Gut-Healthy Coconut Sticky Rice Samgak Triangle Kimbap (Protein-Packed & Kid-Approved)

I thought triangle kimbap 🍙...
required a triangle tool, special plastic wrappers, and professional kitchen skills.

I was so wrong.

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If you told me vanilla coconut sticky rice would pair beautifully with salmon and seaweed, I might’ve raised an eyebrow… but after one bite, I was completely sold.

These gut-healthy Korean-inspired samgak (triangle) kimbap are subtly sweet, deeply satisfying, and made with real, intentional ingredients. They’re a staple in our home right now—my kids are obsessed, we’re hitting our protein needs, and no one’s riding the sugar-high rollercoaster later in the day.

Unlike store-bought kimbap or sushi rice (often sweetened with refined sugar and gluten-containing additives), this version uses soaked & soured rice, creamy coconut milk, and a touch of monk fruit–sweetened vanilla protein for balance, satiety, and digestion.

Fresh ingredients. Wild fish. Thoughtfully prepared rice.
Food that loves your bac. (Your good gut bugs)🤍

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Why You’ll Love This 🍙

• Gut-friendly: soaked, soured, and cooled rice for easier digestion & nutrient availability

• Naturally sweetened: no refined sugar, no gums, no fillers - just a touch of crushed organic monkfruit

• High-protein & satiating: keeps energy, blood glucose and mood steady

• Family-approved: littles + adults genuinely excited to eat (gets soft for little teeth if you let it sit a few minutes)

• Great for brain, skin & energy support littles + adults love this for on the go meals. Super lunchbox friendly 🍙

Coconut Sticky Rice (Made with Broth for Extra Nourishment)

Servings: 4-5

Ingredients

• 1½ cups basmati or jasmine rice, soaked, soured & well-rinsed

• 1 can 100% full-fat coconut milk or coconut cream

  • (Check the label—no gums, preservatives, or fillers)

• 1¾ cups high-quality broth (water works if you don’t have broth on hand!)

  • (Chicken or veggie broth both work beautifully; refill the coconut milk can to measure)

• 1 scoop Be Well by Kelly Vanilla Grass-Fed Beef Protein

  • Code: MUMWITHABUN for $10 off

    
    Option: for those aiming for moderate collagen intake (helpful for those dealing with gout/calcification stones), swap for 1 scoop of Equip Foods Vanilla Grass-Fed Beef Protein it has some naturally occurring collagen, but not as much as Be Well by Kelly’s.

  • Code: MUMWITHABUN will get you savings.

• 1 tsp sea salt

How to Cook the Coconut Sticky Rice

1. In a saucepan with a lid, combine:

   • soaked/soured & rinsed rice

     • Soak & Sour: Fully submerge rice in filtered water w/ 1-2 tbsp ACV for 12 hrs.)

   • coconut milk

   • homemade broth (recipe & discount on grass-fed/finished bones I use linked — OK to use water, if preferred)

   • vanilla grass-fed protein

   • sea salt

2. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally.

3. Reduce to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender (about 20 minutes).

4. Remove from heat, fluff with a fork, cover again, and allow to cool.

Cooling your rice after cooking supports better digestion and metabolic health—this step matters. ✨

Salmon & Assembly (Samgak-Style)

You’ll Need

• 4 wild-caught salmon fillets, baked or air-fried

  • air-fried: 420°F for 20 minutes (they’ll naturally flake apart)

  • baked: 420°F for 40 minutes

• Organic raw seaweed sheets (I love Gimme)

  • Cut each sheet into thirds lengthwise

How to Assemble

1. Mix the rice with salmon filets (salmon will flake apart in the mixing process)

2. Place a scoop of coconut sticky rice with flaked salmon onto the seaweed.

3. Shape gently into triangles.

4. Wrap just before eating for the perfect texture.

My husband wraps. I cook the ingredients. The kids hover impatiently.

Teamwork at its finest. 🤍

Note on Ingredient Quality

• Rice: be sure it’s tested for heavy metals & is preferably organic

• 100% Coconut milk: Pure, filler-free only

• Wild Salmon: be sure it’s wild (farmed varieties include dye, unnatural feed, contaminants, and antibiotic residues that impact human health as we consume antibiotics/contaminants used on the fish and their feed)

• Salt: Maldon or other quality sea salt

• Grass fed Vanilla Protein Powder: chemical free grass fed beef protein is a non-negotiable quality for us. each ingredient is high quality. 3 ingredients only: grass fed & finished beef protein, real organic vanilla, organic monkfruit (yes, it’s just the fruit!)

