Japchae is a flavorful Korean dish with the perfect mix of vegetables and noodles. This vegetarian recipe includes tofu for the protein instead of meat, and the flavor is phenomenal. We added long, thin vermicelli that soaks up the savory sauce, while fresh vegetables add brightness and a touch of natural sweetness to every bite.
The spinach, peppers, carrots, onions, and mushrooms add soft and crunchy textures, and the sesame seeds add a nutty finish. I'm a big fan of sesame seeds! Each ingredient is cooked separately, which helps keep the vegetables tender-crisp and gives the finished dish its beautiful, vibrant look.
Whether you serve it warm for dinner or enjoy it cold for a snack, Vegan Japchae is a wonderful combination of comfort and color.
To prepare Japchae the traditional way, you must stir-fry them to keep the colors vibrant and flavors distinct before mixing them.
- Ingredients & Descriptions:
- Vermicelli: the “correct” vermicelli for Japchae is Korean sweet potato starch noodles, or dangmyeon. However, other vermicelli, such as rice noodles (angel hair rice noodle vermicelli), will also work, and can easily be found at regular grocery stores, such as Walmart.
- Vegetables: bell peppers, carrots, onions, spinach, and mushrooms are all common ingredients for Japchae. If you can’t find the mushroom blend suggested in the recipe, first try shiitake mushrooms; if you can’t find those, use baby bellas.
- Soy sauce: Feel free to use reduced-sodium or regular soy sauce.
- Tofu: Use extra-firm or firm tofu. Silken tofu will not work. There is no need to press the tofu.
How to Make Japchae With Tofu and Vermicelli
Servings: 6 large servings
Prep Time: 50 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Equipment:
- Knife
- Cutting Board
- Mixing bowls (this recipe uses ALL of the bowls in this set)
- Ninja Cookware Set
Ingredients:
- 8 ounces Vermicelli
- 6 tablespoons Soy Sauce, divided
- ¼ cup Water
- 3 tablespoons Brown Sugar
- 2 tablespoons Rice Vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Toasted Sesame Oil, plus more for stir-frying
- 6 ounces Baby Spinach
- Pinch of Salt
- 1 clove Garlic, minced
- 1 small Sweet Onion, thinly sliced
- 1 large Carrot, julienned
- ½ Yellow bell pepper, julienned
- ½ Red bell pepper, julienned
- 4 ounces Shiitake/Baby bella/Oyster blend of Mushrooms, stems removed
- 7 ounces Firm Tofu, cut into strips
- 1 tablespoon Cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons Sesame seeds, toasted
Directions:
- Start by boiling fresh water. Once boiling, add in the vermicelli and continue to boil for about 5 minutes, or until soft and chewy, not hard and not mushy.
- Remove from the water, slice into 4 sections, then add to a bowl with 4 tablespoons of soy sauce, ¼ cup of water, brown sugar, rice vinegar, and toasted sesame oil. Stir well, then set aside.
- Then, blanch the spinach (add the fresh spinach to boiling water for 30 seconds, then remove and add to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process). Squeeze out any excess liquid, then slice the blanched spinach into 4 sections. Add the spinach to a bowl, stir in a pinch of salt and minced garlic, then set aside.
- Now start julienning and slicing the vegetables. The easiest way to do this is to slice the onion and mushrooms thinly, then use a mandolin to slice the peppers and carrot, and then finely julienne them.
- Cook each vegetable one at a time over medium-low heat, using more oil, for 3-5 minutes each. Start with the onion, then the carrot, then the yellow bell pepper, then the red bell pepper, then the mushrooms. As you finish each one, add to your largest bowl.
- Then cut the tofu into strips about ¼-inch wide and toss with the cornstarch and the 2 remaining tablespoons of soy sauce. Cook in the same pan as before, until fully cooked on the outside, about 5-7 minutes, stirring constantly to avoid sticking. Add the tofu to the large bowl with the vegetables.
- Then turn the heat to low and add in the vermicelli mixture, cook until the vermicelli is warm again. Add to the vegetable mixture, then add in the spinach and stir well.
- Top the mixture with all of the cooked ingredients and the toasted sesame seeds, serve, and enjoy!
*Notes:
Do not try to make this tofu Japchae recipe easier by cooking all the vegetables at once. Cooking all the vegetables separately is what gives this dish its flavor.
You can place a top (or clean linen) over your bowl with all the cooked vegetables in it while you’re finishing cooking everything. This will help keep it warm.
Storage: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave until warm.
Additional Info:
Do I have to add the mushrooms? Mushrooms are a popular ingredient in Japchae, but you can omit them if you prefer.
Do I have to add tofu to the recipe? Tofu adds extra protein and was chosen for this dish. If you can’t stand tofu, feel free to omit it or choose a preferred meat if you don’t mind it not being vegetarian/vegan-friendly.
Tofu Japchae With Vermicelli
Author: Recipe Idea Shop
Equipment
- Knife
- Cutting Board
- Skillet, or large pan
- 4 Bowls
Ingredients
- 8 ounces Vermicelli
- 6 tablespoons Soy Sauce divided
- ¼ cup Water
- 3 tablespoons Brown Sugar
- 2 tablespoons Rice Vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Toasted Sesame Oil plus more for stir frying
- 6 ounces Baby Spinach
- pinch Salt
- 1 clove Garlic minced
- 1 small Sweet Onion thinly sliced
- 1 large Carrot julienned
- ½ Yellow bell pepper julienned
- ½ Red bell pepper julienned
- 4 ounces Shiitake/ Baby bella/Oyster blend of Mushrooms stems removed
- 7 ounces Firm Tofu cut into strips
- 1 tablespoon Cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons Sesame seeds toasted
Instructions
- Start by boil fresh water, once boiling add in the vermicelli and continue to boil for about 5 minutes, or until soft and chewy, not hard and not mushy
- Remove from the water, slice into 4 sections, then add to a bowl and add 4 tablespoons soy sauce, ¼ cup water, the brown sugar, rice vinegar, and toasted sesame oil on top. Stir well, then set aside
- Then blanch the spinach (add the fresh spinach to boiling water for 30 seconds then remove and add to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process). Squeeze out any excess liquid, then slice the blanched spinach into 4 sections. Add the spinach to a bowl and stir in a pinch of salt and the minced garlic, then set aside.
- Now start julienning and slicing the vegetables. The easiest way to do this is by thinly slicing the onion and mushrooms, then using a mandolin to slice the peppers and carrot, and then finely julienne them.
- Cook each vegetable one at a time, on medium to low heat, with more oil for 3-5 minutes each. Start with the onion, then carrot, then yellow bell pepper, then red bell pepper, then mushrooms. As you finish each one, add to your largest bowl.
- Then cut the tofu into strips about ¼ inch wide and toss with the cornstarch and 2 remaining tablespoons of soy sauce. Cook in the same pan as before, until fully cooked on the outside, about 5-7 minutes, stirring constantly to avoid sticking. Add the tofu to the large bowl with the vegetables.
- Then turn the heat to low and add in the vermicelli mixture, cook until the vermicelli is warm again. Add to the vegetable mixture, then add in the spinach and stir well.
- Top the mixture with all of the cooked ingredients with the toasted sesame seeds, serve, and enjoy!
