Easy Japanese Yakisoba Recipe (Fried Noodles): Plant-based Eating Has Never Tasted So Good by Jan Mostrom

My husband and I are trying to eat more plant-based recipes and trying to cook together at least once a week. We found this terrific yakisoba recipe from the New York Times food section and changed it a bit to suit our taste buds. The major difference is we love cooking with the gluten-free noodles from Trader Joe's. They are made with lentils and brown rice and a perfect complement to the vegetables in this recipe. Just remember to undercook gluten-free pasta so it doesn't get mushy (5 to 6 minutes was perfect).

Yakisoba, or "fried noodle," is a Japanese noodle stir-fried dish that's usually made with soba noodles. It's said the Japanese recipe made its appearance in the 1930s in Japanese food stalls. If you like lo mein, ramen and other Asian noodle dishes, you need to try yakisoba.

Date night gets better when we turn on the music, try a new recipe and have fun together! Hope you enjoy this vegan recipe as much as we do.

Cuisine: Asian
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1 pound frozen pre-steamed yakisoba noodles, thawed or 1/2 pound spaghetti noodles of choice (we prefer gluten-free yellow lentil and brown rice pasta)
• 3 tablespoons neutral oil, such as safflower or canola
• 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into matchsticks
• 2 large sweet red, yellow or orange bell peppers, stemmed, cored and thinly sliced
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 8 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and thinly sliced
• 8 ounces baby kale
• 1 cup thinly sliced scallions

Sauce

• 3 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon neutral oil, such as safflower or canola
• 1 tablespoon ketchup
• 1/4 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Here's how to make it:

1. Make the yakisoba or pasta. Place noodles in a colander and rinse under room-temperature water. Using your hands, gently loosen and separate noodles. Drain well.
2. In a 12-inch high-sided nonstick skillet or wok, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat. Add noodles and spread in an even layer. Cook undisturbed, until golden and charred in spots, about 3 minutes. Stir noodles once, then cook undisturbed until golden and charred in spots on the other side, about 2 minutes longer. Transfer to a large plate. (If you choose to use gluten-free or regular spaghetti noodles, there's no need to do this step. Just cook noodles as directed.)
3. Make the sauce by combining all the sauce ingredients.
4. To the skillet over medium heat, add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, onion, carrot and bell pepper. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened and charred in spots, about 5 minutes.
   
5. Stir in garlic until well combined, then add mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender and light golden, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in kale in batches until wilted.
   
6. Add the noodles, sauce and all but 1/4 cup of the scallions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce is absorbed, about 3 minutes. (Noodles should be nicely coated in the sauce but not soupy.) Season with salt and pepper.
   

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