Yakisoba is a Japanese chow-mein dish that translates to ‘fried buckwheat’ and Yasai translates to ‘vegetables’, resulting in a Japanese vegetable chow-mein!
Soba noodles are made using buckwheat which is rich in protein, fibre and also contains B vitamins. Although the word soba means buckwheat, wheat flour noodles are often used in this dish in Japan. I have used soba noodles in this recipe as they have more nutritional values and have a bouncier texture than standard wheat flour noodles.
Yakisoba sauce is usually made using Oyster sauce and Worcestershire sauce. In this recipe I have used vegan alternatives that you can buy most health food shops and some supermarkets. Vegetarian Oyster sauce is a delicious sauce often made from shiitake mushrooms. It’s a versatile sauce which can be used many dishes; I like to add it to Bolognese for a richer flavour.
I have topped this dish with sriracha (vegan) mayo because it is just the most magical thing you’ll ever taste.
Yasai Yakisoba (Japanese Vegetable Chow-mein)
Serves 2 | Prep time: 20 minutes | Cook time: 10 minutes | Total time: 30 minutes
INGREDIENTS
1 small onion
100g cabbage (2 cups)
150g bean sprouts (2 cups)
1 small carrot
1 red pepper
1 Tbsp oil
85g dried soba noodles
salt and pepper
Yakisoba Sauce
1 tbsp unrefined golden cane sugar
1 tbsp soy sauce
4 tbsp vegetarian oyster sauce
3 tsp ketchup
3 tbsp vegetarian Worcestershire sauce
Optional toppings
aonori (seaweed)
pickled ginger
Sriracha Mayonnaise (just the best thing ever invented!)
METHOD
- In a pan, boil some water and add a pinch of salt. Once boiling, add the soba noodles and cook until soft, approximately 5 minutes.
- While the noodles cook, slice the vegetables thinly into manageable, bite-sized pieces/slices; you don’t want anything to need cutting afterwards if you are planning on serving with chopsticks. Rinse and strain bean sprouts.
- Mix together all the ingredients for Yakisoba Sauce and set aside.
- In a large frying pan or wok, add oil. Add onion and red pepper and cook over a medium heat for about 1-2 minutes. Then add cabbage, carrot and bean sprouts, cook until vegetables are softer and the onions are translucent. I don’t like to cook them for too long as they are nicer when still crunchy.
- When the noodles are cooked, drain then rinse under a cold tap and drain again. Transfer them to the pan with the vegetables, stir to combine.
- Add the Yakisoba sauce and stir to coat for a couple of minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Transfer to serve and sprinkle with aonori and top with pickled ginger.
NOTES
It is tradition to top this dish with aonori, I don’t usually do so as it has a strong ‘ocean’ taste that I don’t really like. If that’s a taste that you enjoy then this is the perfect opportunity for you to get your salty sea fix!