Note: I’m an affiliate of Be Well by Kelly, but I only share what I truly use and love for my family. This protein is collagen-rich, chemical-free, and derived the way bone-broth is; using heat & water only - it’s ultra-clean, and a staple in our gut-healing kitchen—especially helpful for families navigating eczema, allergies or elimination journeys.

If we normalize food that supports digestion, energy, and satisfaction—without deprivation—we can change everything including the long term health of our bodies.

Let’s make gut-healthy eating the norm. 🤍

The Easiest Broth-Based Korean Seaweed Soup (Miyeok-guk)

Korean Seaweed Soup — 미역국 — “MiYeok Guk”
using seaweed by SEA:D and mineral-rich bone broth using 100% Grass-Fed & Finished Beef Bones by Sugar Hill Farmstead

(I’m asked by a lot of you: “which brand do you use?” for these 2 ingredients - hope this post helps!)

A quick note on the broth:
This miyeok-guk is made using a second-extraction bone broth — a traditional, gentle way of pulling minerals from bones that have already been used once. It creates a lighter, clearer broth that pairs beautifully with seaweed and is especially supportive during pregnancy, postpartum, and any season where the body needs a little extra support.

I’ll explain exactly how I do this below, and I’ll also share an easy option if you don’t have bones on hand.

If you’ve ever made Korean Seaweed Soup (Miyeok-guk), you know the struggle can be quite real (but I have a solution for you - read on!)

The dried seaweed takes forever to cut into bite-size pieces, and sometimes—IYKYK—you even find random plastic netting tangled inside the seaweed. Even in the “good quality” ones.

But this is a postpartum/pregnancy ESSENTIAL in my book… I wanted to somehow make it easy… and to encourage postpartum/pregnant mums to make it

— Enter SEA:D Seaweed x KimC Market—

Once you try SEA:D Sea Mustard from KimC Market, there’s no going back.

The chic little pouches eliminate every pain point of making Miyeok-guk:

✨ Pre-portioned for 2–3 servings (no need for weighing/guessing how much seaweed needs to go in the pot)
✨ Clean & each piece is SO silky: chef’s-kiss quality—no plastic threads, no labor-intensive cutting session
✨ Naturally dried by sun + sea breeze for max aroma & texture
✨ Deep-water harvested where the East Sea meets the South Sea (meaning it’s harvested in a nutrient-rich marine environment, a result of natural oceanographic processes)

It’s honestly the most convenient and high-quality seaweed I’ve ever used.

For today’s recipe, we’re making a 2-3 serving batch—perfect for small households, postpartum/pregnant mums, or anyone wanting a nourishing, mineral-rich meal without leftovers piling up in the fridge.

Why Koreans Eat Seaweed Soup

As a Korean American, I grew up eating Miyeok-guk every year on my birthday. The tradition comes from Korean mums drinking and eating this soup postpartum for healing and recovery. So serving it on birthdays honors the mum who birthed you. 🥹

Culturally speaking, it’s so comforting and nutritionally incredible… seaweed is one of the most mineral-dense foods on earth:

• boosts the immune system

• aids bone health (hello, calcium!)

• supports healthy blood formation—key for pregnancy + postpartum

• improves skin, hair, nails, and digestion

• helps with weight management

• can support reduced hair loss (postpartum mums, IYKYK)

To boost this soup’s healing properties, I use a “second-extraction broth” to create the soup base.

What Is a Second-Extraction?!

After making a rich bone broth, the bones still hold minerals deep within the bone matrix. By simmering those already-used bones again with fresh water, you create a lighter, clearer broth — lower in gelatin, but rich in bioavailable minerals.

This second extraction is traditionally used for delicate soups like miyeok-guk, where you want the nourishment of bones without overpowering the seaweed.

It’s an economical, ancestral practice — and especially supportive during pregnancy and postpartum (really it’s for any season you need support), when mineral replenishment matters just as much as protein.

🍲 2-3 Serving Korean Seaweed Soup (Miyeok-guk)

INGREDIENTS

• 20g SEA:D Sea Mustard

• Filtered water to soak seaweed/sea mustard

• 3-4 cups broth (for extra gut-health benefits - I’ll explain how I extract this below)

• 1 garlic clove, minced

• ½ tbsp coconut aminos

• 1 lb protein of choice (I prefer: ground beef or shredded beef brisket. Shrimp works!)

• 4 tsp sea salt (adjust to taste)

• Optional: 3 dried anchovies (big)

• ½ tbsp fish sauce (optional, but highly recommended)

METHOD

1. Soak the seaweed.
   Submerge the SEA:D Sea Mustard in a bowl of filtered water for 10–15 minutes until it softens and expands.
   Rinse & drain.

