Recipe courtesy of Aliya LeeKong

Japchae

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  • Level: Easy
  • Total: 20 min
  • Active: 10 min
  • Yield: 4 to 6 servings
This Korean stir-fried noodles and vegetables dish is one of our favorite weeknight dinners (and leftover lunches!). What’s great about it is that you can eat it either hot or cold and it’s just as good. The base of the recipe is sweet potato noodles that cook up in 5 to 10 minutes. These get sauteed with thinly sliced vegetables, tossed in a light tamari-based sauce and topped with some toasted sesame seeds. If you want something a bit heartier, feel free to throw in some chicken, shrimp, egg or thinly sliced beef—this recipe is very adaptable.

Ingredients

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Spread the tuxedo sesame seeds on the prepared baking sheet and bake until the white seeds turn golden, 4 to 5 minutes. Set aside. 
  3. Season the boiling water heavily with salt. Cook the noodles according to the package directions until soft with a little bite, 5 to 10 minutes.
  4. Drain and toss immediately with the sesame oil in a large bowl prevent sticking. If the noodles are very long, cut with scissors to your preferred length if desired. 
  5. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the avocado oil and, when shimmering, add the mushrooms and let them sit untouched until browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the carrots and a pinch of kosher salt and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the zucchini and shallots, season lightly with salt and cook until the zucchini starts to wilt and the shallots are translucent, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another 30 seconds before shutting off the heat.
  6. Whisk together the tamari and sugar in a small bowl until the sugar dissolves. Set aside.
  7. Pile the spinach and scallions on top of the cooked vegetables. Pour the drained, hot noodles on top of the spinach and scallions. Add the tamari mixture and toasted sesame seeds and toss to mix. Serve hot, at room temperature or cold. 

Cook’s Note

If the noodles have cooled too much during the cooking process, feel free to turn up the heat when adding them to the vegetables to warm through. Never leave a child unattended in the kitchen. This recipe is appropriate for children of various ages. When a recipe calls for cooking on the stove or using a knife, an adult should do those activities and let the child assist, if age appropriate.