#japchae

Vegan Korean Japchae: The Ultimate Noodle Bowl 🌱🥢

If you love noodles, you NEED to try Japchae. It’s a beautiful tangle of chewy, bouncy glass noodles and a rainbow of crisp-tender veggies, all coated in a glossy, savory-sweet sesame sauce.

It’s a bit of a prep project, but the method of cooking each veggie separately is what makes it so special. The result is a dish where every single ingredient shines. Perfect for a satisfying lunch or a show-stopping potluck contribution.

Key Details

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Servings: 4 as a main, 6 as a side

Difficulty: Intermediate

Estimated Calories

Per Serving (as a main): Approximately 400-500 calories.

Ingredients

For the Noodles & Sauce:

8 oz (225g) Korean sweet potato starch noodles (dangmyeon)

¼ cup soy sauce (or tamari for gluten-free)

3 tbsp coconut sugar or brown sugar

2 tbsp toasted sesame oil

1 tbsp neutral oil (avocado, vegetable)

For the Vegetables:

4-5 dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked in hot water until soft*

1 large carrot, cut into matchsticks

1 onion, thinly sliced

1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

2 handfuls of fresh spinach

4-5 green onions, cut into 2-inch lengths

For Garnish:

1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

More sliced green onion

Save the mushroom soaking liquid! It's flavorful vegan "umami water."

How to Prepare

1. Prepare the Components:

Noodles: Cook the sweet potato noodles according to package directions (usually boil for 6-8 minutes). They should be chewy but cooked through. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking. Use kitchen shears to cut the noodles a few times so they're easier to eat.

Mushrooms: Once soaked, squeeze the liquid from the shiitake mushrooms, remove the tough stems, and slice the caps thinly.

Sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, sugar, and toasted sesame oil until the sugar dissolves.

2. Stir-Fry the Vegetables (Individually):

This is the key to perfect Japchae! Heat a large wok or skillet over medium-high heat with a tiny bit of neutral oil.

Cook the vegetables in the following order, seasoning each batch with a tiny pinch of salt and removing them to a large bowl once tender-crisp:

Carrots (2-3 minutes)

Onion and bell pepper (3-4 minutes)

Shiitake mushrooms (2-3 minutes)

Green onions (1 minute)

Spinach (just until wilted, ~1 minute)

3. Combine Everything:

Return the empty wok to medium heat. Add the cooked noodles and the prepared sauce.

Toss the noodles gently for 2-3 minutes until they are heated through and have absorbed the sauce.

Add all the cooked vegetables back into the wok. Use tongs or two large spoons to toss everything together until evenly combined and heated through.

4. Serve:

Transfer to a large serving platter. Garnish generously with toasted sesame seeds and extra sliced green onion.

職場の仲良しが作ってきてくれた“カンジャンセウ”（えびの醤油漬）が本当に美味しかったー❣️😋 貰った時に、これは絶対ご飯と一緒に食べたい！と言ったら、なんと本場の韓国では「ご飯泥棒」といわれているんですって！！ 一晩おいて、今朝早速ご飯と一緒にいただきました😋 一応殻は取り除いたんだけど、その外した殻もバリバリと食べちゃったー😆果たして食べ方は合ってたのかな〜？😂

Banchan