Featuring asparagus & fried eggs and loaded with both probiotic and prebiotic foods, this kimchi breakfast bowl recipe is both an amazingly delicious and comforting way to start the day.
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This is for sure my new favorite go-to breakfast (or lunch). It's warm, savory and immensely satisfying any day of the week—and, it's super fast with only one pan required. Plus, you get the benefit of both the natural probiotics in the kimchi and the specialized prebiotic fiber in the asparagus; a nutritional win-win. (For an even easier kimchi and egg dish, try these kimchi scrambled eggs!)
Did you know?
We're all very familiar with probiotic foods like yogurt which are produced by live cultures of various strains of bacteria. But these living microbes need to eat too, and we can feed them by including plenty of prebiotic foods in our diet. These primarily plant-based foods such as garlic, onions and asparagus contain specialized fibers that help feed the beneficial bacteria in your gut microbiome.
If you're craving other savory egg dishes, you can try this avocado toast with egg recipe, these fluffy scrambled eggs with cream cheese, these smoked salmon scrambled eggs or these farm-fresh Parmesan scrambled eggs with veggies. And for other kimchi comfort food dishes, I highly recommend these easy kimchi noodles. 🙂
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❤️ Why you'll love this recipe
- Only one pan required
- Takes only 10 minutes to make!
- Great way to eat more kimchi or use up any in the fridge
- Making asparagus for breakfast is a delicious way to eat more veggies
- Both prebiotic and probiotic foods in one bowl
🌿 Ingredients
The key to this recipe is to keep some leftover rice on hand, as well as a jar of kimchi which is widely available now at large grocery stores, natural food stores or Asian markets. I always have a jar in the fridge just in case I don't have any homemade kimchi ready to go.
If you have these things on hand, plus eggs and asparagus (or any other veggies), you can have this breakfast bowl ready from fridge to table in 10 minutes tops.
See recipe card below for exact quantities.
📝 Instructions
First, simply warm up the cooked rice and trim the asparagus. Then, preheat a large skillet over medium heat and add the butter until it shimmers.
Carefully crack the egg into the butter and cover the skillet. Cook the egg for about a minute and then add the asparagus spears alongside the egg and re-cover the pan. Cook for another 1-2 minutes or until the egg white sets.
And finally, place the warmed rice to a serving bowl and drizzle a little of the tamari over the asparagus and the rest over the rice. Lay the egg over the rice, followed by the asparagus and kimchi, and season with a little salt and pepper if you'd like.
📋 Substitutions
As written, this recipe is gluten free. Feel free to make any of the following substitutions as necessary.
- White rice - use brown rice instead, or another favorite grain or pseudo-grain such as quinoa
- Asparagus - feel free to substitute green beans, snow peas, broccolini or broccoli, or some mild greens like spinach or Swiss chard
- Butter - substitute ghee, or use coconut oil or olive oil to make dairy free
- Egg - tofu or tempeh also work great for a vegan version (make sure to use a vegan kimchi as well, and a vegan option for the butter)
- Tamari - use soy sauce if gluten is not a concern, or coconut aminos for soy free
- Kimchi - use your favorite kind; there are so many options to choose from nowadays including vegan options that don't contain fish sauce
🔪 Equipment
I used the following equipment to make this recipe:
- cutting board
- chef's knife
- large skillet
- metal spatula
🍱 Storage
This kimchi bowl is best when consumed immediately, but will stay fresh in the fridge for up to 2 days in an airtight container. (If rewarming, don't heat the kimchi; just add that to the bowl after warming up the rest.)
🎉 Top tip
To make this recipe kid-friendly, or if you like a little sweetness to go along with the savoriness, try swapping tamari with coconut aminos. It's the perfect sweet and salty combo with the kimchi, and one that I make often. (Tip: you can find coconut aminos at most large grocery stores now, in the Asian section or wherever soy sauce and tamari are found.)
Enjoy!
💭 FAQ
Absolutely! Kimchi is great anytime of the day, breakfast included. It makes a great combo with eggs and other veggies or rice for a warm, savory brunch or breakfast treat.
Yes; feel free to make your favorite style of eggs to go along with a kimchi breakfast bowl—they're all delicious.
If the asparagus spears are thin (pencil-width sized or slightly thicker), there's no need to peel them. Simply trim the ends by breaking them off where the green meets the white section. For thicker spears, you'll want to also peel them so that they are tender enough to eat.
Yes, you can cook kimchi if you prefer it warm, but keep in mind that since it's a fermented food the beneficial bacteria will likely not survive the cooking process (it will still be delicious though.)
🍳 Recipe
Kimchi Breakfast Bowl
Ingredients
- 1 cup cooked white rice or brown rice
- 6 thin spears asparagus
- 1 tablespoon butter or coconut oil for dairy-free
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce (use coconut aminos for soy free)
- ⅓ cup kimchi I used Sunja's Medium Spicy Kimchi
- pinch sea salt to taste
- pinch freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prep: Warm the rice and trim the asparagus. Preheat a large skillet to medium heat and add the butter to coat.
- Cook: Once the butter is shimmering, crack the egg, cover the pan to avoid spattering and cook for about a minute. Then, add the asparagus spears to the skillet alongside the egg and re-cover the pan. Cook another 1-2 minutes or until the egg white sets.
- Serve: Place the rice in a serving bowl. Remove the skillet from the heat, drizzle a little of the tamari over the asparagus, and the rest over the rice. Use a metal spatula to carefully scrape under the egg and lay it over the rice, followed by the asparagus and kimchi. Season with a little salt and pepper, and enjoy!
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