I’d like to introduce the newest, most versatile addition to my summer side dish rotation at this point in the season of grilling, camping, and cabin trips: spicy cilantro-lime cold noodles. This quick and simple weeknight side or main dish comes with a sauce that can be made ahead of time. When served with grilled salmon or a flank steak, these noods are excellent. They are a potluck fave. They’re also good as the foundation for a bowl of noodles with sliced tomatoes, marinated tofu, and a fried egg with a runny yolk on top.
One of this dish’s best qualities is that it travels well. Make the sauce, put it in a container with a tight fitting lid, and transport it along with a bag of rice noodles. The noodles need only be soaked in hot water until they become soft, rinsed in cold water, and combined with sauce when preparation is complete. Add protein and you’re golden.
A note on heat: I enjoy these noodles when they are unbearably hot. That’s what makes them extra addictive. By including at least half of a jalapeo in the sauce, you can achieve this effect. The heat level of jalapenos can vary, so always start mild and work your way up. I start with a quarter of a fresh jalapeo and keep adding more until I get the right amount of heat. A teaspoon of red pepper flakes provides a very mild kick on the other end of the spice spectrum.
You may not use the entire fresh jalapeo, but you can use up to one seeded and stemmed one, or one teaspoon of red pepper flakes.
Combine cilantro, oil, avocado, garlic, lime juice, salt, and a moderate amount of jalapenos in the bowl of a food processor or powerful blender. Start with about a quarter of the pepper. If you want something without any heat, you could also use red pepper instead. Pulse until smooth. If you want to up the heat, taste, adjust salt, and add more thinly sliced pepper before blending. Noodles should be prepared as directed on the package and cooled by rinsing in cold water. Serve the noodles after tossing them with the sauce and adding any desired chives garnishes.
Former reporter, columnist, and editor for the ADN, Julia O’Malley now lives in Anchorage. In 2018, she won a James Beard national food writing award, and in 2019, “The Whale and the Cupcake: Stories of Subsistence, Longing, and Community in Alaska”—a collection of her writing—was published. Shes currently writer in residence at the Anchorage Museum.
INGREDIENTS YOU’LL NEED TO MAKE THESE NOODLES
Why I love these vegan noodles
When in a bind, a warm bowl of Asian noodles is the best option. When you’re up for just a little cooking and a light meal on a warm summer night, it works surprisingly well.
All the ingredients required for this straightforward vegan Asian bowl recipe are readily available in most kitchens.
Being a noodles recipe, we of course need noodles! I always use these Hakka Noodles whenever I make this recipe.
Sauces – Coconut Aminos, rice vinegar, and sweet cooking seasoning
Black pepper, red pepper flakes, and Schezwan spice mix are the spices.
Other vegetables – green peas, onions, scallions, bell peppers, and mushrooms They boost the vegginess and give some textural variety.
This vegan bowl recipe is pretty simple and straightforward. While you can check out the video above or on my YouTube channel to see how to make these Hot and Spicy Cilantro Pot Noodles, you can read the steps below for more detail.
Make wide, shallow bowls for the Hakka noodles, dividing some for leftovers. Add some scallions, red pepper flakes, and dried cilantro as a garnish before serving. There is no need for a side dish because this Asian bowl of noodles tastes great on its own. However, if you like the heat, feel free to top the dish with some more sauce. You could also sprinkle some peanuts or sunflower seeds on top.
In order to balance the spices, I would also strongly advise serving some beverages on the side, such as Cherry Lemon Ice Tea or Cold Cucumber Soup Shots. You could even have some vegan chocolate coconut ice cream after that!
First off, you can use any type of noodle in its place if you don’t have Hakka noodles, such as spaghetti, ramen, rice noodles, soba, etc. Since the sauces already contain salt, add salt only after tasting. To this recipe for vegan noodles, feel free to add additional vegetables like carrots, edamame, beans, sprouts, etc. If you’d like more flavor, you can also add 2 teaspoons of Ajinomoto.
Dont skimp on the garlic and cilantro. For those who prefer the taste of parsley instead of cilantro, The more the better. Coconut aminos in liquid form have a milder, less salty, and slightly sweeter flavor. But you can also use regular soy sauce instead. These noodles taste nice and aromatic because they are made with butter. However, you can make this with just oil as well.
The noodles can be prepared in advance and then tossed with vegetables and sauces as needed. Noodles with cilantro keep well in the refrigerator for 3–4 days. Since these noodles tend to get a little drier after sitting, it’s best to serve them right away. When reheating leftovers, add a few splashes of water to the mixture.
Please leave a comment below if you’ve tried this recipe for Hot and Spicy Cilantro Pot Noodles or any other recipe on the blog. I love reading your feedback.
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I love making take-out recipes at home. One of our favorite cuisine is Asian. Love it! This recipe for burnt garlic and cilantro is among the simplest I’ve ever created. It’s a versatile recipe as it requires a few ingredients. Let me share a secret. I’m not joking when I say that it is the BEST way to make a meal to empty the refrigerator!
