Spring Vegetable Japchae (Korean Glass Noodles) Recipe (2024)

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Cooking Notes

Lee Sung-Ai

I want to add a few points to make a great Japchae.1, Before mixing all cooked ingredients together, be sure each individual ingredients cool down. It will be tastier and keep freshness longer.2, If you are going to add beef, which is more typical Jampchae, marinate the beef in a sauce at least 1 hr or longer. The sauce includes a little bit of soy sauce, sugar, garlic, green onion, sesame seed oil, and sesame seed.3, I prefer the spinach with sweet red roots intact in winter season.

Linda

Anyone else notice the description says "beef" but there is none?

Penny Lane

Replaced the sweet potato noodles with mung bean vermicelli because its what I had on hand. It is a much thinner noodle but similar texture. Unfortunately had to nix the mushrooms and asparagus because I was making this quickly with the veggies I had in the fridge but next time I make this (there will be a next time) I will remember to get some. Mixed in some chile oil at the end. Delicious and very easy to make!Next time I might add grated ginger to the sauce

Joe

Find the Korean glass noodles. They go well with a lot of things. They don't really taste like sweet potato, but they have a homey taste and texture.

Donna

Yam noodles are a revelation for those looking for gluten-free pastas. So much more forgiving than rice noodles in terms of not turning to mush if cooked for 30-seconds too long. Delicious and springy and not pricey! And the packages at H-Mart usually have a cartoon crying yam on them. Bonus.

Julia

Made this tonight - in fact, I am currently eating it! Made as directed, with the one exception that I used pre-made japchae (in the refrigerated section of the grocery store) rather than dried, so I did not pre-cook them. Delicious and fresh! Part of the appeal is the variety of vegetables, so try not to drop too many. Definitely do not skimp on the sh*take or try to sub with button mushrooms - they make the dish! Slice them nice and thin for best results.

Diane

I made this recipe exactly as stated. It was wonderful. Vegans and vegetarians this is a great recipe.

RM

Do a quick and light marinate of thinly sliced beef. Marinate can be simple: garlic, sugar, salt, pepper, soy sauce. Stir fry and add to the bowl.

Mauredn

Japchae usually has beef but in the title it is a vegetarian version

Maddy

I had a package of japchae noodles in the cupboard that I'd never used, and this recipe did the trick. I sauteed finely sliced broccoli, cremini, carrots and onions (what I had on hand). It does need that last dash of salt and pepper, and was delicious eaten with gochujang and some chopped scallions.

Valerie

This was SO delicious. We are not vegetarian but did not miss the beef in this dish. Based on comments I doubled the sauce I made, but only used about 2/3 of that. I did use a teaspoon or so of gochujang paste which added a welcome mild heat. Do not substitute the noodles, please, the glass noodles are truly a star of this dish. If you are in the US and can’t find them locally, order them from Amazon. That said, I used 7 Oz as opposed to the 12 called for, and it was plenty.

Lily

Definitely agree with Joe. Hard to imagine japjae without sweet potato noodles. Their deliciously chewy and slippery texture is unlike anything else.

mamas cookie

Happy to see a vegetarian version of japchae. Thank you

RM

In Step 2, make the noodles slightly al dente. After rinsing in cold water and draining, quickly sautée the noodles with the sauce. This coats the noodles and gives it a beautiful dark color (instead of the whitish noodles in the photo).

mc

Cooked all the veg separately like some comments said and I think it definitely benefited from it! Pretty simple and a nice way to use spring veggies. I would not sub the glass noodles if you are able to find them, the texture is not like rice noodles at all.

Heather

Just cooked for the second time. First as a room temp pot luck dish. Second as a warm dinner at home. Very versatile dish. You can throw in any cooked veggie. sh*take mushrooms are the best. I cooked each veggie separately, then added to the bowl of cooked noodles. I felt it didn't muddle each vegetable. I added chili crisp at the table for added spice. Your favorite proteins can be added. I liked Kay Chun's meatballs and separately flaked salmon.

