This vegan kimbap has all the tastes and flavors of the traditional ones! These rolls are stuffed with seasoned rice, colorful veggies, and marinated tofu. You can have them on their own or serve them with other Korean mains!

If you love Korean food, this vegan kimbap is a must-try! They are packed with different flavors and textures and are incredibly flavorsome and hearty. They transport well too and are great for stuffing lunchboxes.
Although this dish takes a bit more effort, the result is worth it! But no worries, this dish is still reasonably easy to make, and once you get the hang of it, you will be whipping up batches of kimbap in no time.
💚Why you will love this recipe
- A meatless meal that your whole family will love - Even meat eaters will be impressed by this dish! It is irresistibly yum and tasty and will be enjoyed by both adults and kids alike.
- Transport well - These bite-sized vegan kimbap are great as an on-the-go meal. They are also perfect as a road-trip snack or picnic food.
- Nutritious and wholesome - These rolls are stuffed with colorful veggies and are a delicious way to get in your 5-A-day.
- Customizable - You can fill vegan kimbap with whatever you fancy! Try switching up the veg and protein source to keep things interesting. A list of variations is provided in the post below, so read on!
🤔What is kimbap
Kimbap, also known as gimbap, is a popular Korean dish consisting of seasoned short-grain rice and fillings wrapped in a thin nori sheet. Some common fillings for gimbap include bulgogi beef, vegetables like cucumber, carrot, and spinach, and pickled radish (danmuji).
To veganize this dish, we will be using tofu to replace the beef.
Difference between kimbap and sushi
Although kimbap and sushi consist of short-grain rice wrapped with nori, they are vastly different. Kimbap originated from Korea, while sushi is of Japanese origin for starters.
Rice to make sushi is seasoned with salt, sugar, and vinegar, while kimbap rice is seasoned with sesame oil and salt.
The filling of sushi and kimbap also differ significantly. The former is usually filled with raw fish or vegetables, while the latter is filled with cooked veggies, meat, and pickled vegetables.
🍚What you will need
For tofu
For kimbap rice
Rest of the ingredients
📃Ingredients notes and substitution
- Tofu - Use extra-firm tofu that has been drained and pressed beforehand. You can press tofu either using a tofu press or by stacking something heavy on top. If you are unsure on how to press it, I recommend checking out this guide on how to press tofu.
- Rice - I recommend using short-grain rice, be it white or brown. Freshly cooked rice works the best. Heat rice slightly in the microwave before adding the seasonings if using leftover or cold ones.
- Pickled radish - Also known as danmuji or takuan.
- You can find them in some larger groceries or Korean/Asian markets. They are usually in the refrigerated aisle. I typically purchase my danmuji online.
- You can opt to buy whole or pre-sliced ones.
- Feel free to omit it if you can’t find it.
- Nori sheets - They are available in most Korean and Asian markets. You might also find them in groceries, usually in the international/Korean food aisle. I buy my nori online through Amazon.
🔪How to make
Here is a quick rundown of the steps involved in making vegetable kimbap. As usual, the full recipe will be in the recipe card below.
Prepping individual components
Start by marinating tofu for 30 mins to an hour.
In the meantime, mix salt and sesame oil into the rice while rice is still warm. Set aside.
Heat some oil in a pan. Saute carrot for 4-5 minutes, or until it has softened slightly. Repeat the same for the cucumber.
Bring a pot of water to a boil, and prepare a bowl of cold water. Blanch your spinach, then place it immediately into the cold water. Drain well and gently squeeze out excess water.
Mix in toasted sesame oil and salt into the cooked spinach. Stir to mix, then set aside for later use.
Once the tofu is done marinating, pan fry them for 3-4 minutes, then flip and cook for another 3-4 minutes on the other side, or until both sides are nicely browned.
Assembly the rolls
Place a sheet of nori on the bamboo mat. (shiny side facing down)
Spread out ¾ cup of rice onto the seaweed, leaving 2 inches gap uncovered on the side facing away from you.
Layer up carrot, cucumber, spinach, and pickled radish about 1 inch away from the side facing you.
Roll the bottom edge over the filling while simultaneously tucking filling in to keep them in place. Continue to roll it up tightly while gently applying pressure until kimbap is sealed.
Brush some toasted sesame oil on your rice rolls.
Using a sharp knife, slice kimbap into bite-sized pieces. Serve vegan kimbap immediately, or keep it in an air-tight container if you are serving it later in the day.
✔Helpful tips
- Mix in salt and toasted sesame oil while rice is still warm. Heat it slightly using the microwave before mixing in seasonings if your rice has cooled completely.
- If you do not have a sushi mat, simply roll your kimbap tightly, while gently applying pressure with your hands to make sure that everything is tucked in nicely.
- Use wet hands while handling the rice as it tends to be quite sticky. I like keeping a small bowl of water beside me while rolling my gimbap.
- Do not overstuff your vegan kimbap. If you find that you are having a hard time wrapping them, the chances are that you had added too much filling.
- Use a sharp knife to slice your vegetable kimbap.
