrup.
- Blend until smooth.
- Add all the thinly sliced mushrooms into a container or plastic/silicone bag.
- Pour all the marinade into the container with the mushrooms.
- Seal and toss the container around, coating the mushrooms with the marinade.
- Place into the refrigerator and allow to marinate overnight for the best results.
Kimchi Mayo
- Squeeze the kimchi to remove any excess liquid.
- Add the kimchi, cashew mayo, and gochujang sauce into a small cup blender, and blend until smooth.
- Place in a sealed container and refrigerate until ready to use.
Sandwich
- Slice the ciabatta rolls in half and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper of a silicone baking mat.
- Toast in the oven using the broiler for 3 minutes, until the bread is lightly toasted.
- Prepare the pickled red onions in advance, or slice raw red onions thin.
- Cut the tomatoes into thin slices.
- Remove the little gem lettuce leaves, cutting the bottom cores from the leaves.
Cooking the Bulgogi Mushrooms
- Heat a wok or large skillet on medium high.
- DO NOT dump the entire contents of the container of mushrooms.
- Instead, using tongs, remove the mushrooms, shaking away any excess marinade.
- Add all the mushrooms into the pan/wok, and cook until the marinade is gone and the mushrooms brown.
- If the mushrooms begin to stick, add a SMALL amount of marinade to release the stuck mushrooms.
- Cooking takes 5-7 minutes.
Making the Bulgogi Sandwich
- Spread each side of the toasted buns with vegan kimchi mayo.
- Add a generous portion of bulgogi mushrooms on one side of the bread.
- Add the lettuce, tomato slices, pickled red onions, and cilantro on the other side of the bread.
- Place the two sides of the sandwich together
Other Serving Options
- Skip the bread and use a lettuce wrap, collard green, or tortillas for Korean tacos.
- Instead of making a sandwich, serve the vegan bulgogi recipe with rice and add the toppings for the sandwich to make a bowl.