Yakisoba is not health food, and it’s not pretending to be. It’s noodles, sauce, a little cabbage to make everyone feel better about their choices, a deeply satisfying flavor. This version isn’t particularly authentic, but it’ll still make you go for seconds.
For the sauce:
- 2 tablespoons okonomi sauce
- 2 teaspoons ketchup
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sugar
For the stir-fry
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 4 ounces turkey bacon, cut into 1/2-inch slices
- 1/2 yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 1 small carrot, cut into 2-inch matchsticks
- 1/2 head green cabbage, thinly shredded
- 3 green onions, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 pound yakisoba noodles, rinsed under hot water to loosen them
- Pepper
- Ao-nori, for garnish
- Beni-shoga ginger, for garnish
- Kewpie mayonnaise, for garnish
- Make the sauce: combine the okonomi sauce, ketchup, oyster sauce, soy sauce, and sugar in a small bowl and stir together until the sugar is dissolved. Set aside.
- Make the stir-fry: heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the turkey bacon and cook, stirring occasionally until it is starting to turn brown, about five minutes.
- Increase the heat to high, then add the onion, carrot, and cabbage and stir-fry until the vegetables are tender and starting to brown slightly, about 2 minutes. Add the green onions, stir to combine, then transfer everything to a bowl and set aside, leaving some of the oil in the skillet.
- Reheat the skillet over high heat and add the noodles and cook, tossing, until hot, about 1 minute. Return the vegetables and turkey bacon to the skillet and toss everything to combine. Stir the sauce and add to the skillet. Cook, stirring until the sauce cooks everything. Season to taste with pepper. Transfer to a serving platter, sprinkle with ao-nori and beni-shoga, drizzle with Kewpie mayo, and serve.