market bibimbap and doenjang soup

after a long relaxing holiday weekend, i’m ready to enjoy this beautiful fall weather browsing the open air markets for my next bibimbap. here’s the recipe for last week’s bowl, served ‘round Mama’s Table at SPACE.

MARKET BIBIMBAP

a serving of brown rice 

(I also like to mix brown rice with a little black, red, and white for a beautiful bowl of colorful grains)

a handful of purple cabbage, very thinly sliced

fresh soft tofu - 순두부 (best served warm, fresh from the market)

a handful of seasonal greens (I used green leaf lettuce), roughly chopped

a handful of chives, roughly chopped 

a sprinkle of sunflower (or pumpkin) seeds, lightly toasted

toasted sesame oil

sea salt

for the dressing, combine the following in a small bowl…

a splash of soy sauce

a splash of brown rice vinegar

a splash of sesame oil

a clove of finely minced garlic

a green onion, finely minced

a sprinkle of red chili powder

cook rice and keep warm.

in a small bowl, massage the thinly sliced purple cabbage with a sprinkle of salt and just a bit of vinegar. use your hands to break down the cabbage and release its water causing it to soften. it will turn beautifully bright pink. set aside.

if necessary, heat the soft tofu just a bit to warm it.

toast the sunflower seeds in a dry pan over medium heat until golden in color. remove from heat.

scoop warm rice into a serving bowl. layer with massaged cabbage, fresh greens, tofu and chives. sprinkle with the toasted seeds and a few spoonfuls of dressing. finish with a drizzle of sesame oil for deep umami flavor.

for the doenjang soup…

2-3 thumb-sized pieces of dried kelp (다시마), rinsed well

a few spoons of doenjang paste (miso also works)

seasonal greens (I used mallow - 아욱), washed well and roughly chopped

a splash of soy sauce

boil a pot of water with the kelp while preparing other ingredients (about 20 minutes).

lower the heat to a simmer and ladle a spoonful of hot kelp stock into a small bowl and add the doenjang paste, mixing until smooth. return to the pot and stir. if you prefer a saltier broth, add another spoon of doenjang, mixing in a separate bowl first before adding to the pot.

when the broth is to your taste, toss in the greens and simmer for just a minute until wilted.

remove from heat and stir in a splash of soy sauce to round out the flavor.

serve with market bibimbap or have a soothing cup of doenjang soup to start your morning.