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 1/2 a red chilli, 1/2 tsp 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 (you can reserve some for serving if you prefer) and gently toss everything to combine. Cook for another 1-2 minutes to combine all the flavours.
- 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