Jap Chae is a simple Korean stir fry noodle dish that has been forever on my list of recipes to make. Originally it uses vermicelli or sweet potato noodles, soy sauce and sugar. The soy sauce can easily be swapped with coconut aminos but it took me a while to find a good substitute for the noodles because I wanted to find something similar in texture to vermicelli. I’ve seen a lot of posts about the Kelp Noodles by Sea Tangle which is made with a sea vegetable called kelp and is 100% Paleo compliant. This to me was a winner!
Jap Chae (Stir Fry Noodles)
Ingredients
- 2 bunch spinach
- 3 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp oil of your choice
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 1 large onion sliced
- 1 lb flank steak cut into 1" cubes
- 1 cup broth beef or chicken
- 1 pack shiitake mushrooms sliced
- 4 eggs scrambled and sliced
- 2 cups carrots shredded
- 6 tbsp coconut aminos
- 2 tsp fish sauce
- 2 packs kelp noodles rinsed and drained
- 4 stalks green onions chopped
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds
Instructions
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Blanch spinach in boiling water for 30-45 seconds and immediately drain and cool. Squeeze out excess water and mix in 1 tsp of sesame oil, set aside.
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In a large wok or skillet over medium-high heat, add oil, garlic, onions and flank steak. Saute for 2-3 minutes until the meat browns a little bit.
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Add broth, mushrooms, sliced eggs, carrots, coconut aminos and fish sauce.
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Once the broth is simmering, add the kelp noodles and stir everything so that the sauce coats the noodles.
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Cover and simmer until noodles absorb the sauce.
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Remove from heat and add the spinach, green onions, the remaining sesame oil and sesame seeds.
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Place into bowls and serve!
Laura | My Little Gourmet says
That sounds really good! I am intrigued by the Kelp Noodles…I’ve never heard of those. And I am loving your pink (red?) chopsticks!!
Jenny says
I’ve never heard of them until a few months ago and they are surprisingly delicious and taste exactly like regular vermicelli noodles! Not sure if iHerb ships there but they have it online 🙂
Would you believe my chopsticks are almost 10 years old? 😉
Tiffany says
I need to find the kelp noodles. This would make a great meal for the family this week.
Jenny says
Whole foods has it in the refrigerated section next to the tofu and vegan products 🙂
Brooke Schweers says
Ive heard about kelp noodles but never seen them! How do they taste?! They appear the perfect compliment to this lovely looking stir-fry 🙂
Jenny says
Surprisingly it tastes really good! Just like regular vermicelli. My husband wasn’t able to tell that its not the regular type of noodles 🙂
Jess @ PaleoJess says
Got to find these kelp noodles, we have the slim pasta here in Oz and they are made from the konjac root and they are Paleo compliant too. Great recipe!
Jenny says
That konjac root pasta may work too! Let me know how that tastes like 🙂
Sonia! The Healthy Foodie says
Kelp noodle is something that I have yet to try (or try and find, for that matter!). From what I understand, most brands list carrageenan as part of their ingredients, including Sea Tangle… did you find a brand that doesn’t have the dreaded additive?
I really wish I lived in the States, sometimes. Some things are just SO hard to find in Canada, and especially in Québec.
Adding Kelp Noodles to my list of “must finds”… They just look soooo cool!
Jenny says
Yes you’ve got to try kelp! I like it better than the more popular shiratake noodles which has a weird taste and texture… lol I wasn’t aware that Sea Tangle uses carrageenan! So far the kelp seems to not have it on the ingredient list (unless they add it without listing it??).
Wow Quebec! I’ve always wanted to visit that side of Canada 🙂
I think I saw some IG posts that iHerb has the kelp noodles if you want to check them out 🙂
Alyssa (Everyday Maven) says
I LOVE Jap Chae and have yet to make a Paleo version. Bookmarking and making this – thanks 🙂
Jenny says
let me know how it goes! =)
Lauren says
Are the sweet potato noodles not paleo?
Jenny says
As far as I know they are paleo approved. They still have a high carb content similar to regular noodles so I prefer the kelp noodles over it.
Sharon says
I miss you, jenny! Galing ah! Sikat ka na tlg haha! 🙂
Jenny says
I miss you too! xoxo
Kay says
Hey! Not sure if anyone will see this before tonight (when I’m hoping to make this), but I have all the ingredients to make this except the bone broth! Any ideas?? Thanks!
Jenny says
Any broth you have on hand will work! Let me know how it goes 🙂
tess says
hi jenny, first time I check your blog.. are you a chef? try ko lahat .. lol wala bang dessert na whole30approved.. first time doing #whole30.. R1D3..:)
Jenny says
Hi Tess, kamusta! I’m a home chef, not formally trained 🙂 I’m not a fan of desserts so I don’t have much here. Good luck on your Whole30!