If you are looking for a gluten-free stir fry noodle dish packed full of veggies and flavour, Japchae should definitely be your choice!
What is Japchae? We've never been to Korea but we love Asian food and Korean food is not an exception. We normally order Bibimbap when we go to a Korean restaurant as they always have it as a vegetarian option and it's delicious but I tried Japchae one day and haven't been able to order anything else since.
Japchae is a Korean sweet potato glass noodle stir fry packed with veggies, protein (tofu as a vegan option) and a delicious homemade sweet soy sauce. The Korean glass noodles made out of sweet potato starch are normally gluten-free and really fun to eat. Chewy, healthy and delicious!
Our recipe is made with tofu as the main protein source keeping the dish plant-based. Note that Japchae is traditionally made with meat and egg but this is our vegan version to this lovely Korean meal.
Ingredients
Sweet Potato Noodles or Korean Vermicelli. Made from sweet potato starch, you can find this type of noodles in Asian supermarkets or online. When dry, they have a greyish colour. After boiling them in water for a couple of minutes they have a really chewy texture that makes this dish so unique.
Shiitake Mushrooms. Dried or fresh, shiitake mushrooms are a must when making Vegan Japchae. They give the dish an umami touch and adds a great texture to it. If you are using dried shiitake mushrooms, they will need to be left in warm water for at least 30 minutes before using them in order to rehydrate the mushrooms.
Protein. Tofu is always our favourite choice when making Asian dishes. For this recipe, we marinate the tofu in the sweet soy sauce while cutting the veggies. If you want to make this dish vegetarian instead of vegan, you can use egg as the protein. Make an omelette and cut it to a similar size as the veggies, then add it at the end.
Fresh veggies. At home, we use carrots, red bell pepper, shallots, spring onions and spinach. We like to keep it simple, colourful and flavourful. Try cutting the carrots, pepper, shallots and spring onion to similar sizes so they all cook at similar times. The spinach is added at the end it only needs a minute to cook.
Sweet Soy Sauce. This delicious sauce is made using simply three ingredients: soy sauce (use tamari for gluten-free option), sesame oil and brown sugar. We use it to marinate the tofu first and then to add into the stir fry at the end.
Garlic and ginger paste. Crushed garlic and ginger give the tofu marinade a more unique flavour.
Sesame seeds. A Japchae is not complete without sesame seeds added on the top.
How to prepare Vegan Japchae step by step
- Marinate the tofu. The tofu marinade we use is the same sauce that will go in the stir fry later on. Combine soy sauce, sesame oil and sugar and whisk until all the ingredients are well mixed. Add the garlic and ginger paste (crushed garlic and pressed or shredded ginger), and then the tofu cut into triangles or cubes. Leave marinating while preparing the rest of the ingredients Note: To make the garlic and ginger paste we use our garlic press and it works really well.
- Cook the noodles. Using a big pan, bring water to a boil and add the noodles. Cook for about 6-7 minutes and rinse with cold water. Make sure the noodles are cold to stop them from cooking further and leave aside. Cut all your veggies to similar sizes while the tofu is marinating.
- Heat some oil in a pan (you can use sesame oil or another type of vegetable oil) and using tongs, add the tofu. It's important that the sauce is left in the bowl where the tofu has been marinating as it will be used later. Once the tofu is cooked both sides, transfer into a bowl and set aside.
- Using the same pan over medium heat, cook the veggies. First, add the shallots and spring onions. Cook for a couple of minutes and add the carrots and red peppers. Let the vegetables cook for 3-4 minutes before adding the shiitake mushrooms and keep cooking. The vegetables shouldn't be cooked for a long time as you want them to have a bit of a crunch when serving.
- Once the vegetables are cooked, add the tofu and spinach and stir until the spinach has wilted.
- Last, add the cooked noodles and the rest of the sauce. Using tongs mix well making sure all the ingredients are combined. Add some sesame seeds and serve.
Note: You can add chili paste or toasted sesame chili oil to add some spice to the dish.
How to make Japchae without Sweet Potato Noodles
Sometimes this type of noodle is not easy to find if you don't have an Asian supermarket close to you. You can always find sweet potato glass noodles online or use an alternative such as rice vermicelli noodles.
