Vegan Zha Jiang Mian 炸醬麵 (Fried Sauce Noodles)
My mom has been here for the past month to cook for me and my sister-in-law since we both just had babies. She is one amazing cook and is known for her food by everyone who knows her. It’s been over 2.5 years since I last saw her and I’ve missed eating her home cooked meals! While she’s been here, I’ve had the chance to learn some new recipes to share with you guys!
This vegan zha jiang mian (炸醬麵) is a noodle dish from China, but it’s traditionally made with meat. Zha jiang mian translates to fried sauce noodles. It’s like an Asian version of spaghetti bolognese but made with a meaty, savory, fermented bean sauce. It’s full of umami flavor and this vegan version is made with tofu and shiitake mushrooms. This saucy noodle dish is served with julienned cucumbers and carrots for added freshness and texture.
Zha jiang mian is savory, rich in flavor, and pure comfort food to me. It’s really easy to make and nothing beats a delicious bowl of saucy noodles. This flavor bomb sauce is my mom’s vegan version of zha jiang mian and everyone in our family loves it.
Vegan Zha Jiang Mian
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp avocado oil (or any neutral oil)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 inch piece of ginger, minced
- 2 stalks green onion, sliced thinly separating white and green parts
- 8 shiitake mushrooms, diced small
- 1 box extra firm tofu, drained, pressed, and diced into small cubes
- 3 tbsp tian mian jiang (also known as sweet flour sauce or sweet bean sauce)
- 3 tbsp dou ban jiang (also known as fermented bean paste, can use a spicy one too)
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp organic cane sugar
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- fresh cracked black pepper
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1/2 English cucumber, julienned
- 1-2 carrots, julienned
- 14 oz thin Chinese wheat noodles
Instructions
- Cook the thin Chinese wheat noodles according to package’s instructions. Drain, rinse, and set aside.
- In a small bowl, make the sauce by combining the tian mian jiang, dou ban jiang, soy sauce, and sugar. Stir until well combined. Set aside.
- Heat oil in a wok or large saute pan on medium high heat. Saute the garlic, ginger, and white parts of the green onions for 2 minutes. Then add the mushrooms and saute for 5 minutes.
- Add the tofu, vegetable broth, and sauce mixture. Stir, then add a few twists of fresh cracked black pepper and cook for 2 minutes. Add the sesame oil and the green parts of the green onions. Stir and simmer on medium heat for 10 minutes or until sauce thickens and the liquid is mostly evaporated.
- Divide noodles into bowls. Serve zha jiang mixture on top of noodles with some julienned cucumbers and carrots. Enjoy!
