This easy vegan Japchae is Korean comfort food at its best. Made with glass noodles, veggies, and a savory sauce, it's a simple stir fried dish that's satisfying and full of flavor with minimal effort. Plus, you can make it in under 30 minutes and serve it hot or cold!
What Is Japchae?
Japchae (잡채) is a popular Korean noodle dish. It's made with a combination of chewy Korean sweet potato noodles, known as dangmyeon, and a vibrant mix of vegetables tossed in a sweet-savory sauce made with soy sauce, sesame oil, and a touch of sugar.
Originally created in the 17th century for King Gwanghaegun during the Joseon Dynasty, the first variation of the dish didn't actually include any noodles. It wasn't until the 20th century that it became a well-known noodle dish.
Now, if you're wondering, is Japchae vegan? While many recipes include meat, my recipe along with several others is plant based.
Kim's Tips For Success
Before you dive into making my vegan japchae recipe, keep these tips in mind for the best results.
- Prep Everything First: Stir-frying happens quickly, so I always have all my vegan Japchae ingredients ready to go before I begin. Have your vegetables sliced, sauce mixed, and noodles soaked.
- Drain Noodles Well: After soaking and rinsing the noodles with cold water, I drain them thoroughly. Excess water can dilute the sauce and impact the texture.
- Use Toasted Sesame Oil: This is non-negotiable if you want that authentic flavor that makes Japchae so irresistible.
- Cook Veggies Separately: I stir-fry the vegetables in groups to keep them crisp and prevent overcooking.
- Add a Protein: Vegan Japchae recipes don't have any meat, but you can easily top the noodles with some of my baked tofu or crispy tofu for a heartier meal. You could also use your favorite seitan chicken or beef.
Ingredients
You don't need any fancy or expensive ingredients to make a veg Japchae. In fact, there is a good chance you have most of what you need already on hand.
- Glass Noodles: Known as dangmyeon in Korean, these transparent sweet potato starch noodles are the key ingredient. Most markets carry them or you can find them in any Asian grocery store.
- Vegetables: I use a colorful mix of shredded cabbage, carrots, red bell pepper, white mushrooms, onions, and scallions. Feel free to substitute with any veggies you like such as shiitake mushrooms, spinach, zucchini, or even broccoli.
- Canned Baby Corn: Not really a traditional Japchae ingredient, I add them for a little more taste and texture. You can easily omit the baby corn if you like.
- Garlic: Essential for adding that bold, aromatic flavor that makes the dish so good. You'll need fresh garlic for the stir-fry and the sauce.
- Soy Sauce or Tamari: Used for the base of the sauce, providing savory depth. I always use low sodium soy sauce to control the saltiness. If you're gluten free just use tamari or a gluten free tamari substitute.
- Toasted Sesame Oil: This ingredient is as important as the noodles. The toasted sesame oil brings richness and a nutty aroma that ties the dish together. You can also use homemade or try a toasted sesame oil substitute.
- Sugar: Just a touch of sugar adds sweetness, making these the best vegan Korean noodles with perfectly balanced flavor. Feel free to reduce the amount of sugar if you like.
- Rice Vinegar: I use just a little bit of mild rice vinegar for a touch of acid. You could use apple cider vinegar or just omit it if you don't have it on hand.
- Black Pepper: Adds just a touch of warmth to the dish that complements the savory umami flavors.
- Toasted Sesame Seeds: These are used to garnish the dish and add a little texture. In my opinion, the sesame seeds give the vegan Japchae Korean noodles the perfect finish.
How To Make
Making Japchae vegan is so simple! Just like my vegan Thai peanut noodles, this Asian dish is much easier than it seems. All you have to do is follow my instructions and it will turn out perfect.
Soak the Noodles: To begin, I place the Korean glass noodles in a large bowl and cover them with boiling water. Then I leave them to sit for 4–6 minutes until they get soft and become transparent.
Next, I drain the noodles and rinse them with cold water to stop the cooking process. Then I drain them again and use kitchen scissors to cut them into shorter, 6–8 inch lengths.
Make the Sauce: In a small bowl, I mix the toasted sesame oil, low sodium soy sauce, sugar, minced garlic, rice vinegar, and black pepper together. Then I set it aside for a later step.
Stir-Fry the Veggies: First, I heat a teaspoon of vegetable oil over medium-high heat in a wok or large pan. I start with the onions and red bell peppers, stir-frying for 1–2 minutes until slightly softened. Then I transfer them to a large mixing bowl.
