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spicy vegan chapchae with kimchi on the side
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5 from 11 votes

Spicy Vegan Japchae Recipe

These vegan stir-fried Korean glass noodles are sweet, savory, and just the right amount of spicy!
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Dinner, Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: Korean
Keyword: japchae vegan, sweet potato glass noodles, vegan japchae, vegan japchae recipe
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 382kcal

Ingredients

  • 3 carrots
  • 1 red bell pepper
  • 1 savoy cabbage
  • 6 oz shiitake mushrooms
  • 3 green onions
  • 1 yellow onion
  • 14 oz dangmyeon noodles
  • 2 tbsp oil for stir-frying

Sauce

  • 7 tbsp soy sauce
  • 4 tbsp gochujang
  • 4 tbsp toasted sesame oil
  • 4 tsp minced garlic
  • 6 tbsp sugar
  • 2 tbsp sesame seeds
  • black pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Julienne your carrots and bell pepper, then chop your cabbage, mushrooms, green onions, and yellow onions. Set the vegetables aside for now, but do not combine them as we will be stir-frying them individually later.
  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then add in your dangmyeon noodles and cook for 12 minutes or until noodles are soft (these shouldn’t be al dente). When the noodles are done cooking, rinse them under cold water to cool them off and stop them from cooking further. When they’re cooled off, move them to a large mixing bowl.
  • Combine soy sauce, gochujang paste, toasted sesame seed oil, minced garlic, sugar, sesame seeds, and black pepper in a bowl and mix until consistent. Drizzle 6 tbsp of sauce over the noodles, then use your hands to evenly mix it in.
  • Using kitchen scissors, cut your noodles so that they are shorter and easier to grab/eat. Transfer them to a pan along with 1 tbsp of a neutral oil and stir-fry over medium-high heat for 4-6 minutes or until noodles start to become a little sticky.
  • Transfer noodles back to the bowl and then begin sauteeing each of your vegetables individually, adding more oil if necessary. Sautee the mushrooms last, drizzling 2 tablespoons of sauce onto them as they cook. This will help them absorb more of the flavor of the sauce. 
  • After your veggies are all sauteed, add them to the bowl of noodles. Add in the remaining sauce and use your hands to mix all ingredients thoroughly.
  • And just like that your spicy vegan japchae is ready to eat! Serve while hot, or refrigerate and serve cold. These noodles work both ways!

Notes

  • These noodles are loooong. Don’t worry if they don’t fully fit in the pot at first. Once they start cooking the exposed part willl slip under the surface of the water.
  • Dangmyeon noodles should be really soft and almost gelatinous. You don’t want these noodles to be al dente, so make sure they’re soft enough before taking them off the stove.
  • Cooking the vegetables separately will allow them to maintain their own flavor and color, and it will also insure that they keep the right texture as some vegetables may take longer to cook than others.
  • If you like your food a little spicier you can add in extra gochujang paste. However, this may make your sauce’s texture a little grainy, in which case you can add in a little water to thin it out.
  • These noodles should last in the fridge for at least a week when kept in an airtight container.
  • If the noodles start to become a little starchy after being refrigerated, you can warm them in the microwave and then stir thoroughly to return them to their original texture.

Nutrition

Calories: 382kcal | Carbohydrates: 67g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 932mg | Potassium: 519mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 15g