2. Start the broth (second extraction):
   Add the already-used marrow bones from a previous bone broth batch to your Instant Pot, along with the soaked seaweed and 4 cups filtered water.

These bones have already given up their gelatin and richness, but they still contain valuable minerals deep within the bone. Simmering them again creates a lighter, mineral-rich broth — often called a second extraction or remouillage — which is perfect for delicate soups like miyeok-guk.

1. Add aromatics.
   Dried anchovies, garlic, fish sauce, and coconut aminos. Season with sea salt to taste.

2. Add protein.
   Drop in your meat of choice (I use 100% grass fed ground beef or brisket).

3. Seal the lid and cook on Low Pressure for 30 minutes.

4. Quick release outside (taking the pot outside to release keeps your indoor air clean - this is so key for those struggling with eczema / allergies!)

5. You’ll end up with a clear, gentle broth that lets the silky seaweed shine while still delivering deep nourishment.

STORAGE

• Refrigerate: 3 days

• Freeze: up to 3 months (seaweed freezes beautifully)

• To Reheat: defrost from frozen in the fridge overnight and bring it to a boil when ready to serve.

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Don’t Have Bones?
Here’s How to Make It Anyway

If you don’t have previously used bones for a second-extraction broth, you can absolutely still make this soup — and it will still be comforting and delicious.*

Simply:

- Skip the bones

- Use 3–4 cups filtered water

- Cook everything together at a gentle simmer on the stovetop for 20 minutes

*While this version won’t offer the same mineral depth as a second-extraction broth, it’s still a beautiful, nourishing soup — and a great place to start if you’re new to broth-making.

Why SEA:D Seaweed Is Next-Level

SEA:D’s seaweed is grown in clean, deep waters where the East Sea meets the South Sea—an environment known for mineral-rich currents and low pests. The seaweed is hand-selected, naturally sun-dried + wind-dried, and packaged into perfect small-batch portions.

No need for cutting. No weighing.
You just open, soak, cook n’ enjoy the silkiest miyeok.

If you want smooth, ultra-silky, restaurant-quality Miyeok-guk at home, this is your go-to seaweed.

👉 Shop it here with my code MUMWITHABUN for $5 off.

Minimum purchase of USD49 required. Code Use limited to one use per customer.

🌊 NUTRITION SPOTLIGHT
(Why Seaweed = a Mum Superfood)

Seaweed is naturally rich in:

CALCIUM – essential for heart + bone/teeth health and preventing bone loss postpartum
IODINE – critical for thyroid health & baby’s brain development (baby leans on mum’s thyroid health/function in pregnancy too. It’s no wonder I craved seaweed all throughout pregnancy!) It’s also a nutrient that has helped numerous mums on the TTC journey ♡
IRON + COPPER + FOLATE + MAGNESIUM – supports

• blood formation,

• energy,

• recovery &

• postpartum healing

(so important to restore these minerals as life can drain us of it, but especially critical in pregnancy & postpartum)

Pregnancy basically requires a doubling of your blood volume, and postpartum recovery requires major nutrient/blood loss replenishment—seaweed delivers all of that in a gentle, digestible form.

Share this recipe with a mum friend, mums-to-be, or anyone wanting to nourish their body the Korean, ancestral way.

Ancestral Bone Broth: Simple, Mineral-Rich Nourishment for the Whole Family

Oxtail with Homemade Broth From Quality Beef

SOURCING NOTE

“For centuries, people drew strength from mineral-rich foods like bone broth… But industrial farming, soil depletion, and food refinement have stripped away the nutrients that once kept us resilient and calm.”
— Jordan Rubin, The Biblio Diet

Many store-bought broths today are not made from 100% grass-fed, grass-finished bones. Often they rely on powders, hides, or lower-quality inputs and also include preservatives / processing aids (chemicals) that don’t align with traditional preparation methods / my gut health needs.

MEAT STRAIGHT FROM THE SOURCE

I choose to source directly from local farmers whose practices & animal feed align with my values—because quality of every bite matters, especially since nourishment & gut healing is priority for my growing family.

Grass-fed + Grass-finished Beef Bone (always) —
“You are what your food eats too.”

Hawaiian Island friends: Sugar Hill Farmstead is offering a limited-time first-order discount with code MUMWITHABUN25 should you be interested in ordering meat directly from the farmers I have connected extensively with to ensure their practices and beef is quality I can trust. I hope this helps you and your family get some quality meat into your day ♡

BEEF BROTH RECIPE

Ingredients

• 6-7 beef marrow bones (grass-fed & grass-finished)

  • Option: bake them & hollow them out first (See here: make the most of the marrow!)

