A good dose of chilli crisp, the popular Chinese condiment found “everywhere” these days, adds firecracker crunch into these Chili Crisp Noodles that’s astoundingly quick to make. Tastes like Spicy Sichuan Dan Dan Noodles – but much faster to make!

Chilli crisp, how I love thee!

Chilli crisp. That highly addictive Chinese condiment that’s the perfect blend of crunchy, spicy and savoury. Adds a stack of flavour into anything without overpowering heat.

Are you already familiar with it? If not, meet your new best friend!

But the best part about chili crisp isn’t even the spice kick. It’s the crispy bits. Those fabulous crunchy bits of chili and garlic add fabulous texture to anything lucky enough to be graced with a dollop of this wondrous Chinese sauce that has taken the western world by storm!

• What it is – Jars of red chilli oil packed with chopped chilli and bits of garlic, seasoned with salt and sugar. Sometimes with peanuts or crispy soy beans, for extra flavour and crunch!

• What it’s called – Sold under various names but all akin to similar meaning – crispy chilli oil, chilli crunch, crunchy chilli oil, and just plainly “chilli crisp”. Also remember in the States, chilli is spelt with one “l” – chili.

• Where to get it – Some larger grocery stores in Australia (Coles, Woolies) and Asian stores. A$4 for 200g/7oz jar, I use around 1/4 of the jar for these noodles (serves 2).

• Which one I use – My go-to is Laoganma’s Spicy Chilli Oil (above) which is a worldwide favourite. But I am currently obsessed with Mrs C’s Chilli Crisp which I discovered at the Melbourne Good Food & Wine Show last month. A secret recipe passed down through generations, this chilli crisp made by a small family run Australian business is exceptional in flavour and crunch. Treat yourself when you’ve been good, support a small Aussie business or gift it to chilli loving friends! This stuff is special. Get the APPRENTICE if you can’t handle the heat, or the OG (classic) if you can! The OG is spicier than Laoganma.

• Homemade – try the Serious Eats or Chili Pepper Madness recipes for “real” ones , or Marion’s Kitchen for a quick one (haven’t tried but is rated well).

• How to use chilli crisp – Add into stir fries, noodles, soups, dipping sauces, dressings and fried rice for an instant flavour hit. See specific list above the recipe video.

Today, we’re using this flavour bomb to make Chilli Crisp Noodles. Quick. Easy. Outrageously good!

Ingredients in Chili Crisp Noodles

Other than chilli crisp, the ingredients in these noodles are flexible because the chili crisp does so much of the heavy lifting here. So there’s no need to dash out to the store if you don’t have exactly everything listed, I’ve added substitution notes.

• Chinese sesame paste (plenty of sub options!) – Tahini in steroids. Stronger sesame flavour! Find it in Asian stores and the Asian aisle of some large grocery stores.

  Mix well – Sesame paste has a tendency to separate, like tahini, pure peanut butter and other natural products. Mix to combine into a smooth paste. If yours has been sitting around for a while and proving impossible to mix, microwave to warm then mix. Last resort – stick blender. 3 seconds and you’re done! (Make sure the head is fully submerged)

  Subs – Don’t fret if you can’t find sesame paste, and don’t make a special trip out just for this paste. The main purpose is for creating a creamy sauce base for the noodles so you can substitute with similar ingredients. In order of preference (starting with best): Chinese sesame sauce (sesame flavour not as intense), tahini, pure peanut butter, commercial peanut butter spread (Bega, Jiff etc). Add a dash of extra sesame oil.

• Light soy sauce – Or all-purpose soy or half the amount of dark soy sauce (sauce colour will be darker)

• Rice vinegar – Substitute with apple cider vinegar or other clear vinegar.

• White sugar – or any other type of sugar, or honey, maple syrup etc. Just a touch, to balance the other flavours.

• Toasted sesame oil – For tasty sesame flavour! I always use toasted sesame oil which is brown and has more flavour than un-toasted (which is yellow). Default sesame oil sold in Australia is toasted, un-toasted is harder to find.

• Salt – Start with the conservative 1/8 teaspoon as per the recipe then add more at the end if needed. Not all chili crisp brands have the same level of saltiness. Particularly with homemade chilli crisp, I always need to add more.

• Noodles – This recipe will work for dried or fresh (fridge) noodles, quantities included in the recipe for both. I like to use ramen/instant noodle cakes because the crispy chili bits get caught up in the tangle of noodles.

