Ready to move beyond ho-hum Asian fare? Jap chae is one of the simplest, most authentic ways to enlighten your palate. Transparent noodles meld with sesame oil and soy sauce for a perfect flavor balance in each chewy bite.
Bonus points if you know the country of origin for this noodle dish. Any guesses? It’s a place that will soon be celebrating the Lunar New Year. And sesame oil is one of this Asian nation’s signature ingredients.
Shiitake mushrooms add so much flavor to this vegetarian version of jap chae that you won’t miss the meat. Or if you do, try serving the noodles with something unexpected, like satay or sweet and sour meatballs.
Jap chae is one of my favorite noodle dishes ever. These sesame-infused noodles are unlike any dish on a take-out menu I’ve ever seen (outside of an ethnic neighborhood). So I hope you take the opportunity to enjoy these noodles on your table soon! Happy Lunar New Year!
Jap Chae Noodles with Mushrooms and Bok Choy
Ingredients:
- 240g (8 ounces) dry bean threads or sweet potato noodles
- 2 teaspoons pure sesame oil
- 1 to 2 Tablespoons cooking oil
- 3 green onions, sliced into 1-cm pieces
- 1 large carrot, cut into matchsticks
- 4 cloves fresh garlic, minced
- 2 medium shallots (65 g) or 1/2 cup onion, thinly sliced
- 4 to 6 large shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced (fresh if possible)
- 1 + 1/2 cups baby bok choy, trimmed, rinsed and drained
- 2 Tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons coconut palm sugar or brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon (or more) sesame seeds
Directions:
- Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook noodles for 4 to 5 minutes until translucent. Drain noodles and rinse in cold water. Pour sesame oil over noodles and toss to coat with oil.
- In a large wok or skillet, heat cooking oil over medium-high heat. Stir in garlic and shallots and cook for about 1 minute until fragrant, stirring constantly. Add carrots and stir fry for 1 minute. Next add mushrooms and baby bok choy. Stir fry together until bok choy starts to wilt.
- In a small bowl, whisk together sugar and soy sauce. Add noodles and sauce to vegetables in wok or skillet; stir fry for several minutes until evenly mixed and heated through. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve noodles warm.
Adapted from Steamy Kitchen
Shared at Allergy Free Wedesday.
Swirls and Spice 
Love jap chae! I always have to order it whenever I go to a Korean restaurant, so that’s my guess. It’s from Korea, am I right? I haven’t had this in a while now. I have a vegetarian version in my old blog as well, I added tofu. I’m going to remember bok choy next time. It looks delicious, Julia!
Correct, Angie! I’ll have to peek at your recipe too. I could eat it several times a week! 🙂
I love japchae! Would always add beef, mushrooms and vegetables in it. Here’s how I did my version 🙂 -> http://www.springtomorrow.com/2014/02/22/korean-japchae-recipe/
Yours looks good and really healthy too!
From checking out your recipe, I learned that there is also a Chinese version! Adding cabbage and oyster sauce sounds like a delicious idea! 🙂
Beautiful!
Your jap chae looks delish! 🙂 It makes me miss the amazing Korean food in Boston. I’ll have to try this recipe some time!
Thanks! It’s become my go-to recipe when I’m craving Asian food that tastes authentic. And it’s easy!
I’m always craving Asian food. 😉 Sounds awesome!
I learned about new noodles today!! LOVE the combination of mushrooms and bok choy too. This sounds delicious!
Thanks! The flavor is hard to beat and they are so easy to make!
I love those bean noodles! I didn’t know there was a sweet potato variety! Yum! Thanks so much for sharing this with us at Savoring Saturdays. 🙂
It is Korean! Love it, love it, love it. My boys are Korean adoptees so I have learned to make a few dishes and this is one of our faves. I usually make it with sliced sirloin but your veg version looks great too. – Kat
I sometimes make it with beef too. Isn’t Korean food wonderful? I had never tried it until I was living in Vietnam. 🙂
I simply love all things Thai and Vietnamese, so this recipe looks amazing to me!!Thanks for sharing it on Allergy Free Wednesday, I am featuring your recipe this week!
What a fun and tasty (and naturally frugal which appeals to me, obviously!) meal! Thanks for sharing this with us on Throwback Thursday!
Mollie