Ultimate list of veggie-friendly Korean food

This section introduces Korean dishes that are either traditionally vegan / vegetarian by default or are available in veggie-friendly versions. Behind each link, you will find more information about the dish, how to best enjoy it, where to find it and how to order it in Korean according to your needs!

This overview on Korean food is subdivided into main dishes, side dishes, sweets, snacks and anju.

➡️ If you click on the link of a listed food item, you will be redirected to a new page with more information about it! ⬅️

For easy reference, each item is marked with symbols indicating potentially critical ingredients. While some dishes are vegan or vegetarian by default, others need to be ⚠️customized⚠️. [Basic Korean language skills may be necessary for that.]

🌱 – vegan basis
🥛 – dairy
🥚 – egg
🍯 – honey
🚫🌾 – gluten free
⚠️ – double-check or customize!

🌱 Even if the basic recipe may not be vegan,
it may be possible to veganize it or find vegan versions! 🌱

⚠️ Disclaimer: This list is designed to help you find vegan Korean food and identify vegetarian Korean dishes in general. Please note that there may be exceptions because each restaurant and chef follows their own recipe. Accordingly, commonly vegan Korean dishes may contain animal-based ingredients in rare cases. It is advised to confirm allergens or other critical ingredients for each individual order. ⚠️

List of vegan and vegetarian Korean food

🍚 Main dishes 🍜

🌱/🥚/⚠️ Bibimbap 비빔밥: Rice with toppings and sauce. Toppings may include meat🐄. Occasionally, sauce contains meat🐄. 🚫🌾
- 🌱/🥚/⚠️ Dolsot-Bibimbap 돌솥비빔밥: Bibimbap served inside a hot stone bowl. 🚫🌾
- 🌱/⚠️ Gang-Doenjang-Bibimbap 강된장비빔밥: Bibimbap served with thick doenjang stew as sauce. Sauce may contain anchovy🐟 or seafood🦐. 🚫🌾
- 🌱/🥚 Sanchae-Bibimbap 산채비빔밥: Bibimbap topped with Korean vegetables and wild herbs. Topping may include egg🥚. 🚫🌾
- 🌱/🥚 Saengyachae-Bibimbap 생야채비빔밥: Bibimbap topped with raw vegetables. Topping may include egg🥚. 🚫🌾
- 🌱/🥚 Saessak-Bibimbap 새싹비빔밥: Bibimbap topped with fresh sprouts, served with mustard sauce. Topping may include egg🥚. 🚫🌾
- 🌱/🥚/⚠️ Boribap / Bori-Bibimbap 보리밥 / 보리비빔밥: Bibimbap with barley instead of rice, served with doenjang sauce. Sauce may contain fish🐟. Topping may include egg🥚 (very rare).
🌱/⚠️ Gondeurebap 곤드레밥: Rice cooked with dried gondre (Cirsium setidens), served with soy sauce. 🚫🌾 – rarely fish sauce🐟 may be mixed into seasoning sauce.
🌱 Yeonnip-bap 연잎밥: Rice steamed inside lotus leaf. 🚫🌾
🌱 Ogokbap 오곡밥: Rice mixed with at least five different kinds of beans and other grains. 🚫🌾
🌱/🥚 Kong-guksu 콩국수: Wheat noodles in chilled soy bean broth and occasionally egg topping.
🌱 Pat-kalguksu 팥칼국수: Wheat noodles in red bean soup.
🌱/⚠️ Deulkkae-kalguksu 들깨칼국수: Wheat noodles in soup with perilla seeds. Soup may be based on animal products🐟🦐.
🌱/🥚/⚠️ Japchae 잡채: Glass noodles with stir-fried vegetables, mushrooms and egg🥚 – occasionally fish🐟 and meat🐄.
🌱/🥚 Jjolmyeon 쫄면: Cold, chewy wheat noodles with toppings and spicy sauce, topping includes egg🥚.
🌱/🥚/⚠️ Bibim-myeon 비빔면: Instant cold wheat noodles mixed with spicy sauce and toppings, including egg🥚. Toppings or sauce may contain animal products🐟.
🌱/🥚/⚠️ Bibim-guksu 비빔국수: Cold wheat noodles mixed with spicy sauce and toppings, including egg🥚. Toppings (Kimchi, egg) or sauce may contain animal products🐟.
🌱/🥚/⚠️ Mak-guksu 막국수: Buckwheat noodles in cold broth, topping includes egg🥚. Soup may be based on animal products🐓.
🌱/🥚/⚠️ Yeolmuguksu 열무국수: Wheat noodles in cold Kimchi broth, topping includes egg🥚. Kimchi and sauce may contain animal products🐟.
🌱/🥚/⚠️ Bibim-yeolmuguksu 비빔열무국수: Cold wheat noodles mixed with spicy sauce, topped includes egg🥚 and Kimchi. Kimchi and sauce may contain animal products🐟.
🌱/⚠️ Deulkkae-sujebi 들깨수제비: Hand-made noodles in soup with perilla seeds. Soup may be based on animal products🐟🦐.
Savory pancakes 부침개
- 🌱/⚠️ Bindae-tteok 빈대떡: Pancakes made from mung beans. Fish🐟 or meat🐖 may be added. 🚫🌾
- 🌱 Gamja-jeon 감자전: Potato pancakes. 🚫🌾
- 🌱/🥚 Buchu-jeon 부추전: Pancakes with garlic chives.
- 🌱/🥚/⚠️ Pa-jeon : Pancakes with scallions. Seafood🦑 may be added.
- 🥚 Hobak-jeon 호박전: Fried Korean squash coated in egg batter.
Porridges / congee 죽
- 🌱 Huinjuk 흰죽: Plain white rice porridge. 🚫🌾
- 🌱 (Dan)Hobak-juk (단)호박죽: Pumpkin porridge. 🚫🌾
- 🌱 Heugimja-juk 흑임자죽: Black sesame porridge. 🚫🌾
- 🌱 Jatjuk 잣죽: Pine nut porridge. 🚫🌾
- 🌱 Patjuk 팥죽: Red bean porridge. 🚫🌾
- 🌱 Nokdu-juk 녹두죽: Mung bean porridge. 🚫🌾
- 🌱/⚠️ Yachaejuk 야채죽: Rice porridge with vegetables and mushrooms. Broth may be based on animal products🐟🦐. 🚫🌾
Stews 찌개
- 🌱/⚠️ Doenjang jjigae 된장찌개: Tofu stew seasoned with doenjang (된장). Soup is often based on animal products🐟🦐. 🌱/⚠️ Cheonggukjang jjigae 청국장찌개: Tofu stew seasoned with cheonggukjang (청국장). Soup may be based on animal products🐟🦐.
- 🥚/⚠️ Sundubu jjigae 순두부찌개: Soft tofu stew, often spicy. Normally fresh egg🥚 as topping. Soup is often based on animal products🐟🦐.
- 🌱/⚠️ Deulkkae sundubu jjigae 들깨순두부찌개: Soft tofu stew with perilla seeds. Soup is often based on animal products🐟🦐.