• Garlic and ginger, fresh – Still worth making even if you don’t have fresh ginger and garlic. But it’s even better WITH!

• Green onion – For a hit of freshness. Sub with 1/4 red onion or 1 small eschallot, finely sliced.

• Coriander/cilantro (optional) – Fresh herby flavour. Actually, I’ve probably made these noodles without more than with!

How to make Chili Crisp Noodles

You’ll love how the sauce is virtually no cook!

1. Sauce base – Mix the sesame paste, soy, vinegar, sugar, salt and sesame oil until smooth. Use a bowl large enough to toss the noodles because we will be adding the noodles into the sauce. Sprinkle the green onion on top – don’t mix it in. We will be pouring hot oil on it so it partially cooks it.

2. Chilli crisp fry-up – Heat the chilli crisp and oil in a small saucepan over medium high heat. Then add the garlic and ginger and sauté for 30 seconds until golden. Be prepared for amazing smells!

3. Sizzle! Pour the hot chilli crisp over the green onion and enjoy the sizzle! Mix to mostly combine.

4. Cook noodles per packet directions. The ramen cakes I use are boiled for 2 minutes.

5. Drag the noodles straight out of the hot water into the bowl. The excess water helps thin the sauce to give the finished dish the right consistency. Toss noodles in the sauce until dispersed, adding extra water from the saucepan if needed to loosen the noodles.

6. Taste and serve! Toss through coriander/cilantro. Add more salt if required – different chilli crisp brands vary in saltiness (most homemade chilli crisp recipes are far less salty). Then devour!

If you’re a chilli crisp first timer, welcome to the first day in your new, tastier world with this magical ingredient now a staple in your fridge. A dollop of chilli crisp will save you all those times you make something (Asian or not!) and you just feel like the dish is missing “something”, and elevate anything you add it to.

And if you’re already firmly on the chilli crisp train, I hope you enjoy this new addition to your speedy-meals repertoire thanks to our trusty friend.

Enjoy! – Nagi x

10 specific things to make with/use chilli crisp

1. Add a generous scoop into your favourite stir fry or stir fried noodles – like Chop Suey (Chicken Stir Fry), Chicken or Beef Broccoli, Cashew Chicken, Lo Mein, Chow Mein.

2. Turn your Chinese noodle soup into SPICY Chinese noodle soup!

3. Add a big dollop onto your San Choy Bow lettuce wraps (classic pork or vegetarian)

4. Add into the dipping sauce for gyoza, Chinese pan fried dumplings – pork or vegetarian, wontons, spring rolls, Siu Mai etc etc etc!

5. Make your Asian Sesame Dressing spicy

6. Add a hit of fire to your fried rice

7. Make spicy Smashed Cucumbers

8. Use as the dipping sauce for crispy Chinese Pork Belly

9. Add a big dollop to dial up the X-factor of Egg Foo Young (Chinese Omelette)

Watch how to make it

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Chili crisp noodles

Recipe video. Ridiculously good and ridiculously fast, here by popular demand after a sneak peek on Instagram! Chili crisp oil is the star ingredient here, adds spiciness, awesome crunch, savouriness, and a touch of sweet. Widely available these days – see Note 6.

Tastes like Spicy Sichuan Dan Dan Noodles – but much faster to make. LOTS OF SUB OPTIONS because chili crisp carries so much of the flavour weight here!

Course Main, Noodles, Side

Cuisine Asian

Keyword chili crisp noodles, chili noodles

Prep Time 7 minutes

Servings 2

Calories 503cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp Chinese sesame paste (Note 1 subs)
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce (Note 2)
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar (Note 3)
• 1 tsp white sugar (or other sugar, or honey, maple)
• 2 tsp sesame oil , toasted (Note 4)
• 1/8 tsp+ cooking / kosher salt (Note 5)
• 2 heaped tbsp chilli crisp (get oil + chili bits) , Laoganma’s Spicy Chili Oil is my go-to (Note 6)
• 1 tbsp ginger , finely minced*
• 1 tbsp garlic , finely minced*
• 1 green onion stem , finely sliced (or 1/4 red onion finely sliced)
• 1/3 cup coriander/cilantro , roughly chopped*

Noodle options (Note 7):

