Low Carb Kimbap (Gimbap)

Normal kimbap (also spelled gimbap, 김밥) is a delicious and healthy meal or appetizer option filled with your favorite veggies, optional egg or meat, and usually pickled yellow radish rolled into seaweed with steamed rice. You may also have heard it called “Korean sushi” because although it doesn’t have raw fish, it looks like a sushi roll. 

As a child I always loved standing near my mom as she made kimbap because she’d feed me little strips of egg, meat, or veggies as she was rolling them.

If you’re cutting back on starches but still have a craving for kimbap, or if you’re looking to try something a little different from your keto cookbook, you can try this version of kimbap that omits the rice. Without it, you just have veggies, egg (and maybe meat), and seaweed.

Here’s what you need:

• Nori seaweed sheets
• Pickled yellow radish
• 2 eggs
• Your choice of veggies: green onion, carrots, avocado, spinach, etc. Slice into thin strips.
• Optional meat (you can use beef or pork bulgogi, canned tuna or salmon, or you can even use lunch meat!)
• 1 tsp sesame oil (if you don’t have you can use olive oil/avocado oil)

You’ll also need 1 bamboo rolling mat (if you don’t have one, you can order one online or you can find one at your local Korean market).

Start mixing your eggs in a bowl and cook in a frying pan so that it is one thin, round sheet. To make one big roll, just set aside to cool. If you want to make 2 rolls, cut in half so you have 2 large half-moon shaped pieces and set aside to cool.

Place a seaweed sheet on the bamboo mat so the bottoms align. Next, place your egg on the seaweed. If you’re using the half-moon shaped egg, align so the flat, cut side meets with the bottom of the seaweed. 

Now you can add your veggies on the egg, also at the bottom of the mat. Use the bamboo mat to roll over the ingredients once, tightly. Unroll and scoot the roll down again to the bottom of the mat and roll again. Dab your finger with water and roll along the edge of the seaweed to seal the roll. See below for an example. 

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After your roll is complete, brush lightly with sesame oil. You can slice the kimbap into bite-sized pieces like a traditional kimbap or sushi roll, or you can just eat it like a burrito (that’s what I like to do!)

This is delicious plain, but sometimes I enjoy eating it with a dab of sriracha, or spicy mayo! You could also dip in a little bit of soy sauce.

Print Recipe

Low Carb Kimbap

Appetizer, Dinner – Korean

By Janice Yucel – Serves: 2

Prep Time: 20-30 Minutes – Cooking Time: 0 Minutes – Total Time: 20-30 Minutes

Ingredients

• Nori seaweed sheets
• Pickled yellow radish
• 2 eggs
• Your choice of veggies: green onion, carrots, avocado, spinach, etc. Slice into thin strips.
• Optional meat (you can use beef or pork bulgogi, canned tuna or salmon, or you can even use lunch meat!)
• 1 tsp sesame oil (if you don't have you can use olive oil/avocado oil)
• You'll also need 1 bamboo rolling mat

Instructions

1

Start mixing your eggs in a bowl and cook in a frying pan so that it is one thin, round sheet. To make one big roll, just set aside to cool. If you want to make 2 rolls, cut in half so you have 2 large half-moon shaped pieces and set aside to cool.

2

Place a seaweed sheet on the bamboo mat so the bottoms align. Next, place your egg on the seaweed. If you're using the half-moon shaped egg, align so the flat, cut side meets with the bottom of the seaweed. 

3

Now you can add your veggies on the egg, also at the bottom of the mat. Use the bamboo mat to roll over the ingredients once, tightly. Unroll and scoot the roll down again to the bottom of the mat and roll again. Dab your finger with water and roll along the edge of the seaweed to seal the roll.

4

After your roll is complete, brush lightly with sesame oil. You can slice the kimbap into bite-sized pieces like a traditional kimbap or sushi roll, or you can just eat it like a burrito

5

Eat plain or top with sriracha, spicy mayo, or dip in a little bit of soy sauce.