Kimchi Noodle Jar
50 min
Main
Make-ahead
Servings
(1 litre jar per serving)
Total
50 minPrep
20 minCook
30 minContains
soy
sesame
Swap out
gluten
Free from
peanut
tree nut
Ingredients
Baked tofu
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¼ cup (32 g)cornstarch
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2 Tbsp (30 mL)vegetable oil
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23 oz (650 g)firm tofu, pressed, cut into 1 cm cubes
Dressing
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2 Tbsp (30 mL)sesame oil
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1 Tbsp (15 mL)rice vinegar
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Layers
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2 cups (280 g)frozen shelled edamame
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6.3 oz (180 g)dry brown rice noodles
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1 tsp (5 mL)sesame oil
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4cloves garlic, crushed
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6 cups (180 g)fresh spinach
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3 cups (210 g)shiitake mushrooms, sliced
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¼ tspsalt
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2carrots, julienned
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2 Tbsp (30 mL)water
Make your own
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 390°F (200°C) and line a baking tray.
- Mix the cornstarch, oil, soy sauce, and gochujang together in a large bowl.
- Then add the tofu cubes and gently toss to coat. Transfer to the baking tray and bake for 20 minutes, flipping halfway.
- Mix together all the ingredients for the dressing in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Add the frozen edamame beans to a bowl and pour boiling water over top. Once thawed, drain and set aside.
- Add the rice noodles to a large bowl and cover with boiling water. When cooked after 2 minutes*, drain and run under cold water.
- Note: the following 3 steps can all be cooked simultaneously to save time. We cooked them separately so that each ingredient is visibly layered in the jars, but this is optional.
- Heat the sesame oil in a large pan on medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until lightly golden. Then add the spinach and cook for 2 - 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
- Return the pan to the heat and add the mushrooms and salt. Cook for 5 - 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
- Return the pan to the heat. Add the carrots and water and cook for another 3 - 4 minutes, or until softened. Transfer to a plate.
- Layer the mason jar, starting with the dressing, then the noodles, garlicky spinach, carrots, shiitake mushrooms, kimchi, edamame beans, and baked tofu on top.
- Pop on the lid and store in the fridge until ready to enjoy. When ready to eat: shake the contents of the jar into some bowls. Give it all a mix, and enjoy!
Notes
- †Gochujang is a Korean fermented red chili paste, which has a sweet, savoury and spicy flavour, and can be found in most Asian supermarkets. Sriracha is a bit thinner and sweeter.
- * Check the packaging of your noodles for the exact directions, as cooking instructions differ from brand to brand.
Storage
- Store in a glass jar or airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Let us know what you think
Plate method
The Plate Method is a visual tool that helps us ensure our dietary needs are on track. Touch the image below to see how this recipe measures up.
Grains & Starches 33%
• dry brown rice noodles
Proteins 28%
• firm tofu
• frozen shelled edamame
Fruits & Veggies 39%
• clove garlic
• fresh spinach
• shiitake mushroom
• carrot
• vegan kimchi
Calcium
• firm tofu
Fat
• vegetable oil
• sesame oil
• sesame oil
Nutrition info
We believe that focusing on numbers can harm our relationship with food. Instead, our philosophy is to Nourish the Cells & the Soul. If you require specific nutrition information due to a medical condition, please consult with a dietitian or physician. The nutritional information provided is composed with the utmost care. However, we cannot guarantee the correctness of the displayed values, see also our disclaimer.
Watch it step-by-step!
Discussion & Rating
Made this tonight and my oh my was it good! Only altered the spice level (lower) and that was it! I will definitely be making that again.
Very tasty! I made this for dinner so I didn’t use the mason jars. The recipe made a lot of food. More like 6 servings for our family.
I would love to try it making it in a jar because its sounds delicious, there's only one question: if you want to eat it warm after taking it from the fridge, how do you do that? You heat it up in one pan after pouring it or do you eat it straight out of the fridge, without reheating it?
WE love this dish! I never put it in jars, but it is delicious none the less. All my kids ask for this weekly, even the child that does not like spicy. I make a little separate dressing for that child. Definitely a winner! Thanks.
Changed my cooking for ever!
I use similar Gochujang suaces every week now, this dish realy triggered a whole lot of new foods for me and have done lots of experimenting fun!
(all though, I now leave out the kinchi, as it is much too spicey for me ;)
Wow! This was amazing. I was out of kimchi but I will definitely be making this again. I think the tofu is meant to be in larger pieces so next time I'll try 1 inch cubes. I loved the veggie combinations and it makes for a very cute lunch. I'm so looking forward to having it for lunches this week.
