If you are looking for an easy and quick dinner for a weeknight, this japchae recipe is the perfect fit for you. It’s delicious and filled with nutritious vegetables.
Ingredients for Japchae
Before making this recipe, make sure you have all the ingredients you need. Swaps and alternatives are listed next to each ingredient.
- Glass noodles: These noodles are made out of sweet potato starch. You can also use rice noodles or bean thread noodles as an alternative.
- Brown sugar: Or white sugar is fine.
- Sesame oil: Adds so much flavor to the dish.
- Soy sauce: I use low sodium, but regular soy sauce, tamari or coconut aminos work fine.
- Neutral oil: I prefer canola, but avocado, vegetable or sunflower seed oil also works.
- Sliced beef: You can purchase it thinly sliced or slice it yourself. You can also omit the beef entirely.
- Garlic: Fresh or jarred, it doesn’t matter to me!
- Onion: I use yellow onion, but white or sweet are fine too.
- Spinach: You can use fresh or frozen for this recipe.
- Carrot: To make things easier, I recommend buying pre-shredded carrots.
- Bell pepper: Any color is fine, I have no preference.
- Sesame seeds: Optional, but fun!
How to make Japchae
Before starting to cook, place the beef in a small bowl with 1 tbsp of soy sauce and minced garlic. Ensure the beef is evenly coated.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add glass noodles and cook for about 7 minutes. Strain the noodles in a colander. Cut the noodles if they are very long and transfer to a large bowl. Add brown sugar, sesame oil and soy sauce. Toss together until well coated.
In a skillet over medium heat, add neutral oil. Once hot, add carrot and bell pepper and stir fry until softened. Add spinach and continue to stir fry until wilted. Transfer to a bowl. Add sliced beef and onion to the skillet. Stir fry until beef is almost cooked through (still slightly pink).
Add carrot, bell pepper and spinach back into the skillet. Toss together. Then, add vegetables and beef to the bowl with the noodles. Toss together to combine. Top with sesame seeds and enjoy.
Can I make this vegan?
Yes. You can easily make this recipe vegan by omitting the beef. It’s really that simple! This japchae recipe is very flavorful on its own, even without the beef. If you want some protein in this dish, you can replace the beef with thinly sliced tofu, tempeh or seitan. For the vegetarians out there, eggs are another good replacement.
Where to find glass noodles
You can find Korean glass noodles at your local Asian grocery store. They are typically found in the dried noodle section, which is very expansive. Sometimes korean glass noodles are labeled as sweet potato starch noodles.
Is japchae good for you?
Yes, japchae is very good for you. It’s filled with vegetables and beneficial nutrients. One serving of japchae contains about 430 calories, 17 grams of protein, 61 grams of carbohydrates and 13 grams of fat (but only 3 grams of saturated fat).
It also contains 2.5 grams of fiber and is a good source of most B vitamins, folate, vitamin A, C and K, iron, magnesium, potassium, selenium and zinc.
What to serve this with
This japchae recipe is a whole meal within itself. It contains grains (glass noodles), protein (sliced beef), vegetables (spinach, onion, carrot and bell pepper) and healthy fats (sesame oil). You really don’t need to add anything else to japchae to make it more balanced.
How to store the leftovers
If you have leftovers, I recommend storing them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. When you are ready to eat your leftovers, simply microwave for one minute and then in 30 seconds intervals until warmed to your liking.
Similar Recipes
Japchae (Stir Fried Korean Glass Noodles)
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb sliced beef
- 1 tbsp soy sauce low sodium
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 8 oz korean glass noodles sweet potato starch
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
- 2 tbsp soy sauce low sodium
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
- 1 bell pepper sliced
- 1 cup carrots shredded
- 2 cups spinach
- 1/2 onion sliced
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
Instructions
- Before starting to cook, place the beef in a small bowl with 1 tbsp of soy sauce and minced garlic. Ensure the beef is evenly coated.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add glass noodles and cook for about 7 minutes. Strain the noodles in a colander.
- Cut the noodles if they are very long and transfer to a large bowl. Add brown sugar, sesame oil and soy sauce. Toss together until well coated.
- In a skillet over medium heat, add neutral oil. Once hot, add carrot and bell pepper and stir fry until softened. Add spinach and continue to stir fry until wilted. Transfer to a bowl.
- Add sliced beef and onion to the skillet. Stir fry until beef is fully cooked.
- Add carrot, bell pepper and spinach back into the skillet. Toss together.
- Then, add vegetables and beef to the bowl with the noodles. Toss together to combine. Top with sesame seeds and enjoy.
