Korean Black Bean Noodles

Korean Black Bean Noodles

Korean Black Bean Noodles, or Jajangmyeon, are one of those dishes we kept seeing and finally had to nail a plant-based version of, and honestly we're so glad we did. The sauce is thick, savoury, and deeply rich with that fermented black bean paste doing all the heavy lifting, and it clings to the noodles in the most satisfying way. You've got tender mushrooms, courgette, and cabbage all soaking up those bold flavours, then fresh cucumber and spring onion on top to cut through the richness. It takes about 35 minutes and feels like a proper event on a weeknight. Make it tonight, you won't regret it.

Cook: 35 min
Serves 4

Before You Start

  • Soak dried shiitake mushrooms in 350ml boiling water for 15 minutes
  • Large frying pan or wok
  • Small bowl (for cornflour slurry)

Ingredients

  • 4 - dried shiitake mushrooms
  • 350ml boiling water
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 120g - korean fermented black bean paste (chunjang)
  • 1 onion
  • 1 courgette
  • ½ cabbage
  • 5 cloves of garlic
  • 2cm fresh ginger
  • 1 small red chilli
  • 2 tbsp oyster sauce
  • 1 tbsp caster sugar
  • 1 tbsp water
  • 400g noodles of your choice
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 2 spring onions
  • 1 cucumber
  • 1 lime
  • 1 tbsp sesame seeds

Method

1

Soak the mushrooms and Prep the Veg

  • Soak the dried shitakes in 350ml boiling water for 15 minutes
  • Drain the mushrooms, reserving the liquid and finely chop the shitakes
  • Peel and dice the onion
  • Dice the courgette into 1cm cubes
  • Finely shred the cabbage
  • Peel and mince the garlic and ginger
  • Deseed and slice the red chilli
  • Finely dice the cucumber
  • Finely slice the spring onion
  • Slice the lime into wedges
2

Cook the noodles

  • If using dried noodles, cook according to packet instructions
  • Drain and run under cold water to stop from sticking
3

Make the sauce

  • Heat a large frying pan or wok over a medium heat with the vegetable oil
  • Add the black bean paste, stirring for 2 minutes, then stir through the garlic and ginger for 1 minute until fragrant
  • Add the shitakes, courgette, onion and cabbage to the pan for 2 minutes until the cabbage starts to wilt
  • Pour in the shitake mushroom broth, the oyster sauce and sugar and bring to a simmer for 10 mins
  • In a small bowl mix 1tbsp of cornflour with 1 tbsp of cold water to make a slurry
  • Stir through the caster sugar
  • Add to the pan and bring to simmer, stirring until thickened
4

Finish and serve

  • Stir the noodles through the sauce and divide between bowls
  • Top with the cucumber, spring onion and sprinkle over the sesame seeds
  • Serve with a drizzle of sesame oil and the lime wedges

Tips & Variations

  • Get the sauce right: Make sure you cook the black bean paste in the oil for a couple of minutes before adding anything else. It takes the edge off and deepens the flavour massively, trust us on this one.
  • Noodle swap: We use thick Korean wheat noodles here but if you can't find them, udon noodles work brilliantly. They have that same chewy bite that holds up to the heavy sauce.
  • Make it spicier: Henry always adds a bit of extra chilli at the end if he's having a tough week. A drizzle of chilli oil over the top before serving is a great shout too.

Why This Works

The trick here is using the dried shiitake soaking liquid in the sauce rather than just chucking it away. It adds this deep, almost meaty umami backbone that makes the whole thing taste like it's been cooking for hours. The black bean paste is the star, but that mushroom stock is the secret weapon underneath it all.