This is my favorite PUL recipe. It is so so delicious! The combination of all the ingredients makes each bite interesting and the variety allows for easy variations if necessary. The best part of the recipe is the tofu. It's now my favorite way to prepare it! Even if you only make that portion of the recipe it is well worth it (although I would make it in its entirety since it is just so good).
This recipe looks delicious! Could the tofu in this recipe be panfried instead of baked? Unfortunately the oven in the place we're renting is out of action so we're limited to using the stove.
THANK YOU FOR INTRODUCING ME TO GOCHUJANG . Changed my life.
This came out sooooo good except for my tofu for some reason came out weird but that's ok I'll get it next time. I'm also trying to lose weight because I just had a baby and I subbed the noodles for extra carrot noodles. I have a toasted sesame dressing that went perfectly with it.
This is my absolute favorite lunch to take to work, and I make it several times a month. My kids love it too! I make it for us for lunch on Sunday and pack one jar away for lunch on Monday... perfect! I like my tofu extra crispy, so I keep turning it and bake it for about twice as long, otherwise this is perfection just as written!
I love how this recipe is meal-prep friendly. It’s perfect for on-the-go lunches at school or work, but also a super easy and healthy meal at home. When I’m feeling a little fancy, I garnish the noodles with some green onions, toasted sesame seeds, and some avocado (‘cause who doesn’t love avocado?). Thanks PUL team!! :)
Delicious! Warning, this is spicy! My boyfriend always complains when I serve him spicy foods, so I cut down the Sriracha (substituted for the chili paste) in the dressing from 3 tablespoons to one and it was still quite spicy. Even I was sucking air to cool off my mouth after this meal! Definitely still enjoyed, but err on the safe side and add less (maybe to the tofu as well) during the recipe and add as needed while eating.
This dish is beautiful, too! I love all of the colors!
Sadia, Sadia, Sadia!!! This is soooooo good!!!! I've been dabbling with vegan cuisine as the guy I have just begun dating is starting his vegan journey but doesn't really cook. Lady, with following your recipes let's just say I will likely be inviting you to my wedding soon ;) Now if you will excuse me, I'm off to peruse your site and YouTube channel to add to my brand new vegan recipe arsenal AND help to solidify the aforementioned statement ;) Cheers!!!
SO GOOD!!! Probably one of my favorite recipes I've made. I meal prepped this recipe for lunch and it had all the heads at work turning. This dish is easy to make and packed with flavor. Not to mention, I had most of the ingredients on-hand which made it convenient. It's also filling and gave me enough energy to get through the rest of the work day. I'm so excited to make this dish for my family (who have very different food preferences than me) because I know this will be a hit.
I am making this jar every 2 weeks. It is visually very pleasing, easily storable and it tastes insanely good. All the flavours combine perfectly. I like that kimchi and tofu are mild hot, which is compensated by neutral flavour of noodles or spinach.
If out of all your excellent recipes I had to choose the best one, kimchi noodle jar would be it.
To be honest, there is one downside of this jar. There are so many ingredients, that I always forget something when I assemble the jar or bowl. I must look at your photos and make sure I did not miss any layer. :-D
I live in a rural area and can't get good Asian food like I'd like. This recipe helps so much!
I really like this one. I often change up the vegetables. Sometimes I don't even add the kimchi. But I always use rice noodles, tofu and the sauce as a combination. And I never put it in a jar before eating.
I used store-brought kimchi which gave it a a bit more spice than I would like, but otherwise it's very delicious!
2 thumbs and 2 toes up! I just made this today. The whole family loves it. I love the meal-in-a-jar concept especially since my son who lives with us has a busier work schedule than before the pandemic and hardly has time to put a meal together. So he loves it that there's ready food in the fridge. He's the vegan. I'm growing into it. But my husband is a carnivore. So you can imagine the amount of cooking I have to do to satisfy both.
So glad I discovered your vlog. So far the recipes that I've tried are so delicious and filling. It doesn't make one miss meat.
The sauce in this recipe is similar to the korean salad I make on korean barbeque nights. The veggies I use for my korean salad are chives, shallots and leeks. I will add this to the jar next time I make this.
My children absolutely love this recipe! The flavors are out of this world. I've actually made this over a dozen times and even my child that doesn't like spicy food loves it, I do leave the kimchi on the side for her and make a separate dressing with less gochujang. This recipe quickly became a family favorite! Thank you!