• Filtered water

Method

1. Place bones in a large pot, filling about ¼–⅓ of the pot with bones.

2. Add filtered water, leaving 1–2 inches of space at the top.

3. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat.

4. Cover, reduce to low, and simmer 4–5 hours
   (or 1 hour using a pressure cooker - see note at the end for how I do this).

5. Check occasionally (ever hour or so) to ensure bones remain submerged, adding water as needed.

That’s it.

Note: We’re using high-quality bones, so I don’t skim anything off to toss/trash it. What you’ll see are bits of marrow, connective tissue, and gelatin—exactly what we want.

How I Reuse the Bones

The solidified grass-fed & finished beef fat (tallow) is incredible in quality & value. I do not recommend using/saving animal fat if it’s not high quality.

After the first batch:

• Refrigerate the whole pot.

• Break off the solidified fat, store, and reuse it as cooking fat (especially healthy for you as long as you are using quality bones as mentioned!)

• Ladle the broth into glass airtight jars. Leave bones in pot.

• Refill the pot with filtered water and repeat for a second extraction. This is what my Korean mum taught me to do!
  (known as remouillage in French cooking)

• Or pressure cook bones submerged in water for 1 hour with seaweed for a Korean-style seaweed soup!

How to Use Broth

Sprinkle it with a bit of sea salt and now it directly lowers excess stress hormones.

• Sip warm like tea (especially in the morning)

• Soup base for:

  • Korean Seaweed Soup

  • Korean Rice Cake Soup

  • Korean Kalbi Tang

• Replace water with broth when cooking beans, grains, or vegetables (option to use it in sweet cooking/baking too!)

Storage & Reheating

Fridge: Keep the defatted broth in airtight glass containers in the fridge for 3-7 days. 
Freezer: Ladle into freezer-safe glass containers - lasts 7 months - 12 months.

““Bones are literally the gift that keeps on giving.””

— Jane / mumwithabun

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Homemade Broth FAQ

Q: Which bones do you use?
A: This recipe uses marrow bones because I’m sharing how I cook through a cow share, and that’s what came with mine. Marrow bones are actually my personal favorite because I can get multiple uses from one bag.

I first roast the bones, scoop out the marrow (I use it for cooking and marrow “lollipops” for my kids), and then use the hollowed bones to make broth.

If you’re using other bones, this recipe still works beautifully. Knuckle and joint bones are especially great if your main goal is maximizing gelatin. That said, some people—especially those prone to kidney stones—do better keeping very high gelatin intake moderate.

For these reasons, I’m using marrow bones after removing the marrow — a balanced option.

Q: What do you do with the tallow?
A: We use grass-fed, grass-finished tallow for almost all of our cooking and baking.

Tallow:

• Is very stable at high heat and doesn’t oxidize like seed oils

• Contains fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K) and CLA when sourced from grass-fed beef

• Has a high smoke point (around 400–420°F or higher)

Outside of what comes from our cow shares, the only tallow I use is 100% grass-fed and tested for contaminants from Lineage (linked here).

Q: Do you have a link to these containers?
A: Yes! These are the glass jars with glass lids that I use to store broth. We’ve used this exact brand for over 6 years. They hold just over 2 cups—just be sure to leave a little space at the top before freezing, since liquid expands.

If you prefer plastic lids on the same jars for convenience, I’m linking those as well.

Q: How do you store this?

• Fridge: Store defatted broth in airtight glass containers for 3–7 days

• Freezer: Freeze in glass containers for 7–12 months

Q: Why is your broth white? I see brown ones at the market!
A: There are several interpretations of what “broth” means. What I make is rooted in my Korean ancestral way of preparing broth, which traditionally results in a lighter, milky-white color.

This comes from:

• Long, gentle simmering

• Emulsification of minerals, gelatin, and any remaining fats ♡

Most store-bought “broth” is closer to a meat stock—darker, roasted, and likely clarified for consistency and shelf stability. Neither version is “wrong”; they’re just different traditions and there are different intentions.

Q: How many times can you re-use the bones?
A: The best broth extraction you’re going to get is the first one - it’s going to give you the most gelatin / jiggle once it cools (especially if you’re using marrow and knuckle bones). The second broth extraction is still going to be mineral rich but it’s going to be much lighter — perfect for soup bases where you want other ingredients to shine.

My mom has used beef bones for a 3rd batch, but I like to stick to 2 batches max. I have to keep in mind histamine levels for my kids and while it’s cool to embrace the no-waste mentality and cook the bones until they crumble with a decently forced pinch, I like to keep my first time simmer at 5 hours max. and my second extraction at 1 hour max. in a pressure cooker / IP.