Our Vegan Hamburger Kimbap Recipe

Is food a love language? Because it definitely is for my boyfriend and I.

Something that I’ve enjoyed doing since the start of our relationship is preparing homemade lunch boxes for him to take to work. Inspired by Imamu Room and Jihyunkkung on YouTube, I really like making them look aesthetically pleasing and just something to bring a little joy to his work day.

I made this adorable hamburger kimbap for him last week, and you all LOVED it on Instagram Stories. The idea is that you create the visual of a hamburger in the centre using savoury ingredients. The hot dog (frankfurter) forms the bun, the red pepper masquerades as a tomato, and the radish imitates an egg (although if you’re not vegan, you can easily make a thin egg garnish). So here’s a vegan adaptation that you can all try…

Ingredients

4 sheets of gim (seaweed sheets)
1.5 cups cooked sushi rice
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon salt
4 vegan hot dogs in brine
1 long pointed red pepper
1 cucumber
4-8 strips yellow pickled radish
Drizzle maple syrup

Method

Wash and cook your sushi rice. I use a rice cooker so it’s always perfect. Once cooked, set aside to cool.
Slice your vegan hot dogs in half lengthways. This will form the ‘bun’ of your hamburger.
Wash and prepare your vegetables; take the seeds and white parts out of the pepper.
Using the hot dog as a length and size guide, trim your red pepper, cucumber and yellow pickled radish strips to size. Set aside.
Soak the hot dogs in water to remove the oil. Brush with maple syrup and then flash-fry in a pan.
Season the rice with a tablespoon of sesame oil and a pinch of salt.
Now, it’s time to assemble! Place a seaweed sheet on a clean, dry chopping board and spread a layer of rice. Assemble the ‘hamburger’ about an inch from the bottom of the seaweed sheet by stacking one hot dog side, yellow pickled radish, red pepper strip and cucumber strip, topped off by the other hot dog half.
Holding the stack of fillings in place, roll firmly. Squeeze the entire kimbap roll at the end.
Continue to create four rolls.
Before cutting, brush each roll with sesame oil. Use a sharp, wet knife to cleanly cut through… Et voila! An adorable kimbap with a hamburger cross-section!

Tried this recipe? Let me know in the comments below.