Looking for an easy show-stopping noodle dish? Look no further! This simple vegan japchae recipe made with sweet potato glass noodles is one of our go-tos! It's:
Sweet
Spicy
Easy to prepare
And offers big savings!
What Are Glass Noodles
Have you ever cooked with Korean vermicelli or sweet potato glass noodles? The first time I had these noodles I was a little confused as to how they were made out of sweet potatoes.
Sweet potato starch and water create these see through, nutty, chewy, and slightly sweet noodles.
I love using these as an alternative to rice noodles or soba noodles. They're so flavourful and I find them easier to work with. They have a firm, chewy texture that holds up better if you have a habit of overcooking noodles (like I do).
You may have a harder time finding these noodles in your local grocery store. If that's the case, these are worth the trip to an Asian market! A 400g package costs us: CAD $2.29. Some brands of these noodles come pre-cut, but most often, you will find that the noodle strands are very long...
Your glass noodles will cook in about 8 minutes
Drain the cooking water
Rinse the noodles with fresh cold water
And, using your kitchen shears, cut the long strands down to 6-8 inches
*I like to drizzle them with sesame oil if they will be sitting for a little bit, just to make sure they don't stick together too much
What Is Korean Japchae
My Korean Kitchen has a great traditional japchae and some more information on this popular Korean dish. Sue explains that japchae translates as "mixed vegetables" but is often made with the addition of beef.
Our vegan japchae recipe has two deviations from the traditional:
- We swap beef for well seasoned tofu.
- And we add some spice into the mix!
Why Make A Vegan Japchae Recipe
You can definitely make your japchae with beef, but if you're hesitant to use tofu... take a look at these savings!
- Our recipe using veggies and 350g tofu costs us: CAD $14.27 ($2.38/serving) for 6 large main dishes.
- Our recipe with veggies and 1 pound flank marinating steak would cost us: CAD $24.66 ($4.11/serving)... and that's using a wholesale price for the beef.
That's a savings of at least CAD $10.39!
Unseasoned tofu is just like unseasoned meat... pretty darn bland.
So we infuse it with lots of flavour using:
Tamari (or soy sauce),
Maple syrup,
Ginger,
Garlic,
And a nice kick of heat from Chilli Garlic Sauce!
We don't keep many store-bought sauces in our fridge, but chilli garlic sauce is one that we always have on hand. It lasts us months and months; a little goes a long way; and just a teaspoon adds a big kick of flavour.
If you don't have chilli garlic sauce, you could use chilli flakes or slice up half of a red Thai chilli pepper for the heat. (We always keep a bag of red Thai chillies in our freezer... just freeze them whole and grab one whenever you need it)!
Serving Size
Traditionally, japchae is most often served as a side dish. The package of glass noodles that we purchase is 400g and well... we just make the whole thing! Which means... this vegan japchae recipe makes a very large portion and we have tasty leftovers for our lunches over the next couple of days.
You can easily get 6 main dish servings out of this recipe. Alternatively, if you're cooking for a large group, you can cook up this whole batch and serve it more traditionally; as a side dish. However, if you're feeding a smaller amount of people and want to halve this recipe, you can find smaller packages of noodles, or simply reserve half the dry noodles for another day.
Let us know in the comments below if you grab a package of Korean vermicelli and try this simple vegan japchae recipe!
Consider serving my easy Lettuce "Kimchi" Style Salad on the side!
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Vegan Japchae Recipe - Simple Sweet Potato Glass Noodles
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings, main dish 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This simple vegan Japchae recipe is one of our go-to noodle dishes! Korean sweet potato glass noodles star in this sweet and spicy dish!
Ingredients
- 400g Korean vermicelli, sweet potato glass noodles (see notes for using less noodles)
Sauce:
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tsp fresh ginger, minced or grated
- 6 tbsp tamari (or soy sauce)
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tsp chilli garlic sauce (or sub ½ a red chilli, ½ teaspoon chilli flakes, or omit if you don’t want the spice)
- 2 tsp cornstarch or arrowroot starch
- 4 tbsp water
Add ins:
- 350g extra-firm tofu (drained and pressed)
- 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
- 2 carrots, peeled and sliced*
- 2 cups spinach, packed*
- 100g shiitake or enoki mushrooms*
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds (if raw, simply add to a hot pan and toast for a few minutes)
*Fresh ingredients you need that are not part of our pantry and freezer tips.
Instructions
Start by making sure your tofu has been drained and the excess water pressed out.
- Combine all the sauce ingredients in a large bowl.
- Slice tofu into thin strips and gently add it to the sauce, making sure each piece of tofu gets coated. Allow the tofu to marinate in the sauce while you prepare the other ingredients.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil for your noodles and slice your onion, carrot, and mushrooms (if using enoki, slice off the woody end and toss it in your veggie scraps for homemade broth!)
- Add noodles to the boiling water and cook as per the package (usually around 8 minutes). Drain in a colander and rinse with cold water. Transfer to a bowl and use kitchen shears to cut the noodles down to 6-8 inches. Drizzle the noodles with sesame oil so they don’t stick. Let sit.
- Heat up a large skillet with another drizzle of sesame oil (or use veggie broth or water). When hot, gently lift the tofu out of the marinade and place in your skillet (leaving the remaining sauce behind). Cook until browned for 3-4 minutes per side. Add more oil, water, or broth if the tofu is sticking. Remove the tofu from the skillet and set aside.
- Add the onions to the skillet (adding more oil or broth if needed). Cook for 1 minute. Add carrots, stir, and cover, allowing to steam for 3 minutes. Stir periodically. Add spinach, about ¼ of the sauce, and the mushrooms. Cook for another 2 minutes.
- Add the noodles and the sauce. Gently toss everything to combine. Cook for another 1-2 minutes to combine all the flavours. (Make sure the heat is high enough that the sauce bubbles and the starch activates. This will thicken the sauce so it can coat the noodles).
- Add to your serving dish, top with tofu, and toasted sesame seeds! Drizzle with extra tamari, chilli garlic sauce, or a touch of sesame oil if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
Approximate Cost: CAD $14.27 ($2.38/serving) using veggies and tofu vs. approximately, CAD $24.66 with veggies and 1 pound flank marinating steak at a wholesale price. That’s a savings of $10.39!
If using the full 400g of noodles for 6 servings you will need a large skillet! This recipe makes a lot. We love having leftovers for a couple of days but feel free to use half the amount of noodles! You can keep the sauce and veggie amounts mostly the same for a more saucy and veggie loaded version.
If you substitute rice noodles for the sweet potato noodles you may want to consider making a bit more sauce as the rice noodles will absorb more. OR... drizzle the finished dish with extra tamari, chilli garlic sauce, and/or sesame oil to your taste!
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Main Dishes
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: South Korean
Sheelagh
LOVE this sauce! No tofu I've ever made has tasted so good!!
Kathryn Alexandre
Oh fantastic! We're so glad you loved it!
Maria
This dish is delicious! The sauce was so simple to make & packed full of flavour! Make sure you toast the sesame seeds. The taste & aroma of this garnish makes the recipe a 5+
Kathryn Alexandre
Toasting sesame seeds is a game changer! We're so glad you enjoyed it!