Description
A quick, flavorful, and flexible weeknight dinner featuring noodles tossed in a creamy, spicy peanut-sesame sauce with fresh vegetables. Ready in 30 minutes with simple pantry staples.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound yellow egg noodles (or ramen, rice noodles, udon)
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil (neutral oil like canola or vegetable)
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons smooth sesame paste
- ¼ cup soy sauce (low-sodium or tamari for gluten-free)
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons Sriracha or chili garlic sauce
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
- 1 medium red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 2 medium carrots, julienned or shredded
- 2 heads bok choy, chopped (stems and greens separated)
- 1 cup shelled edamame (frozen is fine)
- 3–4 stalks green onions, sliced
Instructions
- Prep ingredients: Chop bell pepper, shred carrots, chop bok choy, mince garlic, grate ginger, and slice green onions.
- Make the sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together peanut butter, sesame paste, soy sauce, rice vinegar, Sriracha, maple syrup, sesame oil, garlic, and ginger until smooth. Add 1-2 tablespoons warm water if too thick.
- Cook noodles: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook noodles according to package directions until al dente. Reserve ½ cup of noodle water before draining. Rinse noodles briefly with cold water.
- Sauté vegetables: Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add carrots and bell pepper; stir-fry for 2-3 minutes. Add bok choy stems and cook for 1 minute. Add bok choy greens and edamame; cook for 1-2 minutes until tender-crisp.
- Combine: Add drained noodles to the skillet with vegetables. Pour sauce over everything. Toss thoroughly to coat. Add reserved noodle water splash by splash if sauce is too thick.
- Serve: Remove from heat. Taste and adjust seasoning. Top with green onions, sesame seeds, and crushed peanuts or chili crisp if desired.
Notes
Do not overcook noodles; they should be al dente as they continue to cook when tossed with sauce. Warm peanut butter slightly to make whisking easier. Always reserve starchy noodle water to help emulsify the sauce. This dish tastes better the next day as leftovers.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Asian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 6
- Sodium: 680
- Fat: 16
- Saturated Fat: 3
- Carbohydrates: 52
- Fiber: 4
- Protein: 14
Keywords: spicy peanut noodles, sesame noodles, quick dinner, weeknight meal, vegetarian noodles, peanut sauce, easy recipe, 30 minute meal