Our Vegan Yakisoba recipe is a plant-based version of the classic Japanese noodle dish. Packed with veggies, coated with an umami-rich sauce, and served with crispy tofu, our Yakisoba noodles are a favorite meal at home.
What is Yakisoba?
Yakisoba is a popular Japanese street food dish that is now popular around the world. Yakisoba literally means "fried buckwheat" in Japanese, so many people think that this dish is made with soba noodles. The noodles used in this dish are actually made from wheat flour.
Yakisoba is typically stir-fried with a variety of vegetables and protein, and seasoned with a sweet and savory sauce. Our Vegan version features crispy tofu as the main protein, different stir-fried veggies such as carrot, shiitake mushrooms, cabbage, broccoli, and red pepper, and an umami-rich homemade sauce made using just 4 ingredients.
Vegan Protein for Yakisoba
Our favorite plant-based protein when it comes to Yakisoba noodles is Tofu. Its texture makes it perfect to soak the flavor of the sauce, is easy to find in most supermarkets, and is inexpensive.
If you have some extra time and want to make a crispy tofu schnitzel to serve on top of the noodles, you can check out our Tofu Schnitzel recipe. This is our choice when it comes to preparing tofu for noodles stir-fries.
Other vegan protein options include tempeh, seitan, mushrooms, or edamame.
Yakisoba Sauce
Our sauce is 100% vegan and can be easily made gluten-free. All you need are four ingredients: Ketchup, soy sauce or tamari for a gluten-free option, Vegan Oyster Sauce or Mushroom sauce, and Maple syrup or another sweetener. You can find alternatives for these ingredients in the ingredients section.
Yakisoba Noodles
Yakisoba noodles are a type of Japanese noodle that is similar to ramen noodles. They are made from wheat flour, water, and kansui.
Yakisoba noodles are sometimes available in Asian supermarkets (frozen section) Brands like Maruchan or Nissin are well-known for Yakisoba Noodles. Otherwise, you can get chow-mein noodles or stir-fried style noodles which are a great substitute for Yakisoba Noodles.
Our Vegan Yakisoba with Tofu is:
- A Japanese-style recipe
- A Noodle stir-fry
- Easy to prepare
- Served with tofu
- Umami-rich
- Family-friendly
- Made with homemade Yakisoba sauce
- Asian-style
How to make Vegan Yakisoba
Ingredients
Yakisoba Noodles. We can find Yakisoba noodles in our local Asian supermarket (frozen section). Other times, when we don't have them at home and want to cook this meal, we use chow-mein noodles or stir-fried style noodles which are a great substitute for Yakisoba Noodles. Many Chow Mein noodles contain eggs, so if you want to keep this recipe vegan, you need to make sure you are using vegan noodles.
Fresh vegetables. For our Vegan Yakisoba, we use crunchy veggies that cook well in stir-fries such as broccoli, cabbage, red bell peppers, carrot, and shiitake mushrooms. You can try adding other veggies such as zucchini, snap peas, green beans, bean sprouts, yellow onion, baby corns, or bok choy.
Tofu. When it comes to stir-fries, extra firm or firm tofu is our favorite protein. For this recipe, we breaded the tofu and pan-fried it until nice and crispy. You can alternatively, pan-fry the tofu with some soy sauce and sriracha to add more flavour. If you want to make the tofu as shown in the pictures, follow this Tofu Schnitzel recipe. You can as well, deep-fry the tofu to make tofu puffs, like we do for our Chop Suey. Alternative plant-based proteins are edamame beans, mushrooms, seitan, or tempeh.
Yakisoba Sauce. Making your own Yakisoba sauce is easy and the only way to make sure it will be 100% vegan. Normally, Yakisoba sauce contains Worcestershire sauce, which is not vegan as it contains anchovies. Our Yakisoba sauce is made by combining maple syrup, ketchup, soy sauce, and Vegan Oyster Sauce.
Garnishing ingredients. We love adding some dried seaweed and pickled ginger. If you cannot find pickled ginger, you can add some finely chopped or sliced fresh ginger while stir-frying the veggies.
Step-by-Step Method
- Combine all the yakisoba sauce ingredients. Using a medium size bowl combine the ketchup, soy sauce or tamari, maple syrup, and Vegetarian Oyster sauce.
- Cook the noodles following the package directions, drain, and reserve. We like cooking the yakisoba noodles al dente. You can add some sesame oil to avoid them from sticking.
- Finely slice the mushrooms, cabbage, carrots, and red peppers, and chop the broccoli. Heat some coconut or vegetable oil to medium heat using a wok or a large pan. Add the cut veggies and stir-fry for a couple of minutes. Add some water or vegetable stock and keep stirring until almost all the water has evaporated.
- When the veggies are cooked to your taste (we like them to still be a little crunchy), add the pre-cooked yakisoba noodles and the sauce mixture to the large wok or pan.
