Korean Japchae (Chap Chae) with Sun-Dried Tomato Tahini Sauce
Korean-inspired glass noodles tossed with shiitake mushrooms, bok choy, spinach, and red cabbage in a rich sun-dried tomato, tahini, ginger, and sesame sauce, finished with carrot ribbons, scallions, and toasted sesame.
Yield: Serves 4 · Active: 30 min · Total: 45 min · Year-round · Cuisine: Korean-inspired · Best eaten: midday or early evening
Japchae (sometimes spelled chap chae) is a beloved Korean dish of glossy noodles, colorful vegetables, and sesame, traditionally served at birthdays, holidays, and weddings. Classic japchae uses chewy sweet potato glass noodles (dangmyeon), which happen to be naturally grain-free, in a soy and sesame sauce. My version keeps the noodles and the layered vegetables, but swaps in a richer, deeper sauce of sun-dried tomatoes, tahini, ginger, and coconut aminos. It’s Korean-inspired rather than strictly traditional, but every bit as satisfying.
Ingredients
Noodles (choose one)
12 oz sweet potato glass noodles (dangmyeon), the traditional choice
Or 1 (12-oz) package kelp noodles, plus 1 tsp baking soda and the juice of ½ lemon
Sun-dried tomato tahini sauce
½ cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained
¼ cup tahini
2 tbsp coconut aminos
1½ tbsp raw honey
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
1 tbsp raw apple cider vinegar
2 tsp fresh ginger, chopped
2 garlic cloves
½ cup water, plus more as needed
Vegetables
1 tbsp avocado oil or extra virgin olive oil
4 cups shiitake mushrooms, sliced
2 heads baby bok choy, chopped
2 cups shredded red cabbage
8 cups fresh spinach
½ tsp Baja Gold sea salt
Optional additions
8 oz grass-fed sirloin, sliced paper-thin and tossed with 1 tbsp coconut aminos
2 pasture-raised eggs, for egg ribbons (jidan)
Garnish
1 carrot, shaved into ribbons with a vegetable peeler
4 scallions, thinly sliced
2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
Method
Prep the noodles.
Glass noodles: Boil them for 6–7 minutes, until chewy and translucent, then drain and rinse under cold water. Snip them into shorter lengths with kitchen scissors.
Kelp noodles: Soak them in warm water with the baking soda for 20 minutes, until softened. Rinse well, then toss with the lemon juice, and drain.
Make the sauce. Blend the sun-dried tomatoes, tahini, coconut aminos, honey, sesame oil, vinegar, ginger, and garlic, adding water a little at a time until smooth and pourable.
Make the egg ribbons (optional). Beat the eggs with a pinch of salt. Cook them as a thin omelet in a lightly oiled skillet over medium-low heat, about 1 minute per side. Roll it up, and slice it into thin ribbons.
Sear the beef (optional). Heat a little oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat, and stir-fry the beef 1–2 minutes, until just browned. Move it to a plate.
Cook the vegetables. Heat the oil in the same pan over medium-high heat. Add the shiitakes, and cook 5 minutes, until browned at the edges. Add the bok choy and cabbage, and cook 3 minutes, until just tender. Add the spinach in batches, tossing until just wilted, 1–2 minutes. Season with the salt.
Toss. In a large bowl, toss the noodles, vegetables, beef (if using), and about half the sauce.
Serve. Top with the carrot ribbons, egg ribbons, scallions, and sesame seeds, with the rest of the sauce on the side.
Storage
Best eaten the same day. Kelp noodles release water as they sit, and glass noodles firm up in the fridge (warm them gently in a skillet with a splash of water).
Sauce: refrigerated up to 5 days. It’s delicious on roasted vegetables, salads, and grilled meat.
A note on honey: The raw honey in the sauce stays raw, since it’s never heated. Honey shouldn’t be given to babies under 12 months.
Nourishment Notes
About japchae — the dish was first made at the royal court of Korea’s Joseon dynasty in the 1600s, and it was originally a dish of vegetables with no noodles at all. Sweet potato glass noodles joined in the early 20th century, and today japchae is a centerpiece of Korean celebrations.
Sweet potato glass noodles — made from sweet potato starch, naturally grain-free and gluten-free, with a springy, chewy texture.
Kelp noodles — made from seaweed, with minerals like calcium and iron, plus a little iodine.
Sun-dried tomatoes — lycopene (better absorbed with the oil they’re packed in) and concentrated glutamate, the same compound that makes Parmigiano so savory. That deep, savory flavor is what makes this sauce special.
Tahini — calcium, magnesium, copper, and sesame lignans, studied for their antioxidant effects, plus a creamy body.
Shiitake mushrooms — B vitamins, copper, selenium, and lentinan, a beta-glucan studied for supporting the immune system.
Spinach, bok choy, and red cabbage — folate, vitamin K, vitamin C, magnesium, and glucosinolates, which support estrogen metabolism, plus anthocyanins from the red cabbage.
Ginger and garlic — gingerols and allicin, which support digestion.
Grass-fed beef and eggs (if using) — heme iron, zinc, B12, choline, and complete protein.
As a circadian food, this colorful, vegetable-rich bowl is best at midday or early evening.
For your cycle: Rich in folate and magnesium from the greens and calcium from the tahini, this is a lovely meal in any phase. Add the beef during and after your period, for its heme iron.
Sourcing
Sweet potato glass noodles — 100% sweet potato starch, from a Korean or Asian market
Kelp noodles — organic, like Sea Tangle Noodle Company
Sun-dried tomatoes — organic and packed in olive oil
Tahini — organic and stone-ground, made from just sesame, like Soom
Coconut aminos — organic and soy-free, like Coconut Secret
Toasted sesame oil — 100% pure toasted sesame oil, like Kadoya or Sempio
Mushrooms, bok choy, cabbage, spinach, carrots, scallions, ginger, and garlic — organic, from a farmers’ market or Asian market
Beef (optional) — 100% grass-fed sirloin, from a local rancher
Eggs (optional) — organic and pasture-raised, from a local farm
Raw honey — organic, local, and unfiltered
Raw apple cider vinegar — organic, with the mother (Bragg)
Salt — Baja Gold sea salt
— Anna aka Food Marshall