Bibim Grain Bowl. Completely inspired by a recent visit to Young Joni in Minneapolis, this grain bowl is filled with cooked farro, sautéed brussels sprouts, carrots, zucchini, shiitake mushrooms, pickled vegetables, julienned daikon, a sweet and spicy gochujang sauce and topped with a soft boiled egg!! This is so good!
A couple of weeks ago, I had the great honor and pleasure of teaching a kimchi making workshop at a Korean Immersion school, Sejong Academy, in Saint Paul, MN. I had such a great time meeting people and walking them through the kimchi making process. Earlier that morning, we actually prepped about 90 pounds of napa cabbage that day; certainly the most kimchi I have ever made in my life.
Everyone went home that day with some homemade kimchi that they mixed themselves and all the money we raised went to help send some students to Korea this May. I was so happy to contribute in some way.
While we were in Minneapolis, we checked out as many new restaurants as we could. The first being Young Joni, “Chef Ann Kim’s award-winning restaurant featuring wood fired pizzas, vegetables and globally-inspired dishes and a craft cocktail-focused back bar speakeasy.
A 2017 James Beard Best Chef Midwest semifinalist and 2018 nominee, Chef Ann Kim’s cooking is a reflection of American food as she sees America today—a continuing conversation between cultures, underpinned by a common enjoyment of quality ingredients cooked simply and served in ways that promote sharing and a sense of fun. The menu is wholly inspired by wood fired cooking, including a diverse array of globally influenced sharable small plates and signature wood fired pizzas.”
We literally tasted about 9-10 dishes on the menu, including a few of her pizzas. Everything was amazing. I especially loved the Umami Mama and the Korean BBQ pizza. We also tried the Grilled Confit Mushrooms, Cauliflower (which was freaking amazing) and the Bibim Grain Salad.
This salad was so good I knew I had to come home and attempt to re-create it. Young Joni’s Bibim Grain Salad is a play on Korean bibimbap, mixed rice with vegetables. Her salad, if I am remembering this correctly was mostly cold. Cold, but still so flavorful and delicious.
This is my Bibim Grain Bowl, using the same elements that were in the Bibim Grain salad: farro, brussels sprouts, zucchini, mushrooms, pickled vegetables, daikon, nori, mixed seeds, soft egg and a gochujang vinaigrette.
If you’re even in the twin cities, you simply must make a stop into Young Joni. You will not be disappointed!
Click here if you don’t know how to make a soft boiled egg.
- 2 cups thinly sliced cucumbers, carrots and radishes
- 1 cup white vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup water
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Heaping ½ cup granulated sugar
- Special Equipment suggested: Mason jar with lid
- 1 cup cooked farro
- thinly sliced brussels sprouts and carrots, sautéed and lightly seasoned with sesame oil
- 8 oz. thinly sliced shiitake mushrooms, sautéed and lightly seasoned with sesame oil
- julienned zucchini (raw)
- julienned daikon radish (raw)
- pickled vegetables
- thinly sliced nori
- fresh pea shoots
- 2 soft boiled eggs
- black roasted sesame seeds
- sesame oil
- 3 to 5 tablespoons Korean hot pepper paste (Gochujang)
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon brown rice vinegar
- Place thinly sliced vegetables into your mason jar.
- Heat the vinegar, water, salt and sugar in a small saucepan over high heat, whisking until all of the sugar is dissolved. Bring to a light boil and then pour over the vegetables, directly into the mason jar. Wait for a little bit and then seal the jar with the lid. Let sit for about 30 minutes. The pickled vegetables will keep for several weeks in the refrigerator in the covered, sealed mason jar.
- To assemble: scoop some cooked farro into your bowl and arrange the following over the top: the sautéed brussels sprouts and carrots, the cooked mushrooms, the pickled vegetables, the pea shoots, the julienned zucchini and daikon radish. Top with a soft boiled egg, lightly drizzle with some sesame oil, sprinkle on some black roasted sesame seeds and top with the gochujang vinaigrette. Mix together and enjoy!
- Mix together the hot pepper paste, honey, sesame oil and brown rice vinegar. Taste and adjust any ingredients as needed.
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