These easy stir-fried noodles with vegetables are a 25-minute recipe made with staple ingredients you probably already have.
Whenever I tack the word “easiest” onto a recipe title (see: creamy salad dressing, tahini brownies), it means I’ve made a special effort to keep it as simple as possible. I’ve resisted the urge to add hard-to-find ingredients, extra steps, and fancy garnishes. These “non-recipes”, as I think of them, are internet-ready versions of things I typically cook without thinking – i.e. techniques that have become second nature over the years.
These stir-fried noodles with vegetables are a 25-minute meal (okay, maybe 30, depending on your knife skills) made with pantry staples. They’re what I make when I’m tempted to order in lo mein or pad thai, but prefer to cook from scratch.
The Recipe at a Glance
This vegan recipe starts with sautéing thinly-sliced vegetables until they’re soft and golden. While they cook, you boil rice noodles and quickly stir together the sauce (hoisin sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil + lime juice). When the vegetables are ready, you stir in the noodles and sauce.
Key Ingredients + Variations
- The Vegetables: My go-to combo here is onions, carrots, shiitake mushrooms, and bell peppers. Stick with the first three, but if you wanna substitute the pepper, you can incorporate broccoli, green beans, celery, snow peas, and/or zucchini. Just make sure to keep the volume of vegetables roughly the same as the original recipe. You can also add frozen edamame or peas for protein.
- The Noodles: Gluten-free white or brown rice noodles are my favorite here; be sure to use the thin ones, sometimes marked “spaghetti”. You can also sub with lo mein, udon, or ramen noodles. (Vietnamese-style vermicelli are too thin for this recipe, though).
- Hoisin Sauce: This dark brown, thick and fragrant sauce is typical in Chinese cooking. It’s mainly flavored with fermented soybean paste and plum, resulting in a salty, savory, and sweet condiment. It’s a key flavoring in this noodle dish so don’t skip it!
How to Make Stir-Fried Noodles with Vegetables
Find complete instructions with ingredient amounts in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Sauté the Vegetables
Start by slicing your vegetables to a similar thickness; this will help them better incorporate with the noodles later. Then cook them in a large skillet (or wok) over medium-high heat.
Be sure to brown them well, since this caramelization will lend a lot of flavor to the noodles. This should take just about 10 minutes. Stir in minced garlic in the last 30 seconds of cooking.
Step 2: Prep the Sauce
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together the hoisin, soy sauce, sesame oil, and lime juice.
Step 3: Boil the Noodles
Cook the noodles according to package directions. Then drain in a mesh strainer and rinse well under running water to prevent the noodles from sticking together.
Step 4: Put It All Together
Add the cooked noodles and sauce to the skillet with the vegetables. Continue cooking for another 30 seconds, continually tossing with tongs to evenly coat the noodles. Sprinkle with sesame seeds before serving.
How to Serve Stir-Fried Noodles
These veggie rice noodles can be a simple meal on their own, but they also work well as a side dish. They work perfectly with sesame garlic tofu, air fried tempeh, and garlic edamame.
Other Favorite Noodles…
Let me know if you try this recipe! Give it a rating below and leave a comment, and don’t forget to tag your creation with @thenewbaguette on Instagram.
The Full Recipe
Print
Stir Fried Noodles with Vegetables
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Chinese-inspired
- Diet: Vegan
Description
These stir fried noodles with vegetables are a one-pan, 25-minute dinner made with simple ingredients you probably already have.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil, like avocado or refined coconut
- 1 medium carrot, peeled and cut into matchsticks* (see note below)
- 1/2 medium white or yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 4 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and thinly sliced
- 3 medium garlic cloves, minced
- 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 8 ounces dry rice noodles*
- Toasted sesame seeds, for serving
Instructions
- Heat the neutral oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, onions, peppers, and mushrooms, and cook until they’re soft and golden around the edges, stirring occasionally, 7 to 9 minutes. Then add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds more.
- Meanwhile, bring a medium pot of water to a boil for the noodles.
- In a small bowl, stir together the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, lime juice, and sesame oil. Set aside.
- Cook the noodles according to package directions in the boiling water. Drain in a mesh strainer and rinse well to wash off any remaining starch (this will prevent the noodles from sticking together).
- Then add the noodles and hoisin mixture to the skillet, and cook for 1 more minute, tossing everything together with tongs to coat evenly.
- Sprinkle with sesame seeds (and scallions, if you want) and serve. (Keep leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container and eat within 3 days.)
Notes
- Stir fry vegetables: besides what’s used here, you can also incorporate finely chopped broccoli, green beans, shelled edamame, frozen peas, thinly sliced celery, cremini mushrooms, snow peas, bok choy, and/or zucchini. Just make sure to keep the volume of vegetables roughly the same.
- Besides rice noodles, you can use lo mein, udon, or ramen.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 of the recipe
- Calories: 340
- Sodium: 530 mg
- Fat: 10.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 56 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 5.2 g
Kris says
This is a really easy recipe – thank you! Made these twice last week.
Alexandra says
Hi Essee. I’m sorry this didn’t work out for you! What brand of noodles did you use? I’m wondering if you’re talking about rice vermicelli…?
sam says
Hi! This looks like a super recipe. I notice that the garlic and ginger are added in at the end and only cook for one minute. Is this enough to sufficiently cook them? [I’m not a big fan of adding the aromatics right at the beginning, because I think it overcooks them … but one minute seems short to me!]
Alexandra says
Hi Sam! The garlic-ginger taste here is quite strong, which I personally love. If you’d like, you can add them in the last 1-2 minutes of browning the vegetables to mellow out their flavors. Hope this helps 😀