• 140g/ 5oz (2 cakes) instant noodles / ramen noodles
• 250g/8oz fresh noodles (like hokkien, lo mein)

Cups – Metric

Instructions

• CHECK the spiciness of your chilli crisp – taste it!! Laoganma is not actually that spicy (most store bought brands I've used are similar) and the quantity used is based on that brand. If yours is very spicy, start with less and add more later.
• Base sauce – Mix the sesame oil, vinegar, soy, sugar, salt and sesame paste in a bowl. Top with green onion (don’t mix in).
• Sizzling chili crisp – Heat chilli crisp and oil in a small pan over medium heat. Add ginger and garlic, stir 30 seconds until golden and it smells amazing. Pour over green onion – enjoy the sizzle! Then mix.
• Toss – Cook noodles per packet directions. Drag the noodles straight from the saucepan into the bowl (extra water loosens the sauce). Toss. Use cooking water to loosen more if needed. Toss through coriander/cilantro.
• Adjust & finish – Taste. Add more salt if needed and more chilli crisp if desired (not all chilli crisp is the same saltiness / spiciness). Eat!

Notes

* Optional. Makes it better, but still worth making without!

1. Chinese sesame paste (not to be confused with Chinese sesame sauce which is not as intense) has more intense sesame flavour than tahini. Available at Asian stores and some large grocery stores. Sub with tahini or pure unsalted peanut butter with an extra dash of sesame oil at the end.

Commercial peanut butter spread (eg Bega, Jif (US)) will also work but has the least flavour. 

2. Soy – Or all-purpose soy or half the amount of dark soy sauce (sauce colour will be darker)

3. Vinegar subs – or apple cider vinegar or other clear vinegar)

4. Toasted sesame oil is brown and has more flavour than untoasted (which is yellow). Default sesame oil sold in Australia is toasted, un-toasted is harder to find.

5. Salt – Not all chili crisp has the same level of saltiness. Laoganma’s Spicy Chili Crisp (which I use) is quite salty. If you use homemade, you’ll probably need more salt.

6. Chili crisp – Chili oil with crispy bits of chili of varying levels of spiciness. My go-to: Laoganma’s Spicy Chili Oil, a worldwide favourite, not that spicy. Sweet, salty balance, and excellent crunch factor with extra from soy beans. Sold at larger grocery stores in Australia + Asian stores. Excellent flavour, A$4 for 200g/7oz jar. 

A special one I love – Mrs C’s (OG Classic) – made by an Aussie small business using a recipe handed down through generations, exceptional crunch and flavour! Get the APPRENTICE if you can’t handle the heat, or the OG (classic) if you can! (OG is spicier than Laoganma).

Use the crispy chili bits plus some oil for frying up the chili, ginger and garlic. If you’re short on oil from the jar, add a drizzle of oil.

Make your own – try the Serious Eats or Chili Pepper Madness recipes for “real” ones , or Marion’s Kitchen for a quick one (haven’t tried but is rated well).

7. Noodles – I like using ramen / instant noodles because the crispy chili bits gets tangled up in the curls. But any noodles will work here – same weight per ingredients list for other types of dried (like rice or egg noodles) or fresh noodles (ie from fridge).

Nutrition

Calories: 503cal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 18g | Sodium: 2556mg | Potassium: 243mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 194IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 4mg

Life of Dozer

His favourite room in the house. (Mine too)

The post Chilli Crisp Noodles appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

This is a quick Korean noodle soup that’s healthy, packs big flavours and will curb your spicy Asian food cravings. The broth gets its flavour from gochujang and kimchi – express passes to flavour! (PS The soup looks far more fiercely spicy than it actually is, but this is not one for kids.)

Spicy Korean Noodle Soup

This is a bit of a gold nugget recipe because it’s actually quite difficult to make good spicy Asian soups. You can’t just add a squirt of chilli sauce into a classic Chinese soup broth. Well, you can, but it lacks the oomph of really good spicy Asian soups which have bold savoury flavour that compliments the spiciness. To make a great one, you typically need a mound of bones simmered for hours to make a homemade stock, a LOT of chilli oil or a deft combination of hard-to-find Asian sauces.

Hence my excitement over this spicy Asian soup recipe. Especially when it passed the highest of all taste-testing-bars: my brother. Famous in our circles for his tough critique of my recipes – read the backstory in Chilli Lime Fish for entertaining proof!