Anna

Super delicious! first time i cooked it as per the recipe; and didnt enjoy the raw garlic in the sauce, so second time around kept the garlic out of the sauce, and cooked it off in the oil with the veggies instead. Not sure if is traditional but much preferred it!

Leslie F

Don’t overlook the chicken - potentially cook chicken with onions then remove from wok and add rest of veggies then re-add at endSweet potato noodles expand A LOT - don’t add an extra pack no matter what Tyler says

lilo

Made this last night. I would have doubled the sauce and added to taste. Maybe because I used more noodles because I didn't weigh them. Excellent.

Brushjl

Excellent! Agree stick with the sweet potato noodles, but I did swap out asparagus for broccoli. Such a lovely dish!

Pat B

Could make this with any combo of veggies and include a protein if wanted. I couldn't find glass noodles which worked fine. I added a serrano pepper to give it a little oomph.

Barbara

I couldn't find the glass noodles described but I had SOBA noodles on hand and they seemed to work very well. I also couldn't find snap peas so I left them out, but there were so many other vegetables that I didn't miss them. I can see making this for company since you can do all the vegetable cutting and sauce making in advance, then it will only take 10 minutes or so to put it together. I might try either adding either tofu or chicken next time.

Jean

Allow at least an hour including prepping many vegetables

Ron Nemirow

Attention diabetics! Sweet potato noodles can spike your blood sugar levels. These did mine.

lmcgrew

We did not like this at all. Made exactly except for the sugar snap peas. Just gross. I don’t know why exactly. Just missed the mark. The noodles were rather slimy and the rest just did not taste good. Going into our compost bucket. So there is that.

Ellen

This is a delicious but for people who like a little extra kick I'd recommend adding 1-2T of grated ginger to the dressing -- and maybe another 1T of minced ginger to the vegetable stir fry and then tossing in some red chili peppers in step 5 when sautéing the asparagus and snow peas. Extra spinach tossed in can never be a bad thing ;-)

Mary Kay

Yes, you can use chicken instead of beef. I use boneless skinless chicken thighs, sliced, very thin.This is a slightly simpler recipe than the one I usually use and I really enjoyed it. The only change was no snap peas because I didn’t have them, and I did marinate the mushrooms. I’d probably double the sauce next time but I thought the vegetable flavors came through just fine.

Malex

My partner and I made this last Saturday, adding air-fried tofu for some protein, and it was delicious! Additionally, because I identify as a ‘Saucy Gal,’ we doubled the sauce and also added a bit of grated ginger per another commenter’s musings. We will definitely be making this again… probably soon!

Pia

Both safflower and canola oils are extremely processed and highly inflammatory to the body. Avocado oil is the best substitute.

Elizabeth

I doubled the sauce, used 7oz noodles, used slightly more veggies than called for, and added 2/3lb of top sirloin marinated in a little additional sauce for ~45 minutes. Also added some green onion at the end. Delicious! Really great flavors, loved the sauce! Veggie prep took a while but cooking was quick and the leftovers were great.

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Spring Vegetable Japchae (Korean Glass Noodles) Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is japchae sauce made of? ›

The japchae sauce is a sweet and savory sauce made of brown sugar, dark soy sauce, and sesame oil. It's the perfect balance of sweet and savory.

Are japchae noodles healthy? ›

If you haven't tried Korean japchae, then you don't know what you're missing! This authentic stir-fry uses nutritious sweet potato noodles and virtuous vegetables for a meal that's healthy, easy and delicious.

Do you need to soak glass noodles before cooking? ›

How To Cook Glass Noodles. Some brands require soaking the noodles overnight, and others can be cooked immediately. The label will usually indicate best practices.

What is the difference between japchae and chapchae? ›

Japchae (잡채 – or chapchae) is a classic Korean stir-fried noodle dish seasoned with a sweet and savory sauce. The name japchae describes a mix of finely cut ingredients—vegetables, egg, mushroom, and meat—that are included in the noodles.