Rice vermicelli noodles have a similar texture when cooked and they will work really good as the stir fry base. As they are extremely thin, you don't need to cook them in boiling water. Simply place them into a big bowl with warm water for a couple of minutes. It's better to set them aside when they are still chewy as they will finish cooking in the pan with the rest of the ingredients.
Is Vegan Japchae Gluten-free?
Yes, Japchae can be easily made gluten-free.
Sweet potato noodles are naturally gluten-free but some companies add wheat flour to them. Check the ingredients on the packet to make sure the brand you are buying is gluten-free.
The other ingredient you will need to be careful about when making Japchae gluten-free is the soy sauce. Use tamari (gluten-free soy sauce) to make sure that the meal is free of gluten.
If both of these ingredients are kept gluten-free, Japchae can be a great option for people with gluten allergies or trying to reduce the amount of gluten intake.
Kids and Toddler Friendly
Noodles are always a fun option for kids and toddlers. Whether they are still eating with their hands or already using cutlery, noodles are an amazing option to improve their motor skills as they can feed themselves. Our son Luca loves the sweet potato noodles because of their texture.
When we cook this recipe for Luca, we skip the sugar and add less soy sauce. To prepare the marinade and sauce, we use soy sauce (reduced amount), sesame oil and water or stock. If you are using dried shiitake mushrooms, you can use the stock left from rehydrating the shiitake mushrooms to add into the sauce. This way, the sauce it's healthier.
Broccoli, cabbage or green beans are other options to add into the dish so it contains more veggies for your little ones.
If you liked our Vegan Japchae recipe, check our other Noodles Recipes
Rice Noodle Napa Cabbage Stir Fry
Vegan Japchae (Korean Glass Noodles)
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons water or stock
- 2 teaspoon sugar
- 200 g firm tofu
- 3 garlic clove
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger
- 200 g Sweet Potato Noodles
- 2 shallots
- 1 spring onion
- 2 small carrots
- ½ red bell pepper
- 4-5 shiitake mushrooms
- 150 g spinach
Instructions
- If you are using dry shiitake mushrooms put them in warm water for at least 30 minutes. Keep the water as it will be used in the sauce.
- Prepare the marinade. Combine the soy sauce, sesame oil, stock or water (use the shiitake stock when using dry shiitakes) and sugar and whisk until all the ingredients are well mixed. Crush the garlic cloves and press or shred the ginger and add into the marinade.
- Cut the tofu into triangles or cubes and add into the marinade bowl. Leave the tofu marinating while preparing the rest of the ingredients.
- Cook the noodles. Using a big pan, bring water to a boil and add the noodles. Cook for about 6-7 minutes and rinse with cold water. Make sure the noodles are cold to stop them from cooking further and leave aside.
- Cut the veggies. Cut the shallots in half and finely slice. Cut the top and bottom part of the spring onion, cut in half lengthwise and slice into longish strips. Peel and cut the carrot into long thin strips and cut the red pepper the same way, trying to keep all the veggies the same size. lice the shiitake mushrooms and roughly chop the spinach.
- Heat some oil in a pan (you can use sesame oil or another type of vegetable oil) and using tongs, add the tofu. It's important that the sauce is left in the bowl where the tofu has been marinating as it will be used later. Once the tofu is cooked both sides, transfer into a bowl and set aside.
- Using the same pan over medium heat, cook the veggies. First, add the shallots and spring onions. Cook for a couple of minutes and add the carrots and red peppers. Let the vegetables cook for 3-4 minutes before adding the shiitake mushrooms and keep cooking. The vegetables shouldn't be cooked for a long time as you want them to have a bit of a crunch when serving.
- Once the vegetables are cooked, add the tofu and spinach and stir until the spinach has wilted.
- Last, add the cooked noodles and the rest of the sauce. Using tongs mix well making sure all the ingredients are combined. Add some sesame seeds and serve.
Nutrition
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Holly says
What a beautiful japchae! I am glad that you turned into vegan version. Japchae can be easily converted to vegan/vegetarian diet and you made it great. I like the addition of tofu. Yummy!
Laura says
Thank you Holly!