Japanese-Style Soy Sauce Based Bibimbap Sauce

Here's a recipe for a special sweet Japanese bibimbap sauce using soy sauce koji.

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Soy sauce koji, the base of the sauce, has a nice, moderate sweetness that makes a delicious bibimbap sauce that's full of flavor and sweetness even without sugar.

With just a couple more ingredients, you can whip up a tasty bibimbap sauce! You don't have to add garlic or gochujang, so it's not spicy and great for kids or anyone who doesn't like spicy food.

I made this sauce just for Spring Vegetable Bibimbap, but you can use it for fried rice or any other dish you like.

Non-spicy gochujang-based bibimbap sauce

If you're looking for a gochujang-based bibimbap sauce, I also recommend my Korean-style sauce (bibimbap sauce) recipe, which you can use as a salad dressing. This one uses just a bit of gochujang (red pepper paste) to make it look good and add a hint of spice. So, it's also easy for kids to eat!

They're both pretty simple to make — just mix the ingredients together. So I think it'd be worth making two different kinds and comparing them.

I hope everyone in your family smiles big with these sauces 🌶💛🍝

Also, just so you know, all the recipes on this blog are vegan and vegetarian. It's also great for anyone interested in a plant-based diet. If you've got some extra time, be sure to check out the other recipes!

Ingredients

It's made with just four ingredients. It's pretty simple, but it makes a great bibimbap sauce.

• Soy Sauce Koji: This is the base ingredient of the Japanese-style bibimbap sauce. It's just a mix of soy sauce and koji that's been aged to take away the strong saltiness of the soy sauce and make the sweetness and umami stand out more. It's a piece of cake to make at home, so it's a good idea to keep some on hand to spice up your cooking. Click here to learn how to make it.
• Ground sesame: It adds a touch of sweetness and richness.
• Sesame oil: This also adds to the sauce's richness and flavor.
• Ground sansho (Prickly Ash): We add ground sansho to a mill for flavor rather than spiciness. If you don't like the flavor or don't have any on hand, you can always skip it. If you find the sauce too bland without it, try adding some black pepper for a little extra punch.

For exact amounts, please check the recipe card👇

Serving Ideas

As I said earlier, I made this bibimbap sauce just for the Spring Vegetable Bibimbap, which has boiled spring vegetables like bamboo shoots, cabbage, and broccoli. Those spring veggies really go well with sansho, making you feel the arrival of spring.

Just serve the fresh veggies over warm rice and add as much of the Japanese bibimbap sauce as you like... Give everything a good mix. The more you mix it, the better it tastes!

For more details on how to make this dish, please visit Spring Vegetable Bibimbap.

Storage

Since it only needs a few ingredients and is super easy to make, I make just enough to eat at once.

Frequently Asked Questions

Recipes Featuring Sansho

Vegan Recipes with Sansho:

Soy Sauce Koji Recipes

More Vegan Recipes with Soy Sauce Koji:

Recipe Card

What did you think of the recipe for "Japanese-style bibimbap sauce with soy-sauce koji"?

If you're into sansho, you'll want to try our Oil & Tahini Free Soybean Hummus recipe. You can use it as a dip, in sandwiches, or even as a base for Shiraae (Japanese mixed vegetable salad).

Please give it a go as well 🕊.