This recipe for Korean Veggie Noodles or Janchi Guksu is from award-winning author Joanne Lee Molinaro. It includes a recipe for a batch of her Spicy Garlic Soy Sauce Dressing too, which may become your new favorite condiment!

Joanne Lee Molinaro is a beloved storyteller and cook known to her fans as The Korean Vegan, a NYT Bestselling author and James Beard Award Winner, and a resident of sunny Southern California. She captivates her 4 million+ social media followers with heartfelt narratives that accompany stunning videos of her preparing everything from traditional Kimchi to inventive Korean-inspired pasta dishes. As readers master the recipes for delicious jjajangmyeon (Korean black bean noodles) from her childhood along with the EVOO laden fluffy focaccia she makes at home weekly, they become even bigger fans of Joanne. We’re excited to share a recipe from her new cookbook with you.

From Joanne:

Janchi guksu is a noodle dish meant for celebration. And all the bright, colorful veggies–sweet zucchini, gorgeous carrots, and Napa cabbage kimchi–is truly a celebration of flavor and texture. I actually developed this recipe after moving to Los Angeles and discovering the bounty of beautiful locally grown produce at my farmer’s market. Did you know that over 50% of the nation’s produce is grown right here in California? This is the perfect dish to make for someone you want to celebrate–including yourself!

This recipe for Veggie Noodles is from Joanne’s latest book: The Korean Vegan: Homemade: Recipes and Stories from My Kitchen

Joanne likes to say she loves to “veganize” Korean cuisine and “Koreanize” everything else.  This book is a tribute to all the culinary inspirations that have shaped her cooking. A memory about learning to repurpose leftover rice from her grandmother Hahlmuhnee results in Fried Rice Waffles; a question from her father leads to Joanne learning to make his childhood favorite noodles, Janchi Guksu (recipe below); her love of savory snacks and kimchi helps invent Buffalo Kimchi Artichoke Dip. With her stunning signature photography and tips for building a Korean pantry, Joanne celebrates the magical connections between family, home, and food in The Korean Vegan: Homemade: Recipes and Stories from My Kitchen

VEGGIE NOODLES (JANCHI GUKSU)

Joanne Lee Molinaro the Korean Vegan

While I was driving with my parents through the Topanga Hills recently (a winding path that cuts through the hills between Malibu and the quiet northern suburbs of Los Angeles County), my father randomly asked, “Do you know the janchi guksu?” I replied that I didn’t know this dish, and he continued, “Your grandma used to make for me janchi guksu!” Hearing that this noodle dish reminded my father of his mother was all I needed to dive into multiple blogs, articles, and YouTube videos to research it. It turns out Janchi Guksu is made with somyeon, a thin wheat noodle and spring vegetables, usually Korean zucchini. While traditionally it has anchovy or beef broth, make a quick veggie broth to make it vegan!

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Course Lunch, Main Course, Soup

Cuisine Korean

Servings 4 servings

Calories 354 kcal

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

FOR THE VEGGIE NOODLES Janchi Guksu | 잔치국수

FOR THE BROTH

• 7 2-inch squares (5 cm) dashima
• 1/2 cup sliced onion
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced radish
• 2 tablespoons soup soy sauce guk-ganjang

TOPPINGS

• 11/2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
• 11/2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
• 1 cup julienned carrots
• 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
• 1 cup julienned zucchini
• 7 ounces somyeon thin wheat noodles
• 1 cup julienned gyerranmari Korean rolled omelette
• 1 cup julienned cabbage kimchi
• 1 sheet roasted nori julienned
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
• 2 tablespoons Spicy Garlic Soy Sauce Dressing SEE RECIPE BELOW

SPICY GARLIC SOY SAUCE DRESSING: If there were such a thing as a Korean Vegan elixir, THIS would be it. (MAKES: 11/2 cups)

• 1 cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons gochugaru
• 3 to 4 cloves garlic minced
• 2 scallions chopped
• 1/4 cup finely diced red onion
• 1/4 cup finely diced carrots
• 1 shishito or jalapeño pepper chopped
• 2 tablespoons brown rice syrup or your favorite liquid sweetener
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon mirin
• 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric optional

Instructions

 

FOR THE VEGGIE NOODLES Janchi Guksu | 잔치국수

• MAKE THE BROTH: In a large pot, bring 8 cups of water to a boil with the dashima, onion, radish, and soy sauce. Reduce the heat and simmer for 45 minutes. Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve and reserve the liquid, discarding the dashima and veggies.
• WHILE THE BROTH IS COOKING, PREPARE THE TOPPINGS: In a medium skillet or wok, heat the olive oil and sesame oil over medium-high heat until shimmering, about 1 minute.
• Add the carrots and sauté until they are soft and bright orange, about 2 minutes. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of the coarse salt and then remove the carrots from the pan. In the same pan, add the zucchini and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes. Season with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and then remove the zucchini from the pan.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the somyeon according to the package instructions, then drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process. Divide the noodles evenly into four bowls. Add the warm broth and top with the carrots, zucchini, gyerranmari, kimchi, and roasted seaweed. Garnish with sesame seeds and a drizzle of dressing to serve.

FOR THE SPICY GARLIC SOY SAUCE DRESSING

• In a medium mason jar, combine all the ingredients. Seal the jar and give it a good shake until the ingredients are evenly distributed. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 months or freeze for future.

Notes

See how Joanne makes Gyerranmari, A Korean Style Omelet here

Nutrition

Calories: 354kcalCarbohydrates: 46gProtein: 17gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0.02gCholesterol: 226mgSodium: 1300mgPotassium: 580mgFiber: 4gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 6988IUVitamin C: 10mgCalcium: 119mgIron: 5mg

Keyword vegan, vegetable soup

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Excerpted from The Korean Vegan: Homemade: Recipes and Stories from My Kitchen, Copyright ©2025 by Joanne Lee Molinaro. Published by Avery, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.

About Joanne Lee Molinaro:

Fans know Joanne as The Korean Vegan. Her first cookbook, The Korean Vegan Cookbook, was a New York Times bestseller and a James Beard Award winner, recognized as one of the best cookbooks of the year by The New Yorker, The New York Times, and Epicurious. With 2.9 million followers on TikTok and 1 million followers on Instagram, she reaches audiences worldwide with her unique blend of storytelling and food.