Japchae (Korean Stir-Fried Noodles)

In Korean, japchae means "mixed vegetables," and I think that's the perfect description! Along with the bouncy sweet potato glass noodles, the vegetables are the star of the dish. Spinach, carrots, bell peppers, and mushrooms take on the nutty and fragrant flavor of toasted sesame oil.

To highlight the variety of vegetables and their different textures, this version is vegetarian. For a vegan version, omit the egg strips. To add meat, I suggest adding some thin, stir-fried slices of marinated flank steak!

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Makes 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

Spinach:

• 140 g (5 oz) spinach

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil

• Pinch of salt

Noodle Sauce:

• 3 tbsp soy sauce

• 1 1/2 tbsp sugar

• 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• 1/2 tbsp white sesame seeds + more, for topping

Noodles:

• 200 g (7 oz) dried Korean sweet potato noodles

• 1/2 tbsp toasted sesame oil

Egg Strips:

• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil

• 1 egg, lightly beaten

Vegetables:

• 5 tsp vegetable oil, divided

• Salt, as needed

• 1 small carrot, peeled & julienned

• 1/2 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced

• 1/4 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

• 4 to 5 shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced

• 1 scallion, cut into 1” pieces

Instructions

Cook the Spinach:

• Bring a pot of water to a boil.

• Blanch the spinach in boiling water, about 15 to 30 seconds.

• Drain and run it under cold tap water. Squeeze out excess water and transfer the spinach to a bowl. Add the rest of the spinach ingredients, mix, and set aside.

Make the Noodle Sauce & Cook the Noodles:

• Bring a pot of water to a boil.

• In a bowl, mix all of the noodle sauce ingredients and set aside.

• Once the water is boiling, boil the noodles for about 6 to 7 minutes. Then, rinse them with cold tap water and shake off excess water.

• Cut the noodles into shorter pieces and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add half of the noodle sauce and mix.

• In a skillet over medium heat, add the sesame oil and stir fry the noodles for about 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer back into the large mixing bowl.

Make the Egg Strips:

• In the same skillet over medium heat, add 1 tsp sesame oil and the beaten egg. Swirl it around the pan to create a thin layer. Cook for about 1 minute, then flip to cook the other side. Once cooked, transfer to a plate to let cool.

Cook the Vegetables:

• In the same skillet over medium heat, add 1 tsp vegetable oil, onion, and a pinch of salt. Stir fry until tender. It should be soft, but still have a little crunch. Transfer to the large mixing bowl.

• Repeat the previous step with the yellow onion, red bell pepper, mushroom, and scallions.

Assemble & Serve:

• Take the cooled omelet, roll it up, and cut into thin strips. Transfer half of the strips to the large mixing bowl.

• Mix everything in the large mixing bowl together with the remaining noodle sauce. Serve with additional sesame seeds and the remaining egg topping.