Whenever a new vegan-curious friend comes my way looking for a recipe, I always turn to my trusty “Spicy Peanut Noodles” dish. To be honest, up until recently this recipe was constantly changing to accommodate whatever veggies I was currently obsessed with (and whichever vegetables my student budget at the time could handle), but I have finally solidified it into a fool-proof recipe. However, that’s not to say this bad boy can’t handle whatever you throw at it. The benefit of this recipe being so flexible is that once you’ve cooked it one time, you can start to play with it and add whichever vegetables you’re enjoying at the moment.
For now, let’s get to the basics then I’ll share some of my favorite ways to dress this dish up.
YIELDS
2 servings
PREP TIME
COOK TIME
TOTAL TIME
- 2 servings, or about 100g uncooked rice noodles
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1/2 cup yellow onion, sliced
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
- 1 medium carrot, julienned
- 1/2 medium red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 cup sliced mushrooms (about 5 medium white mushrooms)
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
- 1 1/2 tablespoons peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1/2 - 1 tablespoon chilli flakes (to taste)
- 1/2 cup orange juice
Directions
1. Put a small pot of water on to boil for the rice noodles whilst you prepare and cook the vegetables.
2. In a large frying pan melt and heat the coconut oil on medium heat. Add your onions and garlic, stirring until the garlic is lightly browned and the onions are translucent.
3. Add your firmest vegetables first so everything cooks evenly and no veggies are soggy; therefore add the carrots, broccoli, then bell peppers, and lastly the mushrooms. Sprinkle the chilli flakes on the veggies and stir-fry for 10 minutes while you prepare the noodles.
4. Once the water is boiling, turn off the heat and place your rice noodles to soak until they are a bit firmer than al dente, which will take about 6-8 minutes (refer to the instructions on the noodle packaging in case they differ).
5. Going back to the veggies, add the orange juice, soy sauce, peanut butter, and fresh ginger into the frying pan and mix until all of the vegetables are evenly coated in the sauce.
6. After the rice noodles are done soaking and are still slightly firmer than al dente (should have a slight bite to them), transfer them to the frying pan with the veggies and sauce. Reserve 1 cup of noodle water to add as you stir-fry the noodles and veggies together.
7. Stir-fry and help the vegetables, noodles, and sauce become friendly with one another. Within 10-15 minutes the noodles will become al dente, the sauce will thicken, and the vegetables will be coated in sauce yet still vibrant.
8. Serve with fresh cilantro, a wedge of lime, or even some sriracha sauce for those that can handle the extra heat!
And there you have my go-to vegan recipe! There are so many ways to enjoy this dish, whether you’re following the recipe to a T or trying to throw in all the veg from your fridge before it goes bad (we’ve all been there). My favorite ways to change up the dish are adding sweet corn, spinach and kale, pineapple chunks, tofu, or even fresh chilli on top of the chilli flakes when I’m feeling like a daredevil!
Whatever you do, I hope you enjoy it and continue the legacy of this little student life-saver recipe.
Also see: Vegan Vietnamese Pan-Fried Noodles
Vegan Ramen With Curry Broth
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Photo: Aubrey Pacheco
Vegan Ramen With Curry Broth
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