Shallot Gochujang Noodles with Seared King Oyster Mushrooms

Small king oyster mushrooms are sliced in half then scored to create a ‘cross-hatch’ pattern before being seared on a pan to get a nice brown exterior. The sauce is made by reducing the flavors from the pan with vegan butter, gochujang, and a few other seasonings to create a tasty sauce to coat the chewy knife-cut noodles. Top the seared mushrooms over the noodles and you have yourself an incredibly tasty bowl packed with many different textures and flavors.

THE INSPIRATION FOR THESE NOODLES AND SEARED MUSHROOMS

This dish is inspired by the seared king oyster mushroom recipe we made during a class in culinary school - the mushrooms were  scored in a cross-hatch pattern, seasoned with salt and pepper, before being seared score-side down on a pan with hot oil until it gets a nice brown on the edges. Butter is then mixed into the pan then shallots are mixed in before wine is added and some stock before cooking everything until the sauce has reduced.

For this version, I used gochujang instead of tomato paste and decided to add a carb - in the form of noodles - for the sauce. This tasty base with sweet, spicy, and umami flavors is the sauce for my choice of wheat knife-cut noodles that are mixed in to the absorb all the flavors. 

INGREDIENTS YOU'LL NEED FOR THIS RECIPE

MUSHROOMS

• 5.2 oz king oyster or trumpet mushrooms best to use small king oyster mushrooms if you can
• 2-3 tbsp neutral cooking oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

SAUCE

• 1/2 large shallot finely diced
• 1 tbsp vegan butter
• 1 tbsp gochujang
• 2-3 tsp soy sauce to taste
• 1/2 tsp sugar adjust to taste
• Chili oil to finish (optional)
• Drizzle sesame oil to finish
• 2 tbsp noodle water, to loosen

NOODLES

• 5.2 oz dry noodles , I used knife cut noodles (3 bundles) - SEE NOTES, you can use other wheat noodles of choice 

TO SERVE

• Thinly sliced green onions for garnish
• More chili oil for topping

STEPS TO MAKE THE MUSHROOMS AND NOODLES

PREPARE THE MUSHROOMS

• Using the top of your knife, slice the king oyster mushrooms in half lengthwise. Then carefully score diagonally (be sure not to slice to deep so you don’t cut through the mushrooms) before rotating the mushrooms to repeat and create a ‘cross-hatch’ pattern.
• The depth of your scoring/slicing will depend on the size of your mushrooms. I used around 10 small king oyster mushrooms. If you’re using larger ones, you can divide the pieces into 2-3 before slicing in half lengthwise to create the cross-hatching pattern.
• With the scored sides facing you, sprinkle salt and pepper over the mushrooms to season these. I used kosher salt and ground black pepper.

COOK THE MUSHROOMS

• In a large skillet over medium heat, add the neutral cooking oil. Add enough oil to coat the surface of the pan.
• Once the oil is hot, add the mushrooms scored side down first. Leave to sear for around 2-3 minutes or until the mushrooms are golden brown and have a nice brown sear on the edges. Flip over to cook the remaining side.
• Once the mushrooms are golden brown and cooked to your liking, remove the mushrooms from the pan and transfer on a plate lined with some paper towels to absorb any excess oil. You can drain some of the excess oil from the mushrooms and leave enough to sauté the shallots for the sauce.

SAUCE

• On the same pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the finely diced shallots. Once the shallots are translucent and tender, lower the heat. Melt the vegan butter.
• Add the gochujang and mix well into the butter mixture.
• Turn off the heat. Mix the soy sauce, sugar, and chili oil, if desired.

NOODLES

• Heat a small pot of water over high heat. Once it boils, add the noodles to cook until chewy and al dente to your liking.
• Set aside some of the noodle water.
• Drain the noodles from the water.

ADD THE NOODLES

• Add the cooked noodles into the sauce. Mix everything together until the sauce has coating the noodles.
• Pour noodle water if needed, to loosen the sauce.
• Turn on the heat to a medium heat then allow the noodles to cook in the sauce for 2-3 minutes or until the noodles are well coated.

FINISHING THE NOODLES

• Turn off then heat and then finish with some sesame oil and more chili oil, if desired.
• Serve the noodles while hot then top with the seared king oyster mushrooms. Garnish with green onions. Enjoy!

MORE RECIPES YOU'LL ENJOY:

• Cilantro Lime Noodles
• Shoyu Udon
• Pad Thai
• Wonton Noodle Soup
• Saucy Ramen Noodles
• Wonton Noodle Soup
• Bun Cha Gio Chay (Vietnamese Noodles and Fried Vegetarian Spring Rolls Bowls)
• Jjajangmyeon (Noodles in Black Bean Sauce)
• Thai Drunken Noodles (Pad Kee Mao)
• Easy Spicy Miso Noodles

Looking for more Vegan Asian recipes?

You can get a copy of my cookbook, Vegan Asian!

If you crave vegan-friendly versions of classic Asian dishes, this cookbook is packed with Southeast and East Asian dishes inspired by those I grew up enjoying at home and those I’ve tried from my travels. From iconic Thai dishes to piping-hot Japanese fare and everything in between, the recipes in this will take your palate on a delicious food trip across Asia, and hopefully keep you coming back for more!

YOU CAN PIN THIS IMAGE: