Vegetable Yakisoba 

By Kay Chun

Published Jan. 14, 2023

Vegetable Yakisoba 
David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
30 minutes
Rating
4(2,254)
Comments
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Yakisoba is a Japanese stir-fried noodle dish with a rich Worcestershire-flavored sauce. This veggie-packed version combines carrots, bell peppers, mushrooms and kale for a fun mix of textures and flavors. The key in this dish is to sauté the yakisoba noodles first, creating a dryer, firmer noodle that won’t fall apart in the sauce. (Fresh ramen noodles would also work well here.) The tangy-sweet sauce consists mainly of pantry condiments and can be made the day before. Leftovers can be enjoyed the traditional street food way: reheated and served in buttered hot dog buns topped with Japanese mayo and pickled ginger.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

    For the Yakisoba

    • 1pound frozen presteamed yakisoba noodles, thawed
    • 3tablespoons neutral oil, such as safflower or canola
    • 1small yellow onion, thinly sliced
    • 2medium carrots, peeled and cut into matchsticks
    • 1large red bell pepper, stemmed, cored and thinly sliced 
    • Kosher salt and black pepper
    • 1tablespoon minced garlic
    • 8ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and thinly sliced
    • 8ounces baby kale
    • 1cup thinly sliced scallions

    For the Sauce

    • 3tablespoons oyster sauce
    • 3tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
    • 2tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
    • 1tablespoon neutral oil, such as safflower or canola
    • 1tablespoon ketchup 
    • 2teaspoons granulated sugar
    • ¼teaspoon grated fresh ginger
    • ¼teaspoon black pepper
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

625 calories; 12 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 2 grams monounsaturated fat; 6 grams polyunsaturated fat; 110 grams carbohydrates; 11 grams dietary fiber; 12 grams sugars; 24 grams protein; 988 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Make the yakisoba: Place yakisoba noodles in a colander and rinse under room-temperature water. Using your hands, gently loosen and separate noodles. Drain well.

  2. Step 2

    In a 12-inch high-sided nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high. Add noodles and spread in an even layer; cook undisturbed until golden and charred in spots, 3 minutes. Stir noodles once, then cook undisturbed until golden and charred in spots on the other side, 2 minutes longer. Transfer to a large plate.

  3. Step 3

    Meanwhile, make the sauce: In a small bowl combine all of the ingredients and mix well.

  4. Step 4

    To the skillet over medium, add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, onion, carrot and bell pepper, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened and charred in spots, 5 minutes. 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. Add the noodles, sauce and all but ¼ cup of the scallions, and 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.

  5. Step 5

    Divide yakisoba among 4 plates and garnish with the remaining scallions. Serve warm.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
2,254 user ratings
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Comments

Hermit Hill

Where can you get presteamed Yakisoba noodles? I live in rural Vermont.

betteirene

OMG who knew that the secret ingredient to yakisoba is good old L&P Worcestershire? I didn't have some of the ingredients on hand (of course), but I had substitutions that were close enough:refrigerated noodles for the frozen; button mushrooms for the shiitake; green cabbage for the kale; and a little extra soy sauce for the oyster sauce. I live in the Pacific Northwest, where there are almost as many soba diners as there are Starbucks. This sauce is the real deal. No more takeout for us!

Stewart In Houston

I have found a mushroom based Oyster sauce in our local Asian Market. I have to use it for Kosher issues but it works fine. If you don't want instant gratification it is available on Amazon. Wan Ja Shan Vegetarian Mushroom Oyster Sauce. https://smile.amazon.com/s?k=wan+ja+shan+vegetarian+mushroom+oyster+sauce&crid=WLFPLRWYJMM0&sprefix=wan+ja+shan%2Caps%2C92&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_6_11

Angela

For those looking for presteamed soba noodles, Costco sells Yakisoba noodles in a box in the freezer case that contain 6 individually packed cakes of noodles with some, in my opinion, meagre vegetables. You microwave the noodles in 3 minutes. I then throw them in my frying pan with the other vegetables, onion & shredded chicken I had sauteed. No need to make this recipe’s sauce.

Pekio Meow

Found this to be quite delicious - sauce was perfect as written and the vegetables were perfectly cooked. I am not a fan of kale and had no mushrooms on hand, but had some lovely baby Brussels sprouts so sliced thinly and used them instead. Colorful and easy and perfect for this time of year (Late Autumn).

Lisa

Excellent. Subbed spaghetti for yakisoba, cabbage for kale, soy sauce plus sugar for oyster sauce. sautéed some sliced chicken breast and some shrimp and threw them both in at the end. was delicious and everyone loved it. Will make again

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