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A black bowl with a light brown rim containing thick noodles coated in a dark, glossy sauce with peas, carrots, tofu, mushroom, and potato; a pair of black wooden chopsticks is reaching into the bowl.
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Vegan Jajangmyeon

This dish features a velvety sauce with hugely comforting umami, loaded with veggies, tofu, and mushrooms, piled on top of fresh, chewy noodles.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: Korean
Servings: 4
Author: Thomas

Ingredients

  • 4 servings fresh wheat noodles Korean or Chinese
  • 4 tablespoons peanut oil separated (2+2)
  • 1 cup green onion cut into ¼ inch (½ cm) lengths (80 grams)
  • 8 ounces brown mushrooms sliced (230 grams)
  • 1 cup carrot peeled and cut into flowers ¼ inch (½ cm) thick (or diced to same thickness)
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup potato cut into ½ inch (1 cm) cubes, russet or yukon (160 grams)
  • 4 ounces baked tofu cut into ½ inch (1 cm) cubes (115 grams)
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • ⅓ cup Korean fermented black bean paste may be called jajang or chunjang
  • 2 ¼ cups water separated (2+¼)
  • 1 cup frozen green peas (130 grams)
  • 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon sugar or other sweetener
  • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
  • ½ English cucumber cut into matchsticks for garnish

Instructions

  • Start a large pot of water over high heat to boil the noodles. Continue with prep and the other cooking steps while the water heats up. If it reaches a boil before you’re ready to cook the noodles in step 5, reduce the heat to a simmer in the meantime.
  • Heat half of the peanut oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add the green onion, mushroom, and carrot. Mix them with the oil and season with the salt. Stir for 1 minute, then leave undisturbed for 2 minutes to caramelize. Add the potato, tofu, and garlic and stir fry for about 4 minutes, until the potato is slightly translucent.
  • Use your spatula to clear a space in the center of your pan. Add the rest of the peanut oil to that space and add the Korean fermented black bean paste into it. Stir the paste together with the oil for 1 minute to develop the flavor. Then stir the paste with the other ingredients in the pan for 2 minutes.
  • Add 2 cups of the water to the pan and stir well so that there aren’t any large lumps of black bean paste. Once the liquid reaches a boil, reduce heat to low and let simmer until the potato is tender, about 10 minutes. As the sauce simmers, look for bits of undissolved black bean paste and stir them in.
  • While the sauce is simmering, boil the noodles according to the package instructions. This could take anywhere from from 1 to 12 minutes, depending on the type of noodles. Drain the noodles and set aside. Do not overcook them.
  • Combine the cornstarch, sugar, and remaining ¼ cup water in a small bowl. Whisk thoroughly until smooth.
  • When the sauce has finished simmering in step 4, taste a piece of carrot and a piece of potato. If both are tender, add the peas and stir in the cornstarch slurry. Stir until the sauce thickens, about 1 minute. (If either the carrot or potato is not tender, cook for another couple of minutes until both are to your liking before stirring in the slurry.
  • Turn off the heat and stir in the sesame oil.
  • Serve the sauce over the noodles with a generous cucumber garnish. Can be served hot or at room temperature.