If you’re looking for a delicious and easy noodle dish that you can make in minutes, try vegan Zha Jiang Mian (aka Fried Sauce Noodles). It’s a classic Chinese noodle dish made with savory stir-fried mince and vegetables, cooked in a flavorful brown sauce. So tasty and satisfying!
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Ingredients for vegan Zha Jiang Mian
Here are the ingredients you’ll need:
- noodles
- vegan mince
- sesame oil
- ginger
- garlic
- onion
- sweet bean sauce
- bamboo shoot
- shiitake mushrooms
- cooking sake
- soy sauce or Tamari
- cane sugar
- vegetable broth
- potato starch
- cucumbers
- red chili threads for garnish – optional
(see Ingredient Notes below for recommendations/substitutions)
A detailed recipe with measurements is in the recipe card below.
Ingredient Notes
Noodles – any type of Asian noodles will work, but my favorite noodles to use for this recipe are Ramen noodles, Udon noodles, and thick wheat noodles. Make sure to check the label, since some types of noodle contain eggs and/or milk powder.
Sweet bean sauce, or tian mian jiang (甜麺酱) – it’s a thick, dark brown sauce made from fermented wheat flour, available at most Asian/Chinese supermarkets or online. As a substitution, you can use Hoisin sauce.
Bamboo shoot – (bamboo sprouts) I use ready-to-eat bamboo shoots that come pre-boiled. They’re sold in most Asian supermarkets or online. If you don’t have bamboo shoot, you can use other veggies like carrots, asparagus, onion, or string beans.
Chili threads (shredded red pepper) – you can also use red chili flakes as garnish.
Vegan mince or crumbles – TVP (textured vegetable protein) or plant-based ground meat work best. (In Japan, Green Meat and SoMeat are two of my favorite vegan meat)
Potato starch – can be subbed with cornstarch or tapioca starch.
Cooking Sake – sake adds umami and a sweet, mellow flavor. If you don’t have it, you can replace it with water or broth.
How to make Zha Jiang Mian
A detailed recipe is in the recipe card at the bottom of this post, but here’s a quick overview of the process.
1. Heat sesame oil in a pan, and cook ginger, garlic, and onion until fragrant. Add vegan mince, shiitake mushrooms, and bamboo shoot, and stir fry on medium heat for 5 minutes.
2. Add sweet bean sauce, sake, soy sauce, cane sugar, and vegetable broth. Simmer for 5 minutes, then add potato starch slurry. Stir until the sauce thickens.
3. Cook noodles according to package instructions. Top noodles with the sauce, and garnish with thinly sliced cucumbers and chili threads (optional). Enjoy!
Looking for other vegan noodle dishes?
Thank you for visiting my blog! If you made this recipe, or any other recipes of mine, be sure to tag me @veganesetokyo on Instagram and use the hashtag #veganesetokyo. I would love to see your creations❤️
Vegan Zha Jiang Mian – Fried Sauce Noodles
Ingredients
- 1/2 Tbsp sesame oil
- 1/2 white onion finely chopped
- 1 tsp ginger grated
- 2 cloves garlic grated
- 100 grams vegan mince
- 60 grams bamboo shoot finely chopped (for substitution, see Ingredient Notes)
- 60 grams shiitake mushrooms finely chopped
- 1 1/2 Tbsp sweet bean sauce
- 1 Tbsp cooking sake
- 1 1/2 Tbsp soy sauce or tamari
- 1 Tbsp cane sugar
- 200 ml vegetable broth
- 1/2 Tbsp potato starch
- 1 Tbsp water
- 2 servings ramen or udon noodles
for garnish
- cucumbers julienned
- chili threads (optional)
Instructions
- Heat sesame oil in a pan, and cook ginger, garlic, and onion on medium heat for 2~3 minutes, until fragrant.
- Add vegan mince, shiitake mushrooms, and bamboo shoot. Stir fry on medium heat for 5 minutes.
- Add sweet bean sauce, sake, soy sauce, cane sugar, and vegetable broth. Simmer for 5 minutes.
- Mix potato starch and water together, and stir it into the sauce. Simmer until the sauce thickens.
- Cook noodles according to package instructions. Top noodles with the sauce, and garnish with cucumbers and chili threads (optional). Enjoy!
