Vegan Yakisoba Recipe

Vegan yakisoba is Japan’s fried noodle dish made without the pork and traditional Worcestershire sauce, using tofu, mixed vegetables and a soy-based sauce instead. Buckwheat or wheat noodles are stir-fried in a hot wok with cabbage, capsicum, carrot and onion, then tossed through a quick tomato and vinegar sauce. It’s ready in well under 30 minutes.

Yaki means fried, and soba means buckwheat noodles, so Yakisoba translates to fried buckwheat noodles. The traditional dish is fried with cabbage, bean sprouts and pork, but this version uses only plant-based ingredients while keeping the same smoky, savoury flavour.

Why will you love this Vegan Yakisoba?

As you all know, authentic Yakisoba dish is not vegan. Even vegan Yakisobas tend to be rarely vegan because the ingredients used in the sauce are not 100% vegan. But in this recipe, you will find the most vegan ingredients that you can use in making the perfect Yakisoba dish.

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Besides, cooking this dish is about as simple as it gets. Many people put off making it, thinking of the time and labour involved, but this recipe uses just a few ingredients you will mostly find in your kitchen pantry, and Yakisoba is served at your dining table in no time.

What equipment do you need to make vegan Yakisoba?

• A large wok
• A metal spatula
• Bowls for the diced veggies
• A separate bowl to mix in the sauce

Ingredients used in making Vegan Yakisoba

• 2 servings of buckwheat noodles or Yakisoba noodles
• 200g of tofu
• Oil
• 1 carrot
• ½ red bell pepper (capsicum)
• ½ green bell pepper (capsicum)
• 1 red onion
• 2 chilli peppers
• ½ a cup of finely diced cabbage

Ingredients for Yakisoba Sauce,

• 3 tbsp of tomato puree or tomato paste
• 2 tbsp of any vegan Worcestershire sauce
• ½ tbsp of garlic powder
• ½ tbsp of onion powder
• ½ tbsp of ginger powder
• ¼ tbsp of black pepper
• 1 tbsp of rice wine vinegar
• Agave syrup or maple syrup

Garnishes

• The authentic garnishes for Yakisoba are pickled red ginger (Beni-Shoga) and dried seaweed (Aonori).
• You can also garnish with any greens of your choice like coriander, parsley and even sesame seeds.

Vegan Yakisoba Recipe

• Firstly, in a small bowl, mix all the sauce ingredients with an extra 2-3 tbsp of water. Mix it properly and keep it aside.
• Now, cook your buckwheat noodles for a couple of minutes. Do not overcook it. Once you see that it’s done, take the heat off and rinse the cooked noodles with cold water thoroughly. Keep it aside in a clean bowl.
• Slice the veggies julienne, dice the tofu into equal squares and keep them aside on separate bowls.
• Next, heat up the wok on high heat. Add oil to the wok and let it get scorching hot. Do not add in the veggies until the oil is boiling hot. Remember. The trick is to cook the veggies properly quickly and not just steam them.
• Add in the diced cabbage and onion and stir fry it for about 2 minutes on high heat.
• Next, you can add in the rest of the veggies along with the tofu and stir fry for another 3 minutes.
• After the veggies look done, push all the veggies to the side of the wok, pour the sauce mixture onto the hot wok and let it simmer for a good 20-30 minutes.
• Now, you can add the noodles into the veggie sauce. Stir the noodles together with the sauce properly.
• Serve it in a big bowl or two medium-sized bowls. Serve it hot! You can top it or garnish it with fresh coriander or parsley, or toasted sesame seeds.

What are some tips for making vegan Yakisoba?

• Always use a large-sized wok to make Yakisoba and to give the dish extra flavour. Besides, your veggies will not fit inside a small wok, and stirring will instead get messy and veggies wasted.
• If you don’t have authentic Yakisoba noodles, you can even use wheat noodles, ramen noodles, and soba noodles.
• You can use any vegetables of your choice for vegan Yakisoba.
• It’s an option, but deep frying the tofu beforehand just gives another level of taste to the dish.
• Make sure you wash the cooked noodles gently with cold water. That way, the noodles will not get soggy but chewy textured.
• Do not stir fry the vegetables on low heat.
• If you don’t have vegan Worcestershire sauce, even mushroom sauce works like magic. You can also just use regular dark soy sauce.
• Always serve it hot and immediately, or else the texture of the noodles changes once it gets cold.

To sum up

Recreating an authentic non-vegan dish in plant-based form can be tricky, but vegan Yakisoba is a straightforward one. No complicated or time-consuming steps are needed, and the ingredients are simple and budget-friendly.

It also suits a family gathering or a casual dinner, with a depth of flavour that comes through in every bite.

With less meat and more vegetables, this version keeps the dish satisfying while adding the benefits of a plant-based plate.

• How to make Vegan Yakisoba
• Plant-based Yakisoba
• Vegan Yakisoba Recipe
• Vegan Yakisoba ingredients
• Yakisoba no-meat
• Yakisoba noodles