Vegan Bulgogi

By Alex Castroverde

While I’ve been pescatarian for the last five years, I often found myself cheating when it came to indulging in the savory wonders of Korean BBQ or bulgogi.  However, now, I’ve committed fully to vegetarianism, relinquishing my love for KBBQ. Yet, I often miss eating bulgogi, so to curb my cravings, I have created a recipe that enables you to indulge in bulgogi sans meat.  Combining my mom’s marvelous marinade with my very own twist, this recipe is bound to be a hit! 

Photo by Ryan Kwok on Unsplash

Ingredients: 

1 lb of shiitake mushrooms

1 carrot

1 green onion

2 tbsp of white sugar

1 onion

2 chopped garlic 

1 tbsp of sesame oil 

1 tbsp of honey

½ of a pear

½ cup of soy sauce

Directions: 

1. Peel skin off of carrots, ginger, and pear. Julienne all three (cut into matchstick shapes) and place in a bowl.

2. Peel and dice onion. Start by cutting the top off the onion, keeping the roots intact. Cut the onion in half (roots to tip). Then, cut the onion against the grain and place it in the bowl.

3. Peel and mince the garlic. Place the garlic in the bowl. 

4. Add all the remaining ingredients (including mushrooms) into the bowl and mix. 

5. On a hot skillet, add the marinated ingredients and cook them at medium heat. To know when everything is cooked, scrape the spatula along the bottom of the pan. If the liquids slowly moving back to its original shape, they are ready.

6. The vegan bulgogi is ready. Eat with rice or a wrap with red lettuce leaves, garlic, gochujang, and kimchi.  

Photo by Alex Castroverde