Baek Jong-won's Japchae: 2 Versions and Japchaebap
This recipe from Baek Jong-won presents two methods for making Japchae (stir-fried and blanched) to enjoy during the Chuseok holiday, along with a recipe for Japchaebap to use up any leftover Japchae.
This is a traditional japchae (잡채) made by stir-frying various vegetables and pork separately, then mixing them with glass noodles and seasoning.
📝 Editor's Notes
This japchae (잡채) recipe's main characteristic is its super simple method of blanching all ingredients at once.
By omitting the stir-frying process, cooking time is significantly reduced, allowing you to enjoy a light and clean taste.
It is much lighter and fresher than traditional japchae (잡채), highly recommended for those who find the oiliness of regular japchae (잡채) burdensome.
The cooking method is very simple, making it easy for beginner cooks to succeed.
It's also perfect for quickly and healthily preparing a meal during busy days or as a light side dish for entertaining guests.
While good to enjoy all year round, it particularly suits spring and summer when fresh vegetables are abundant.
🛒 Ingredient Tips
The key ingredient for japchae (잡채), glass noodles (dangmyeon), is all about its chewy texture.
Good glass noodles (dangmyeon) maintain their firm, springy texture without easily becoming mushy when boiled.
When purchasing, choose those that are transparent, glossy, and have minimal broken pieces.
For pork, preparing thinly julienned pieces specifically for japchae (잡채) will make cooking convenient.
Select fresh pork that has a bright reddish-pink color and a moderate distribution of fat.
Fresh spinach has vibrant green leaves that are not wilted and vivid red roots.
Seasonal spinach is sweeter and more nutritious, so try to use it if available.
🔄 Substitution Guide
You can use beef bulgogi (불고기) cut or chicken breast instead of pork.
Beef adds umami, while chicken breast adds a lean flavor, increasing protein intake.
For vegetarians, consider adding plenty of shiitake or king oyster mushrooms instead of meat for a chewy texture and aroma.
If spinach is unavailable, blanched bok choy or Korean cabbage (eolgal-i baechu) can be used.
The taste and texture may vary slightly, but it will help maintain nutritional balance.
Wood ear mushrooms (mok-i beoseot) can be substituted with other types of mushrooms or omitted, but note that you might miss their unique crunchy texture.
When using substitute ingredients, it's important to adjust the seasoning to your preference.
🥘 Ingredients
👨🍳 Cooking Points
For this japchae (잡채), it is crucial to thoroughly drain the blanched ingredients.
If too much water comes out from the vegetables, the japchae (잡채) can become watery and the seasoning bland.
After blanching, drain in a colander, cool, and then squeeze out as much water as possible by hand.
Remembering this alone will significantly improve the taste of your japchae (잡채).
Next, pre-season the glass noodles (dangmyeon) with minced garlic, brown sugar, soy sauce (jin-ganjang), and fine sea salt.
This helps the noodles absorb the seasoning well, balancing the overall flavor.
Finally, when mixing all ingredients, gently toss them to prevent the glass noodles (dangmyeon) from breaking.
👨🍳 Directions
Soak the glass noodles (dangmyeon) in water for about 30 minutes, then boil until cooked.
Remove the roots from the spinach and separate into individual stalks.
Thinly julienne the onion along the grain.
Julienne the carrot and slice the green onion (scallion) diagonally into long pieces.
Soak the wood ear mushrooms (mok-i beoseot) in water for about 30 minutes, then tear or cut into bite-sized pieces.
Heat about 1 tbsp of cooking oil in a frying pan, add a pinch of salt to the julienned pork, and stir-fry.
When the pork is about half cooked, add the onion, carrot, green onion (scallion), wood ear mushrooms (mok-i beoseot), and black pepper powder, and stir-fry briefly.
Once the vegetables have softened, add the spinach and stir-fry.
Spread the stir-fried vegetables on a large plate to cool.
Season the boiled glass noodles (dangmyeon) with minced garlic, brown sugar, soy sauce (jin-ganjang), and fine sea salt.
Add the stir-fried vegetables, mix evenly, then add dark soy sauce (noduyu) to adjust the color.
Drizzle with sesame oil, transfer to a serving dish, and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds to finish.
💡 Tips
For better flavor, if possible, stir-fry the onion separately from other ingredients.
Stir-fry the pork until fully cooked before adding other vegetables.
Stir-fry the spinach until it is just wilted.
Spread the stir-fried vegetables on a large plate to cool.
📦 Storage & Reuse
Cooked japchae (잡채) can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
Glass noodles (dangmyeon) can become soggy or hard over time, so it's best to eat them as soon as possible.
Freezing is not recommended as it can make the noodles mushy.
To reheat, microwave briefly or gently stir-fry in a pan with a small amount of water or sesame oil over low heat to maintain moisture.
Leftover japchae (잡채) can also be stir-fried with rice to make japchae-bap (잡채밥) or mixed with Korean pancake mix (buchim-garu) to make japchae-jeon (잡채전), a delicious variation.
🥢 Who This Is For
This japchae (잡채) recipe is perfect for beginner cooks or those seeking a healthy meal amidst a busy schedule.
Those who find traditional japchae (잡채) too oily will enjoy its clean and light taste.
It also makes an excellent side dish for family gatherings during holidays or for entertaining guests.
It's great as a single meal with warm rice, and pairing it with a hearty seaweed soup (miyeok-guk) or beef radish soup (sogogi muguk) creates an even more balanced meal.
🔥 Nutrition Info
Based on approximately 2-3 servings, this japchae (잡채) recipe is estimated to contain about 400-450 kcal per serving.
You can obtain approximately 65-70g of carbohydrates from the main ingredient, glass noodles (dangmyeon), and about 7-8g of protein from the pork.
Approximately 10-15g of fat will be consumed from sesame oil and pork.
Spinach is particularly rich in vitamin K and iron, aiding bone health and preventing anemia, while beta-carotene in carrots converts to vitamin A, which is good for eye health.
Wood ear mushrooms (mok-i beoseot) and various vegetables provide abundant dietary fiber, positively impacting gut health.
By omitting the stir-frying process, the fat content is lower than regular japchae (잡채), making it a lighter and healthier japchae (잡채) to enjoy.
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