- Gimbap are best served fresh. If you plan to leave it for the next day, leave them unsliced, and refrigerate them in an airtight container to prevent them from drying out.
🥒Other filling ideas
Here are some other filling ideas for your vegetable kimbap. Feel free to swap or add in any ingredient below that sounds good to you!
- Vegan omelette
- Veggies - zucchini, bell peppers, kimchi
- Braised burdock root
- Vegan chickpea tuna
- Dippings - soy sauce, gochujang sauce, teriyaki sauce
❔Commonly asked questions
This vegan kimbap is best served fresh but will last a couple of hours at room temperature. Make sure to store them in an airtight container to prevent them from drying out.
If you plan to enjoy them the next day, leave them unsliced, and place them in an airtight container before refrigerating. Reheat them in the microwave before enjoying them.
Kimbap is usually enjoyed at room temperature, but you can also heat them slightly if you prefer them to be warm. As rice turns hard upon refrigerating, I would not recommend eating them cold.
Gimbap is most commonly enjoyed as it is without any dippings or sides. However, you can pair them with dipping sauces like soy sauce or gochujang sauce if you like. Veggies like pickled radish and kimchi also pair beautifully with this dish.
🍽More vegan Korean recipes
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📖 Recipe
Vegetable Vegan Kimbap (Gimbap)
Equipment
- non-stick pan or well seasoned cast-iron pan
- saucepan or pot
- bamboo sushi mat
Ingredients
Tofu
- 1 14oz block extra firm tofu drained, pressed, and sliced*
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari/shoyu (use gluten-free if needed)
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
Rice
- 2 ½ cups short-grain rice white or brown, freshly cooked**
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt or to taste
Vegetables
- 1 carrot julienned
- 1 English cucumber julienned
- 4 strips pickled radish danmuji
- 3.5 oz baby spinach
- 3 teaspoons sesame oil divided
- salt to taste
Rest of the ingredients
- 4 strips pickled radish danmuji
- 4 sheets nori
- sesame oil for brushing
Instructions
Prepping ingredients
- Combine all seasonings needed for tofu.2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 teaspoons maple syrup, 2 teaspoons sesame oil, 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Place sliced tofu in a large plate, and pour in the marinade. Toss until tofu slices are well coated. Let them marinate for 30 minutes to an hour.1 14oz block extra firm tofu
- In the meantime, mix salt and sesame oil into the rice while rice is still warm. Set aside.2 teaspoons sesame oil, 2 ½ cups short-grain rice, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Heat 2 teaspoons of neutral tasting oil in a pan. Saute carrot for 4-5 minutes, or until it has softened slightly. Add in sesame oil and salt to taste.
- Repeat the same for the cucumber.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil, and prepare a bowl of cold water. Blanch your spinach, then place it immediately into the cold water. Drain well and gently squeeze out excess water.
- Mix in sesame oil and salt into the cooked spinach. Stir to mix, then set aside for later use.
- Heat up 2 teaspoons of oil in a non-stick pan over medium high heat. Place tofu in one layer, and cook them for 5-6 minutes, flipping them halfway through.
Assembly the rolls
- Place a sheet of nori on the bamboo mat. (shiny side facing down)
- Spread out ¾ cup of rice onto the seaweed, leaving 2 inches gap uncovered on the side facing away from you.
- Layer up carrot, cucumber, spinach,tofu, and pickled radish about 1 inch away from the side facing you.
- Roll the bottom edge over the filling while simultaneously tucking filling in to keep them in place.
- Continue to roll it up tightly while gently applying pressure until kimbap is sealed. If you have trouble sealing it, damp the uncovered end of seaweed with your fingers.
- Brush on some sesame oil into your rice rolls. Using a sharp knife, slice them into bite-sized pieces before serving.
Notes
- Simply follow the wrapping instruction even if you do not have a bamboo sushi mat.
- Use wet hands while handling the rice as it tends to be quite sticky. I like keeping a small bowl of water beside me while rolling my gimbap.
- Do not overstuff your rice rolls. If you find that you are having a hard time wrapping them, the chances are that you had added too much filling.
- Use a sharp knife to slice your vegetable kimbap.
- Gimbap are best served fresh. If you plan to leave it for the next day, leave them unsliced, and refrigerate them in an airtight container to prevent them from drying out. When ready to enjoy, simply heat it up in the microwave at 10 seconds intervals.
Nutrition
Nutrition info calculated is just a rough estimate and is provided as a courtesy. Bear in mind that value will vary based on variables like specific brand or type of product used. To obtain the most accurate representation, it is highly recommended that you calculate it on your own with the actual amount and type of ingredient used.
CAROL McCollum
Sounds yummy!! So, am I correct that this makes 4 rolls, and a serving is one roll? Sodium per serving (one roll??) is 889mg. That's more than twice my meal allotment! If I omit the salt & use low sodium soy sauce or tamari, will this still be wonderful?
Meesha
Yes, it will still taste really good. 😁
Valerie
Just checking that the tofu gets rolled into the kimbap rolls along with the veggies. (I didn't see it in the instructions, so I thought I should ask!)
Meesha
Oh sorry! Thanks for pointing that out, I am going to change it now.😅