This vegan yakisoba tastes just like it came from a hibachi grill...but is super easy to make at home! Made with stir-fried noodles and veggies in a tangy sauce, it's absolutely scrumptious on it's own or paired up with your favorite plant-based protein.
Yakisoba is one of my most loved Japanese dishes, but sadly, it's not one I've been able to enjoy for a while. It's an absolutely delicious noodle stir-fry that's packed with veggies smothered in a sauce that's part salty, part tangy, and full of umami flavor. It was always one of my go-to orders at Japanese restaurants and hibachi grills, along with other delicious dishes like Japanese fried rice and veggie sushi.
But traditional yakisoba isn't always vegan. Worcestershire sauce, which is often made with anchovy paste, is one of the main ingredients in yakisoba sauce. Plus there's the fact that it's usually cooked on a the same grill as other ingredients like meat and eggs, which I'm not really comfortable with.
So I decided to make my own vegan yakisoba, and it was ever bit as delicious as the stuff I've gotten in restaurants in the past. Easy too!
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Ingredients You'll Need
- Vegan Worcestershire sauce. Annie's, The Wizard's, and Whole Foods all make vegan Worcestershire sauce. You can also make it at home pretty easily using my homemade vegan Worcestershire sauce recipe.
- Soy sauce. Tamari and liquid aminos are a couple of options if you need a substitute.
- Vegan oyster sauce. Many supermarkets carry this in the international aisle. If you can't find it there, try an Asian market.
- Ketchup.
- Sugar. Use organic sugar to keep the recipe vegan. Non-organic sugar is often bleached using animal bone char.
- Toasted sesame oil.
- Peanut oil. Feel free to substitute your favorite high heat oil, such as vegetable oil, canola oil, or coconut oil.
- Onion.
- Carrots.
- Cabbage. The recipe calls for green cabbage, but red will work just fine!
- Red bell pepper.
- Yakisoba noodles. Yakisoba noodles are sold in the refrigerated section of many supermarkets, and most Asian markets. They're pre-steamed, so you don't need to boil them. I used Maruchan brand, which is vegan. Be sure to check the ingredients if you use another brand. If you can't find yakisoba noodles, try substituting ramen noodles, which are a pretty close approximation. If your noodles are dried you'll need to boil them according to the package instructions before incorporating them in the recipe.
- Scallions. Also known as green onions.
Tip: Feel free to switch up the vegetables with your favorites, keeping in mind that harder veggies might need more cook time, while softer veggies will cook faster. Broccoli, bok choy, snap peas, zucchini, and baby corn would all work well.
How It's Made
The following is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you'd like to skip right to the recipe!
Begin by making your sauce. Stir together the Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, vegan oyster sauce, ketchup, sugar, and sesame oil.
Heat your peanut oil over medium-high heat in a large flat-bottomed skillet or griddle. Add sliced onion and cook it for about 3 minutes, stirring often, until it softens and begins to brown.
Tip: If you prefer to use a wok for stir-frying, go ahead. I like using a skillet to emulate the flat cooking surface of a teppen, which is a type of griddle that yakisoba is traditionally cooked in. It also makes it easier to break up the noodles, as you'll see below.
Raise the heat to high and add veggies: matchstick cut carrots, chopped cabbage, and red bell pepper. Stir-fry the vegetables for a few minutes until they begin to deepen in color.
Add the noodles to the skillet. Gently start to break them up. Chopsticks are a great tool for doing this! The noodles will separate easily once they start to heat up.
Pour the sauce over the noodles, then add chopped scallions. Be careful when adding the sauce, as it can sputter when it hits the hot cooking surface.
Stir-fry the mixture for a couple minutes, until the vegetables are tender-crisp, and the sauce has thickened and caramelized in spots on the noodles and veggies.
Remove the skillet from heat. Your vegan yakisoba is ready to serve!
Tip: If you'd like to add some protein to your vegan yakisoba, try pairing it up with some fried tofu, smoked tofu, or pan-fried seitan.
Leftovers & Storage
Leftover vegetable yakisoba will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 4 days.
More Vegan Noodle Recipes
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Vegan Yakisoba
This vegan yakisoba tastes just like it came from a hibachi grill...but is super easy to make at home! Made with stir-fried noodles and veggies in a tangy sauce, it's absolutely scrumptious on it's own or paired up with your favorite plant-based protein.
Ingredients
For the Sauce
- 3 tablespoons vegan Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons vegan oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 1 teaspoon organic granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
For the Stir-Fry
- 2 tablespoons peanut oil
- 1 small onion, sliced into strips
- 1 cup julienne cut carrots (about 2 medium carrots)
- 1 ½ cups chopped green cabbage
- 1 medium red bell pepper, roughly chopped
- 1 (16.93 ounce/480 gram) package pre-steamed yakisoba noodles (Notes 1 and 2) (3 servings)
- 2 scallions, cut into ½ inch pieces
Instructions
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Stir the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl.
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Place a large flat-bottomed skillet or griddle over medium-high heat and add the peanut oil.
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Give the oil a minute to heat up, then add the onion. Sauté the onion for about 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until it softens and begins to brown in spots.
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Raise the heat to high, then add the carrots, cabbage, and bell pepper. Stir-fry the vegetables until they begin to deepen in color, about 2 minutes.
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Add the noodles to the skillet. As they heat up, begin to gently break them apart using a couple of chopsticks or forks.
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Pour the sauce over the noodles, then add the scallions. Stir-fry everything for about 2 minutes, until the sauce has caramelized on the noodles and vegetables in spots.
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Remove the skillet from heat. Serve.
Recipe Notes
- If you can't find presteamed yakisoba noodles, you can substitute with 9 ounces of dried ramen noodles. Cook them according to the package directions before incorporating them into this recipe.
- Some yakisoba noodles come with seasoning packets. If yours do, you can discard them or save them for another use (check the ingredients to ensure they're vegan though).
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