🥗 Side dishes (banchan 반찬) 🍆

🌱/🥚/⚠️ Namul banchan 나물반찬: Various vegetable side dishes. May contain animal products, e.g. eggs🥚 or anchovy🐟.
🌱/⚠️ Kong-jorim 콩조림 / Kong-jaban 콩자반: Beans braised in soy sauce. Sometimes small dried anchovies🐟 are added.
🌱 Jangajji 장아찌: Pickled vegetables, herbs and seaweed. Normally pickled in soy sauce, sugar and vinegar.
⚠️ Kimchi 김치: Fermented vegetables. Often seasoned with animal products🐟🦐. 🚫🌾
- 🌱 Dongchimi 동치미: Radish Kimchi in clear brine. 🚫🌾

🍡 Sweet treats / dessert (husik 후식) 🍧

🌱/🥚 Tteok 떡: Korean rice cakes.
- 🌱 Injeolmi 인절미: Glutinous Tteok coated in bean flour. 🚫🌾
- 🌱 Songpyeon 송편: Tteok with filling, originally steamed on pine needles. 🚫🌾
- 🌱/⚠️ Chapssal-tteok 찹쌀떡 / Mojji 모찌: Glutinous Tteok with filling and powdery coating. Sometimes the coating consists of spongecake. 🥚
- 🌱 Baekseolgi 백설기: Spongy Tteok without filling. 🚫🌾
- 🌱 Jeungpyeon 증편 / Sul-tteok 술떡 / Gijeong-tteok 기정떡: Spongy Tteok fermented with yeast or Korean rice wine (Makgeolli 막걸리). Normally without filling. 🚫🌾
- 🌱 Mosi-tteok 모시떡: Tteok flavored with ramie leaves. 🚫🌾
- 🌱 Pat-Sirutteok 팥시루떡: Layered tteok with red beans. 🚫🌾
- 🌱 Gamja-tteok 감자떡: Potato-based Tteok. 🚫🌾
🥛 Bori-tteok 보리떡 / Bori-ppang 보리빵: Steamed buns or bread with barley flour.
🥛 Jjinppang 찐빵: Steamed buns filled with sweet red bean paste.
🥛 Oksusu sul-ppang 옥수수술빵: Steamed corn bread without filling.
🥛 Sul-ppang 술빵: Sweet steamed bread without filling.
🌱 (Yeot-)Gangjeong (엿)강정: Crunchy bars consisting of puffed grains (ppeong-twigi 뻥튀기), caramelized nuts or seeds.
🌱 Yanggaeng 양갱: Sweet jelly usually containing bean paste. 🚫🌾
🌱 Yugwa 유과: Deep-fried rice crackers coated in rice puffs or other grains.
🌱/🍯 Yakgwa 약과: Deep-fried confectionery, soaked in syrup that sometimes contains honey.
🌱/🍯 Dasik 다식: Confectionery from powdered grains or nuts mixed with plant-based syrup or honey. 🚫🌾
🌱/🍯 Dan patjuk 단팥죽: Sweet red bean porridge. Occasionally sweetened with honey. 🚫🌾
🌱 Sikhye 식혜: Korean rice drink, fermented with malt and sugar.
🥛/🥚 Bingsu 빙수: Shaved ice with sweet toppings.

