Vegetarian Korean Japchae

Japchae is an easy Korean dish of stir-fried vegetables and noodles, and I add a blend of mushrooms to make it extra hearty – plus some kale to give it extra nutrition. Authentically, this dish is made with potato starch vermicelli noodles, but you can just as easily substitute with angel hair pasta.

Ingredients

• 12 ounces Asian sweet potato starch vermicelli (cellophane noodles or angel hair pasta)
• 2 tablespoons grape seed oil
• 4 ounces oyster mushrooms (sliced into 1 inch pieces)
• 4 ounces shiitake mushrooms (stems removed and tops quartered)
• 1 large shallot (chopped)
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 red bell pepper (cut into 1/4 inch strips)
• 2 cloves of garlic peeled and coarsely chopped
• 3 scallion (cut into 1/2 inch pieces)
• 6 leaves of kale (cut into 1 inch pieces)
• 2 tablespoons raw honey
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 1 /2 teaspoon grated ginger
• Toasted sesame seeds (optional garnish)

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the noodles and stir them to help submerge them. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes or until just barely cooked. Drain and rinse with cold water. Using kitchen shears or washed scissors, cut the noodles into approximate 8 inch lengths Set aside.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, tamari, rice vinegar, sesame oil and ginger until the sugar is dissolved. Set aside.
3. In a large skillet, heat the grape seed oil over high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring often with a wooden spoon, for about 5 minutes or until the mushrooms are beginning to brown. Add the shallot and salt. Cook for another 2 minutes until fragrant.  Add the red pepper, garlic and scallions to the pan. Reduce the heat to medium high and cook for an additional 3 minutes or until the red peppers are beginning to soften. Add the kale and cooked noodles and sauté another 3 minutes, stirring often to coat the noodles in the oil and to wilt the kale. Add the sauce and toss to coat. Top with sesame seeds if desired.