Spicy Korean Noodles

How do you turn boring Udon noodles into something incredible? Like these Spicy Korean Noodles? It's the sauce!

I've said it before, if you have a good sauce you can make anything taste good!

And while I wish I could take full credit for this incredibly tasty sauce, it's actually a recipe by none other than the Korean Vegan herself, Joanne Molinaro.

It's the perfect blend of sweet and spicy that is definitely one of my favorites. If you haven't heard of Joanne she is definitely worth looking up.

Ingredients for Spicy Korean Noodles

Gochujang
Gochugaru
Soy Sauce
Rice Vinegar
Maple Syrup
Mirin
Udon Noodles
Onion
Garlic
Scallions
Jalapenos (I used Fresno Chiles)
Savoy Cabbage

Where can I find this gochu...stuff. What is it?

Gochugaru is a Korean Chile Powder and can be found in stores like Whole Foods, Asian Markets, and on Amazon. I'll drop a few of my affiliate links below, and I do earn a small commission on every sale.

Gochujang is a fermented chile paste made from that same powder with some other added ingredients. These 2 spices are the backbone of Korean cooking and in my opinion, a must-have for your Vegan pantry.

Mirin is a Japanese Rice Wine that is both sweet and tangy and is used in many Asian recipes.

Udon Noodles are available in the cooler section of many grocery stores and come in a variety of flavors. The flavors are usually NOT vegan, but that's just the spice packet - so toss it as we only need the noodles. They are made of wheat, so if you are gluten intolerant, maybe try rice noodles instead.

How To Make Spicy Korean Noodles

This is a very simple recipe.

whisk the ingredients for the sauce in a small bowl
chop the veggies
boil the noodles
saute the veggies
add the noodles
add the sauce and stir

SUPER EASY! In fact, you can probably make this in 30 minutes or less.

Joanne's original recipe used tofu, so definitely look that one up as it is really good too. But I used noodles and some of those beautiful Fresno Chiles I got at Whole Foods last week for my upcoming Sriracha recipe (which are happily fermenting away right now and filling my office with a VERY funky aroma).

I also added some savoy cabbage (See Dr. Essie? I'm getting my GREENS) and a little can of sliced mushrooms.

But that sauce really brings it all together.

I hope you enjoy this as much as I do and stay tuned for that Sriracha recipe!

Chuck