🌽 Snacks (gansik 간식) / street food 🥡

🌱/🥚/⚠️ Kimbap 김밥: Rice, vegetables and egg -normally also ham🐖 and fishcake🐟- wrapped in sea laver. 🚫🌾 (⚠️우엉 marinated in soy sauce may contain traces of gluten)
🌱/🥚/⚠️ Mayak kimbap 마약김밥 / Mini kimbap 미니김밥 / Kkoma kimbap 꼬마김밥: Small wraps of rice and vegetables, served with a dipping sauce. May contain egg or fish cake filling. 🚫🌾
🌱 Yakbap 약밥 / Yaksik 약식: Sticky rice mixed with seasonings, beans and nuts.
🌱/🥛 Jjinppang 찐빵: Steamed buns filled with sweet red bean paste. Dough sometimes contains dairy.
🌱 Dalgona 달고나: Crunchy honeycomb toffee candy. 🚫🌾
🥛/🥚 Hodu gwaja 호두과자: Walnut-shaped waffles filled with red bean paste or custard. Dough usually contains dairy, sometimes also egg.
🥛/🥚/⚠️ Bungeo ppang 붕어빵: Fish-shaped waffles filled with red bean paste or custard. Dough contains dairy, sometimes also egg. May contain shortening of animal origin. 🐄
🌱/🥛 Hotteok 호떡: Pancakes filled with cinnamon and sugar. Dough often contains dairy.
🌱/🥛 Beobeul hotteok 버블호떡: Hollow and crispy bread, filled with cinnamon and sugar. Dough often contains dairy.
🌱 Susu bukkumi 수수부꾸미: Halfmoon-shaped pancakes filled with bean paste. Dough based on sorghum (susu 수수) and rice. 🚫🌾
🌱 Garae-tteok gu-i 가래떡구이: Roasted plain rice cakes. 🚫🌾
🌱 Tteok-kkochi 떡꼬치: Plain rice cakes on a skewer, deep-fried and served with a sweet and spicy sauce. 🚫🌾
🌱/🥚/⚠️ Twigim 튀김: Diverse deep-fried foods, including pumpkin, potatoes, sweet potatoes, mixed vegetables, whole eggs🥚 or gim-wrapped noodles(김말이). Dough may contain egg🥚. Cross-contamination because it is fried in the same oil alongside other foods. 🦐🦑
🌱 Ppeong-twigi 뻥튀기: Puffed grains (corn, rice, barley etc) or larger grain-based products such as plain rice cakes, macaroni or flat disks.
🌱 Corn, potatoes, sweet potatoes, chestnuts (steamed, roasted or boiled) and ginkgo seeds 🚫🌾

🍻 Anju 안주 🍶

🥚/⚠️ Gyeran-mari 계란말이: Rolled omelette with various toppings and fillings – occasionally fish roe🐟 or pieces of ham🐖. 🚫🌾
🌱 Dubu-buchim 두부부침: Pan-fried slices of tofu. 🚫🌾
🌱 Dotori-muk muchim 도토리묵무침: Acorn jelly salad.
Savory pancakes 부침개
- 🌱/⚠️ Bindae-tteok 빈대떡: Pancakes made from mung beans. Fish🐟 or meat🐖 may be added. 🚫🌾
- 🌱 Gamja-jeon 감자전: Potato pancakes. 🚫🌾
- 🌱/🥚 Buchu-jeon 부추전: Pancakes with garlic chives.
- 🌱/🥚/⚠️ Pa-jeon : Pancakes with scallions. Seafood🦑 may be added.
- 🥚 Hobak-jeon 호박전: Pancakes made from young pumpkin.
🌱 Deodeok gui 더덕구이: Deodeok roots barbecued and seasoned with spicy sauce.
🌱 Deodeok muchim 더덕무침: Raw deodeok roots in (spicy) sauce.
🌱/🥛 Hwachae 화채: Sweet non-alcoholic drink with chunks of fruit (aka “fruit punch”), occasionally made with milk or dairy soda.🥛
🌱 Hwangdo 황도: Peaches in sweet brine. 🚫🌾
🌱/⚠️ Pa-in aepeul syabeot 파인애플샤벗: Pineapple sherbet. May contain non-vegan food coloring based on insects. 🚫🌾
🌱 Ppeong-twigi 뻥튀기: Puffed grains (corn, rice, barley etc.) or larger grain-based products such as plain rice cakes, macaroni or flat disks.