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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📖 Recipe
Vegan Gyudon (Japanese "Beef" Bowl)
Equipment
- Medium-size saucepan
- Wooden spoon
- Mesh Sieve
- Medium-sized bowl
- Chopping Board
- Knife
Ingredients
- 5-8 pieces Kombu (about 2-inches in size)
- 8 pieces Dried shiitake mushroom
- 1 tablespoon Mushroom seasoning
- 1 cup Water
- 2 tablespoons Sake
- 2 tablespoons Granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons Soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon Mirin
- ½ Medium yellow onion (thinly sliced)
- 2 cups Soy curls (see notes)
- 1 tablespoon Grated ginger
- Beni shōga, pickled red ginger (for topping)
- Green onion (thinly sliced, for topping)
- Cooked rice
Instructions
Make The Dashi
- Heat the water along with kombu, dried shiitake mushrooms, and mushroom seasoning in a small saucepan. Bring it up to a boil, then turn the heat off, and allow the kombu and dried shiitake mushrooms to sit in the hot water for 10 minutes. Drain the dashi into a bowl and discard the rest. Return the dashi back to the pot.
Gyudon
- In the same pot, add the sake, sugar, soy sauce, and mirin. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, and add in the thinly sliced onions. Boil until the onions soften.
- Next, add in the soy curls, making sure each piece is covered in the dashi to rehydrate. Continue to boil everything together, until the soy curls expand. About 5 minutes.
- Add in the grated ginger, cook for an additional 3 minutes, and turn off the heat.
- Prep a bowl with cooked rice and vegan gyudon. Top it off with some green onions and beni shōga (pickled red ginger).
Notes
- I haven't tried any other meat substitutes for this recipe, but feel free to do so!
AJ says
Do you rehydrate your soy curls in advance and then cook, or do you let the dashi do that part?
Floured Frame says
So I rehydrate in the dashi. After you soften the onions in the dashi, you add in the soy curls. Make sure they are mixed well into the dashi to rehydrate it.
Andrew L Harner says
This is a great recipe, thank you for sharing it.
How much mirin do you use? it's in the step-by-step but not in the ingredients list.
Floured Frame says
I apologize for missing that, I used 1 tablespoon of Mirin! I just added it into the recipe card. And I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe!