Gyudon, a one pot dish and a Japanese fast-food classic. Cooked in a sweet soy broth, filled with tender onions, and fresh ginger. Usually packed with meat and loads of flavor, but in this case it’s vegan. Just because this dish is vegan, doesn’t mean it lacks on the protein. In fact, it’s packed with protein! (Who says vegans don’t get enough protein, am I right?) What’s great is that it only requires minimal prep and can be cooked in less than 30 minutes. Perfect for easy weeknight dinners! So, if you miss Japanese food as much as I do, then this recipe will be perfect for you.

What is gyudon?

Gyu=beef and Don is short for Donburi, which means rice bowl. So, the literal translation is beef bowl. And thanks to Yoshinoya, this dish became popular and many people enjoy it around the world. Originally, this dish consists of beef slices, onions, and simmered in a sweet soy broth. Then topped over a bowl of steamed rice. It’s quite a hearty dish, and even pretty healthy. 

The original Japanese dish contains meat, so obviously I had to use a substitute. In this case, I decided to use soy curls. It’s nothing too crazy, and it’s a bit cheaper to buy than the frozen mock meat out there. My only problem with other mock meat is that they have their own distinct flavor. To the point where it’s a bit overpowering, which is why I opted for soy curls. They’re pretty much flavorless, and it’s perfect for this recipe as it soaks up all the flavors from the sweet soy broth. Once cooked, they have also have a unique texture, similar to chicken. It’s pretty damn good if I do say so myself, and it’s the closest thing I’ve had to gyudon in so long! Don’t believe me, well, it looks like you gotta try it for yourself!

If you tried this recipe out let me know in the comments! Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram @flouredframe and don’t forget to tag me when you create my recipes! Happy cooking!

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Vegan Gyudon (Japanese “beef” bowl)

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• Author: Floured Frame
• Prep Time: 8 minutes
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Total Time: 33 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings 1x
• Category: Entree
• Method: Cooking
• Cuisine: Japanese
• Diet: Vegan

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Description

Gyudon, a one pot dish and a Japanese fast-food classic. Cooked in a sweet soy broth, filled with tender onions, and fresh ginger. Usually packed with meat and loads of flavor, but in this case it’s vegan. Just because this dish is vegan, doesn’t mean it lacks on the protein. In fact, it’s packed with protein! (Who says vegans don’t get enough protein, am I right?)  What’s great is that it only requires minimal prep and can be cooked in less than 30 minutes. Perfect for easy weeknight dinners! So, if you miss Japanese food as much as I do, then this recipe will be perfect for you.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 8 pieces 5 pieces (2 inches in size) – kombu, https://amzn.to/31UfBal edible kelp see notes
• 8 pieces – dried shiitake mushrooms
• 1 tablespoon – mushroom seasoning, optional I used https://amzn.to/33vye6Q (you can find this in your local Asian supermarket, it is much cheaper in store)
• 1 cup (240ml) – water
• 2 tablespoons – sake (Japanese rice wine) see notes
• 2 tablespoons – sugar
• 3 tablespoons – soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon – mirin
• ½ – large onion, thinly sliced
• 2 cups (120g) – soy curls, broken into bite size pieces https://amzn.to/3kPlmik see notes
• 1 tablespoon – grated ginger
• Beni shōga, pickled red ginger for toppings
• Green onions for toppings

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Instructions

1. Cook your rice!
2. Make the dashi. Heat water along with kombu, dried shiitake, and mushroom seasoning in a small saucepan. Bring it up to a boil, and turn the heat off, and allow the kombu and dried shiitake to sit in the hot water for 10 minutes. Drain the dashi into the bowl and discard the rest. Return the dashi back to the pot.
3. To the pot, mix in the sake, sugar, soy sauce and mirin. Heat the pot on medium heat, and add in the thinly sliced onions. Boil the onions in the dashi mixture until they get soft.
4. Next, add in the soy curls, and mix it in. Make sure they are mixed well into the dashi to rehydrate it. Cook for about 5 minutes, while stirring every now and then.
5. Mix in the ginger and continue to cook for about 3-5 minutes. Turn off the heat.
6. Prep a bowl with rice and place the gyudon on top. Top it off with green onions and some pickled red ginger. Serve and enjoy!

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Notes

• Kombu is not the same as the seaweed you use for wrapping sushi. Kombu is a kelp and is thicker. You can find this in most Asian stores or even the Asian section of any grocery stores. 
• I have not tried any other meat substitutes for this dish. You can sub for any other mock meat you’d like, but just keep in mind that the results may differ!

Keywords: vegan, Japanese recipe, Japanese food, rice bowl, easy recipe, entree, vegan Japanese food