Why do Koreans eat japchae? ›

Korean name

Once a royal dish, japchae is now one of the most popular traditional celebration dishes, often served on special occasions, such as weddings, birthdays (especially dol, the first birthday, and hwangap, the sixtieth), and holidays.

Is japchae high in carbs? ›

Some Carbs: While not super high in carbs, japchae does contain glass noodles (made from sweet potato starch) and sometimes rice or other starches.

Are glass noodles better for you than pasta? ›

Are glass noodles healthy? Despite not being made with flour, glass noodles are nutritionally similar to white flour–based pastas. (Each 1 cup serving of cooked glass noodles has 160 calories and 39 grams of carbohydrates, whereas the same amount of cooked spaghetti has 200 calories and only 24 grams of carbs.)

Are glass noodles anti inflammatory? ›

Glass noodles are sugar-free

By reducing sugar in your diet, you can help lower your cholesterol, blood pressure, chronic inflammation, and more. Because of this, glass noodles are often recommended to those with diabetes.

Are glass noodles healthier than rice? ›

Glass noodles are lower in calories and GI.

This is because they can absorb a lot more water than rice and wheat noodles; so a plate of cooked glass noodles actually contains less carbs because there's more water in it. They are also lower in glycemic index than rice or wheat noodles.

What is the difference between glass noodles and vermicelli? ›

While both of these foods are gluten-free, glass noodles are commonly made with mung bean flour while vermicelli is made with rice. Rice vermicelli is also always a solid white and doesn't have the transparency of glass noodles. It's easy to get the two foods confused.

What happens if you don't rinse noodles? ›

No, in almost every case, you should not rinse pasta after it's cooked. It's true that rinsing noodles or pasta after cooking halts the cooking process. “This is also known as shocking,” Tiess says. But rinsing also removes the starch water after the noodles are strained, which is what helps adhere sauce to noodles.

Do glass noodles need to be refrigerated? ›

The cool temperatures of the fridge can keep the glass noodles fresh for up to two days, though you'll want to eat them sooner rather than later to ensure you're getting the best taste and texture. Of course, you'll want to store the noodles in an airtight container.

Should you refrigerate japchae? ›

Note: Japchae is one of those dishes that are meant to be eaten the day of. If however, you do want to store the leftovers, please store in refrigerator (1-day max) and re-heat in the microwave. (Microwave does a better job than stir-frying when re-heating dangmyeon noodles.)

Does japchae keep in the fridge? ›

The best thing about Japchae is that if you've made too much of it, you can always keep it in the fridge and it tastes even better the next day. You may wish to pop it in the microwave to heat it up but the amazing thing about this noodle is that it tastes just as good cold from the fridge!

How long does japchae keep in the fridge? ›

Leftover japchae should be kept refrigerated. It will keep well for 3 to 4 days and reheat nicely in the microwave. The noodles will get soft and chewy again when reheated.

What does Japchae taste like? ›

What does japchae taste like? A good japchae should have bouncy, slightly chewy noodles and is well balanced between sweet and savory with a hint of toasted sesame oil. The vegetables should have texture but not raw.

Is Japchae greasy? ›

The dish is not supposed to be oily, too sweet or heavily “doused” with sesame oil. Most of the traditional recipes consist of shiitake mushrooms, onions, carrots (cut into matchstick strips), cucumber peel (skin only finely sliced), egg, scallions and sometimes beef, garnish with sesame seeds and slivers of chilli.

Are Korean glass noodles healthy? ›

Glass noodles are fat-free and great for weight-loss diets. Reducing fats in your meal will combat obesity, cardiovascular disease, and several other metabolic disorders. Cellophane noodles are also a great source of iron. Getting enough iron in your diet ensures that oxygen is transported through the body.

Is there sugar in Japchae? ›

It is also not uncommon to add egg to the dish. Japchae typically has some sugar in it, just to give it a touch of sweetness.

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