Kongnamul Japchae (Korean Stir-Fried Soybean Sprout Glass Noodles) - Soo-mi's Side Dishes
A simpler variation of a classic Korean noodle dish, japchae, with sautéed soybean sprouts. Enjoy with a slight spicy punch from a wasabi dipping sauce!
Servings: 2
Ingredients
- 2 ½ oz (70 g) sweet potato noodles dangmyeon 당
- 10 oz (300 g) soybean sprout 1 package
- ⅓ medium onion
- 1 cup oyster mushroom
- ½ carrot
- ½ cucumber
- 2 ½ oz (75 g) spinach (about 1/4 package)
- ½ Tbsp sesame oil
- Sprinkle sesame seeds
Japchae Sauce
- 1 ¼ Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- ¾ tsp honey
Dipping Sauce
- ½ Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp vinegar
- wasabi to taste
Instructions
- Soak the glass noodles in water for about 30 minutes.
- Prep the soybean sprout. Some soybeans come prepped, others have a long root/tail. Snip off any messy end root parts. Rinse well in running water.*Optional: To make the dish a chewier texture, snip off the yellow heads.
- Prep other vegetables. Slice the onion. Pull the oyster mushrooms apart. Slice the carrots and cucumber long ways thinly. (Discard the middle seed strip in the cucumbers. They will bring out too much water into the dish).
- Blanch. Bring a medium pot of water with ½ Tbsp salt to a boil. Add in the soybean sprouts into the boiling water and turn them over a few times in the hot water. Remove the soybean sprouts. This should take less than 60 seconds. Take out the soybean sprouts and place into a strainer.*Don’t boil too long as you want the soybean sprouts to still have some texture and crunch. It will also be stir-fried again.
- Blanch again. Bring the water back to a boil in the same pot. Once boiling, add in the spinach for 60 seconds. Drain and place the spinach in cold water for about 5 minutes. Drain the water and squeeze out the excess water from the spinach.*Use your hands to just squeeze the spinach.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add in the soaked glass noodles and simmer for about 3-5 minutes until the noodles are soft.*Use new water.
- Japchae Sauce. In a small bowl, add in the sauce ingredients.
- Preheat a large frypan to medium-low heat with about 1-2 Tbsp oil. First, saute the carrots for about 45 seconds. Add in the onions and saute for another 30 seconds. And finally, add in the oyster mushrooms and continue to saute until the vegetables have softened. * Do not overcook, there should still be some crunch to the carrots.
- Add in the cooked noodles and stir. Add in the soybean sprouts and stir. Add in the spinach and stir again. Saute for about 30 seconds. Add in the japchae sauce and stir around the pan. Add in the sesame oil and sprinkle the sesame seeds. Mix around again.
- Finally, add in the cucumbers. Mix around the pan again for about 1 minute. Turn off the heat. The vegetables will be soft but still have some texture.
- Dipping Sauce. Mix all the soy sauce and vinegar into a small plate. Add a dab of wasabi, as you please. (I like to continue to add as I eat.)
- Serve! Plate the japchae on to a large plate. Dip a chopstick full of noodles into the dipping sauce and enjoy each bite!
Notes
*The noodles may seem a bit less seasoned. This is because the noodles should be dipped in the soy sauce and vinegar mixture. If you want it a bit more seasoned, add a bit more soy sauce or salt to the japchae noodles. I found them just right.