Yakisoba

Yakisoba is a Japanese stir-fried noodle dish with a rich Worcestershire-flavored sauce. This veggie-packed version combines carrots, bell peppers, mushrooms and kale for a fun mix of textures and flavors. The key in this dish is to sauté the yakisoba noodles first, creating a dryer, firmer noodle that won’t fall apart in the sauce. (Fresh ramen noodles would also work well here.) The tangy-sweet sauce consists mainly of pantry condiments and can be made the day before. Leftovers can be enjoyed the traditional street food way: reheated and served in buttered hot dog buns topped with Japanese mayo and pickled ginger. - NY Times https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1022780-vegetable-yakisoba

My notes: I LOVED this! If you have ever had the Ichiban yakisoba it does taste like that but a homemade version. 

- I used Our Compliments angelhair fresh pasta - half a package. I cut the noodles in half. The instructions say to cook them for 1-2 minutes, after which I drained them and added them at the end with the vegetables and sauce instead of what they say to do in step 2. Maybe next time I'll try step 2 but it was fine without crisping up the noodles first. 

- re: low-sodium soy sauce - don't think China Lily is considered low-sodium haha! I did use it, but only 2 instead of 3 tbsp. 

Ingredients
Yield: 4 servings

    For the Yakisoba
        1pound frozen presteamed yakisoba noodles, thawed
        3tablespoons neutral oil, such as safflower or canola
        1small yellow onion, thinly sliced
        2medium carrots, peeled and cut into matchsticks
        1large red bell pepper, stemmed, cored and thinly sliced
        Kosher salt and black pepper
        1tablespoon minced garlic
        8ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and thinly sliced
        8ounces baby kale
        1cup thinly sliced scallions
    For the Sauce
        3tablespoons oyster sauce
        3tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
        2tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
        1tablespoon neutral oil, such as safflower or canola
        1tablespoon ketchup
        2teaspoons granulated sugar
        ¼teaspoon grated fresh ginger
        ¼teaspoon black pepper


Preparation

Step 1

Make the yakisoba: Place yakisoba noodles in a colander and rinse under room-temperature water. Using your hands, gently loosen and separate noodles. Drain well.

Step 2

In a 12-inch high-sided nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high. Add noodles and spread in an even layer; cook undisturbed until golden and charred in spots, 3 minutes. Stir noodles once, then cook undisturbed until golden and charred in spots on the other side, 2 minutes longer. Transfer to a large plate.

Step 3

Meanwhile, make the sauce: In a small bowl combine all of the ingredients and mix well.

Step 4

To the skillet over medium, add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, onion, carrot and bell pepper, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened and charred in spots, 5 minutes. Stir in garlic until well combined, then add mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender and light golden, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in kale in batches until wilted. Add the noodles, sauce and all but ¼ cup of the scallions, and cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce is absorbed, about 3 minutes. (Noodles should be nicely coated in the sauce but not soupy.) Season with salt and pepper.

Step 5

Divide yakisoba among 4 plates and garnish with the remaining scallions. Serve warm.