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japchae, Korean glass noodles with red peppers, carrots, and shiitake mushrooms in a white bowl with chopsticks
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5 from 386 votes

Easy Japchae (Korean glass noodle stir fry)

A simple, easy recipe for Japchae, also known as Korean glass noodles with stir fried vegetables. It's made with sweet potato starch noodles, colorful vegetables and tossed in a savory sauce!
Prep Time12 minutes
Cook Time13 minutes
Total Time25 minutes
Course: Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: Asian, Korean
Servings: 4
Calories: 419kcal

Ingredients

  • 8 oz Korean glass noodles - japchae noodles, sweet potato starch noodles, or dangmyeon
  • 2 large eggs - whites and eggs separated
  • 2 Tablespoons avocado oil
  • 6 large shiitake mushrooms - sliced ⅓ inch thick
  • large yellow onion - sliced ⅓ inch thick
  • ½ large red bell pepper - julienned ¼ inch thick
  • ½ large yellow bell pepper - julienned ¼ inch thick
  • ½ large carrot - julienned ⅛ inch thick
  • 3 cups baby spinach - packed
  • 3 cloves garlic - minced
  • 2 stalks scallions - chopped, for garnish
  • 2 teaspoons toasted white sesame seeds - for garnish

Sauce:

Instructions

  • These japchae noodles come together quickly so prep all your ingredients ahead of time.
    ingredients for japchae recipe
  • Mix all the sauce ingredients together in small bowl until the sugar dissolves. Set it aside.
    a spoonful of japchae sauce in a bowl
  • Cook the Korean glass noodles according to the directions. Be sure not to over cook them as they can get soggy. Drain the water and add the hot noodles to a large bowl.
    cooked japchae nooldes; Korean glass noodles
  • Add the sauce to noodles and toss to combine. Let sit on the counter for the noodles to absorb the flavors of the sauce. Any excess sauce will be absorbed by the noodles.
    cooked japchae noodles with japchae sauce
  • Cook the egg whites and egg yolks separately in a flat pan and cut them into strips. Set it aside.
    fried egg yolks and egg whites cut into strips
  • Heat a pan over medium high heat and add the mushrooms and the onions. Stir fry them for 2 minutes.
    sliced shiitake mushrooms and white onions stir fried in a pan
  • Next, add the red and yellow bell peppers, carrots, and minced garlic to the pan. Stir fry for 1 - 2 more minutes. Be careful not to overcook the vegetables, they should still be crunchy.
    stir fried carrots, shiitake mushrooms, and bell peppers in a pan
  • Add the spinach and toss everything together until the spinach starts to wilt. Add a pinch of salt to season the vegetables and remove it from the heat.
    spinach, stir fried carrots, shiitake mushrooms, and bell peppers in a pan
  • Add the stir fried vegetables and egg to the seasoned glass noodles. Toss everything to combine and garnish with sesame seeds and chopped scallions.
    Korean japchae noodles with mushrooms, red peppers, carrots, and spinach

Notes

  • Leftovers -  store in an airtight container and keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days.
  • You can make this ahead the day before and serve it the next day. The noodles will harden and turn opaque when cold but will get soft and turn translucent once reheated. 
  • Try not to overcook the glass noodles - they should have a chewy, al dente texture. It also prevents them from absorbing all of the sauce so keep an eye on the timer.
  • Try not to overcook the vegetables - they should be crisp. Add the vegetables in at different times according to their cook time. Vegetables that take longer should be added first while the ones that take shorter (like spinach) should be added last.
  • Add the sauce while the noodles are hot - this helps the noodles absorb all the sauce and prevents them from sticking together. 

Nutrition

Calories: 419kcal | Carbohydrates: 61g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 93mg | Sodium: 469mg | Potassium: 476mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 4497IU | Vitamin C: 78mg | Calcium: 74mg | Iron: 2mg