- Stir until everything is well combined.
- Add the tofu schnitzel cut into thin strips or your chosen protein and enjoy.
Variations for our Vegan Yakisoba Recipe
Here are some variations to our Vegan Yakisoba recipe that you can try at home:
Gluten-Free Yakisoba. To make this recipe gluten-free, simply replace the wheat noodles with gluten-free soba noodles (not all of them are gluten-free), or rice noodles. Make sure you are using tamari or coconut aminos instead of soy sauce to keep the recipe free of gluten.
Use another plant-based protein. Tofu is a popular protein source for vegan yakisoba, but there are other options you can try. Seitan and tempeh are both high-protein meat alternatives that work well in this dish. You can also try adding chickpeas or edamame for a boost of protein or making your own soy-free tofu using red lentils.
Add different veggies. Use seasonal veggies, vegetables that you love, or simply what you have on hand. You can also add some garlic and toasted sesame seeds for extra flavor.
Serving Suggestions
Vegan Yakisoba Noodles served with tofu is a delicious and filling meal that can be enjoyed on its own or paired with other dishes.
We personally like serving some steamed edamame as an appetizer or side, our delicious homemade gyozas, Agedashi Tofu, or a Japanese-style cucumber salad.
This Japanese stir-fried noodle dish is normally served with green onions, seaweed flakes, sesame seeds, or pickled ginger. These can add a pop of color and flavor to your Yakisoba. These simple additions can take the dish to the next level.
If you enjoy spicy food, consider adding some chili flakes, red chilis, or chili oil.
Storing and Reheating
If you have leftovers, store the Yakisoba with Tofu in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
To reheat, simply microwave the dish for 1-2 minutes or until heated through. Alternatively, you can reheat it on the stovetop using a frying pan with a little bit of oil. Just be sure to stir frequently to prevent sticking.
FAQ and Tips
Is Yakisoba sauce normally vegan?
Yakisoba sauce is typically made with Worcestershire sauce and oyster sauce, which are not vegan. This is why we make our own Yakisoba sauce, using 100% plant-based ingredients.
Are Yakisoba noodles vegan?
Yakisoba noodles are typically made from wheat flour, water, and kansui (an alkaline solution). They do not contain any animal products, so they are vegan-friendly.
Can I use another type of noodles?
You can adapt our recipe to your dietary restrictions or preferences by using other types of noodles such as buckwheat noodles, udon noodles, wheat-based noodles, fresh ramen noodles, or even egg noodles (vegetarian version).
Is Yakisoba made with soba noodles?
Despite its name, Yakisoba is not made with soba noodles (buckwheat noodles).
Cooking the noodles to perfection
When cooking the noodles, it's important to use enough water to prevent them from sticking together. Adding a tablespoon of oil to the water or once the noodles are drained can also help prevent sticking. We like adding sesame oil, as it adds umami. Once the noodles are cooked, rinse them with cold water to stop the cooking process and remove any excess starch.
Vegan Yakisoba with Tofu
Ingredients
Yakisoba Vegan Sauce
- 4 teaspoon ketchup
- 3 teaspoon soy sauce or tamari for gluten-free
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- 4 teaspoon vegan Oyster Sauce
Yakisoba Stir-fry
- 200 g Yakisoba noodles or chow mein noodles
- 7-8 shiitake mushrooms
- ¼ cabbage
- 1 carrot large
- ½ red pepper
- ¼ broccoli
- ½ cup water or vegetable stock
- Tofu schnitzel or plant-based protein of your choice
Garnishing
- Ginger Pickled
- Dried seaweed
Instructions
- Using a medium size bowl combine the ketchup, soy sauce or tamari, maple syrup, and Vegan Oyster sauce.
- Cook the noodles following the package directions, drain, and reserve. You can add some sesame oil to avoid them from sticking.
- Finely slice the mushrooms, cabbage, carrots, and red peppers, and chop the broccoli.
- Heat some coconut or vegetable oil using a wok or a large pan. Add the cut veggies and stir-fry for a couple of minutes. Pour the water or vegetable stock and keep stirring until almost all the water has evaporated.
- When the veggies are cooked to your taste (we like them to still be a little crunchy), add the cooked noodles and sauce to the wok or pan.
- Stir until everything is well combined, season with salt to your taste.
- Add the tofu schnitzel or cooked protein of your choice.
- Garnish with dried seaweed and ginger pickled, serve and enjoy.
Notes
- If you are not making our Tofu schnitzel for this recipe, adjust the cooking method with your chosen protein. You can pan-fry the tofu, deep-fry the tofu to make tofu puffs, or simply cook it in the wok with the rest of the veggies.
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If you tried our recipe, please leave a comment or tag us on Instagram @Sixhungryfeet. We are always happy to see your creations!
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