Next, I stir fry the cabbage and carrots, and add them to the bowl. Then I add the mushrooms and garlic to the pan with 3 tablespoons of the sauce and stir fry once more. Finally, I add the baby corn and scallions and saute for one last minute.
All the veggies should be in the large bowl.
Toss the Noodles in Sauce: When the veggies are done, I add the remaining sauce and the drained cooked noodles to the wok. Then I toss them to coat and cook for 2–3 minutes until the noodles are warm and fully infused with the sauce.
Combine and Garnish: To finish the dish, I return all the cooked vegetables to the wok with the fried glass noodles and toss everything together. Then I sprinkle with the sesame seeds and toss again.
Serve: When ready, I serve my vegan Japchae topped with green scallions and sriracha.
✏️ Recipe Card! Scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the post for all the details with the exact amounts to make my Korean vegan Japchae.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The noodles and vegetables will soak up even more flavor as they sit.
While freezing isn’t ideal for glass noodles, the dish will freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, just let the Japchae thaw in the fridge overnight.
Yes! This Japchae vegan recipe stores wonderfully and can be made up to a day ahead. Just store it in the refrigerator and reheat gently in a pan or microwave before serving. You can also eat it cold as a noodle salad.
Yes! While dangmyeon (sweet potato starch noodles) are traditional, you can use cooked rice noodles, zucchini noodles, or even thin spaghetti.
The texture will be different but the dish will be just as delicious. Just make sure the noodles are egg-free to keep the Japchae recipe vegan.
If the glass noodles clump together after soaking, it’s likely because you didn't drain them well enough. You can toss them with a teaspoon of sesame oil after rinsing to prevent sticking.
If your noodles seem dry, the dish might need more sauce. You can add extra soy sauce and sesame oil, or toss the noodles with a small amount of water to refresh them. Just remember soy sauce will add salt too.
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More Vegan Dinner Recipes
⭐️ One Last Thing! If you make my vegan Japchae Korean noodles please leave a review and rating to let me know how you liked it! Doing so helps other readers and me too! Your feedback makes a difference.
Vegan Japchae (Korean Noodles)
Ingredients
Noodle Stir Fry
- 9 oz glass noodles (sweet potato noodles- dangmyeon)
- 3 cups shredded cabbage (about ½ cabbage)
- 1 medium red bell pepper, sliced
- 4 scallions, sliced (white and green parts divided)
- ½ large onion, sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 15oz can baby corn
- 8 oz mushrooms, sliced
- 1 cup carrots, julienned
Sauce
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- ½ cup low-sodium soy sauce or tamari
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Garnish
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- Sriracha (optional)
Instructions
- Put the uncooked glass noodles in a large bowl, cover them with boiling water, and let them sit for 4–6 minutes until soft and transparent. Then drain, rinse with cold water, drain again, and cut the noodles into 6–8 inch strands using kitchen scissors. Set aside.
- Whisk together the toasted sesame oil, soy sauce, sugar, minced garlic, black pepper, and rice vinegar in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Heat 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil in a wok or large pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and red bell pepper, and stir fry for 1–2 minutes until slightly softened. Then transfer to a large mixing bowl.
- Add more oil to the pan if needed. Then add the cabbage and carrots, and stir fry for 1–2 minutes. Transfer to the mixing bowl with the other veggies.
- Add the mushrooms and garlic with 3 tablespoons of the sauce to the pan and cook for about 2 minutes. Then add the baby corn and the white parts of the scallions, and cook for another minute. Now, transfer to the bowl with other vegetables.
- Put the remaining sauce and cut noodles in the wok. Then toss to coat and cook for 2–3 minutes until warm. Add the cooked veggies back to the pan with the noodles and toss to combine You can also put the noodle in the large bowl and toss.
- Sprinkle the sesame seeds over the noodles and toss again. Now, taste the dish and add more soy sauce or salt if needed.
- To serve, top with sliced green onions and sriracha, if desired. You can serve this dish hot or cold. It's really good topped with baked extra firm tofu or crispy fried tofu.
Notes
- To make the dish gluten free use tamari in place of the soy sauce.
- Feel free to use any veggies you like.
- Make sure to drain the noodles well before adding them to the hot wok.
- For the most authentic flavor use toasted sesame oil.
- To make Tofu Japchae just top with your favorite baked or fried tofu.
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