Korean · Lunch · Dinner
Vegetarian Japchae
잡채
Glossy, chewy sweet potato glass noodles tossed with colourful stir-fried vegetables, shiitake mushrooms and tofu in a savoury-sweet soy and sesame dressing. A lighter take on the Korean favourite, made with less oil and plenty of vegetables.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Total
- 55 min
- Serves
- 4
Calories come from: Carbs 53% · Fat 33% · Protein 14%
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Ingredients
For 4 servings- 200 gSweet potato glass noodles (dangmyeon), dry
- 3 litres3,000 gWater, for boiling
- 7 cups loosely packed200 gFresh spinach
- 200 g blockFirm tofu
- 2 cups sliced150 gFresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced
- 1 medium80 gCarrot, cut into matchsticks
- 1 medium110 gOnion, thinly sliced
- 1 medium120 gRed bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 3 stalks45 gSpring onions, cut into 5 cm lengths
- 3 cloves9 gGarlic, minced
- 2 large100 gEggs
- 3 tbsp48 gReduced-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tbsp13 gSugar
- 1 1/2 tbsp20 gToasted sesame oil
- 1 tbsp14 gNeutral cooking oil (canola)
- 1 tbsp9 gToasted sesame seeds
- 1/4 tspSalt
- 1/4 tspBlack pepper, ground
Steps
- 1
Bring the 3 litres of water to a boil in a large pot.
- 2
Mix the soy sauce, sugar, garlic, 1 tbsp of the sesame oil and the black pepper in a small bowl to make the sauce.
- 3
Pat the tofu dry and cut it into thin strips.
- 4
Blanch the spinach in the boiling water for 30 seconds, lift it out with tongs, rinse under cold water and squeeze out the excess liquid.
- 5
Toss the spinach with the salt and the remaining 1/2 tbsp sesame oil.
- 6
Boil the noodles in the same water for 6–7 minutes until soft and chewy.
- 7
Drain the noodles, rinse briefly under cold water, and cut them a few times with scissors into manageable lengths.
- 8
Beat the eggs and brush a non-stick pan with a little of the canola oil.
- 9
Cook the eggs as a thin omelette over low heat for about 2 minutes, flip, then cook 30 seconds more until fully set.
- 10
Roll the omelette and slice it into thin ribbons.
- 11
Add a little more canola oil to the pan and fry the tofu strips over medium-high heat for 5–6 minutes until golden.
- 12
Stir-fry the onion and carrot in the remaining canola oil for 3 minutes.
- 13
Add the shiitake and bell pepper and stir-fry for 3 minutes until just tender.
- 14
Add the spring onions and cook for 30 seconds.
- 15
Add the noodles and the sauce to the pan and toss over medium heat for 2 minutes until the noodles are glossy and heated through.
- 16
Turn off the heat and fold in the spinach and tofu.
- 17
Serve topped with the egg ribbons and sesame seeds, warm or at room temperature.
Swaps, storage and make-ahead
Swaps
- For a vegan version, leave out the egg ribbons and add extra tofu or a handful of edamame instead.
- For a gluten-free version, use tamari labelled gluten-free instead of soy sauce and choose noodles labelled 100% sweet potato starch.
- Swap the fresh shiitake for rehydrated dried shiitake or sliced button mushrooms if fresh shiitake is hard to find.
- Use baby spinach or thinly sliced bok choy in place of the spinach if that is what you have on hand.
Storage
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container within 2 hours and eat within 3 to 4 days, reheating in a pan or microwave until steaming hot. Do not freeze, as the glass noodles turn hard and brittle once thawed.
Make ahead
Up to a day ahead, slice the vegetables and tofu, mix the sauce and blanch the spinach, then keep them covered in the fridge. Cook the noodles and toss everything together just before serving so the noodles stay soft and chewy.
Nutrition values are for the recipe as written.
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Allergens and nutrition
Contains: SoyGlutenEggsSesame
Check the labels of packaged ingredients for allergens and suitability for your diet.
Full nutrition
| Per serving (1,080 g) | Per 100 g | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 449 kcal | 42 kcal |
| Protein | 16.8 g | 1.6 g |
| Carbohydrates | 61.3 g | 5.7 g |
| of which sugars | 8 g | 0.7 g |
| Fiber | 5.9 g | 0.5 g |
| Fat | 17 g | 1.6 g |
| of which saturated | 2.6 g | 0.2 g |
| Sodium | 716 mg | 66 mg |
Nutrition is calculated from USDA FoodData Central data and may differ from what you cook.