Key ingredients – Kimchi and Gochujang

The two key ingredients in this soup – both of which can be picked up at most everyday grocery stores – are kimchi and gochujang. Gochujang is a wickedly good Korean paste to have in your fridge – if only to make this soup over and over again!! More information below.

• Kimchi is a traditional Korean pickle of fermented vegetables packed in tangy, spicy juice. The cabbage version (the most common type) is best in this soup. The cabbage acts like a mop for the sauce so you get extra flavour in the broth!

  Widely available in the fridge section of large grocery stores or Asian stores these days. We use both the sauce in the jar as well as the vegetables for this recipe. The sauce is loaded with flavour, don’t waste it! Add it into stir fries or Asian soups for a hit of extra salt and spiciness.
  

• Gochujang is a spicy Korean paste loaded with savory flavour. It makes an appearance regularly in my Korean recipes – including the Slow Cooked Beef Ribs in Korean BBQ Sauce which is a signature dish in my cookbook (it’s insanely easy for phenomenal results!).

  Readily available these days in large grocery stores (Asian aisle, not fridge) and Asian stores.

Other broth ingredients

And here are the other ingredients required for the Korean soup broth:

• Chicken stock/broth – use low sodium, else it might be too salty once all the sauces are added.

• Fish sauce – Adds salt into the broth, and more flavour than just plain salt and even soy sauce.

• Soy sauce – More salt into the broth (just using fish sauce is a little too fishy). Use either light or all purpose soy sauce. Not dark soy sauce, the flavour is too strong! More on different soy sauces here.

• Chinese cooking wine – or mirin or dry sherry. Just a small amount adds depth of flavour and complexity to soups and sauces. Without, you’ll notice that the soup is missing “something”. Substitute with more fish sauce (see recipe notes).

• Ginger and garlic – To infuse the broth with flavour.

Soup add-ins

I’ve used choy sum and carrots in this soup. But it’s one to make your own! Use whatever cookable vegetables you want.

• Kimchi – As per above, we use the juices in the jar to flavour the broth as well as the cabbage. Korean spicy goodness to the max!

• Noodles – Use any type you want. I like using thin egg noodles for this – dried ones. But the recipe will work fine with any noodles at all, just prepare according to packet directions.

• Choy sum – Love using Asian greens for quick-prep recipes. So quick to chop! Plus, a good contrast of textures – some fresh crunch from the stem and floppiness from the leafy part. Feel free to substitute with other Asian greens (bok choy, gai lan/Chinese broccoli etc)

• Carrot – For some crunch and lovely contrasting colour! I’ve cut it into batons but if you can’t be bothered, just slice it on an angle. It really doesn’t matter.

• Green onion – Fresh garnish! Optional.

How to make spicy Korean noodle soup

This recipe has a great efficient flow to it. Pour the stock into the saucepan then as it is coming up to the simmer, measure out and add the remaining ingredients into the broth. Then while the broth is simmering for 10 minutes to bring the flavours together, chop the veg and cook the noodles. Then assemble the soup bowls!

1. Choy sum cutting – Trim the roots off. Cut into 7cm / 2.5″ pieces then separate the stems from the leafy part. Why? Because we add the stems first as they take longer to cook than the leaves which wilt in literally seconds. So we put them into the pot right at the end.

2. Kimchi – Measure out 2/3 cups kimchi and 2 tablespoons of kimchi juice. Press and squeeze the cabbage if needed to extract the juice! We need it for flavour, so don’t be short!

3. Simmer broth 10 minutes – Place all the broth ingredients into a saucepan then simmer for 10 minutes to bring the flavours together. I simmer the kimchi cabbage with the broth ingredients to extract the kimchi juices out of it.

4. Cook veg – Cook the bok choy stems and carrots for 2 minutes, then the leafy part of the choy sum for just 1 minute. Then that’s it! The broth is done, ready to assemble the noodle bowls.

5. Cook noodles – Cook the noodles according to the packet directions while the broth is simmering, then drain.

6. Assemble – Place the noodles in a bowl. Then ladle over the soup broth and all the add-ins. Sprinkle with green onions if using then serve!

This is such a gloriously quick dinner to make when you’re craving something healthy, something quick, something spicy or something slurpy – or any combination there of. 😂 It’s fabulously versatile with the add-ins: choose your own vegetables, choose your own noodles, add proteins if you want.

While I encourage you to make this soup your own, I will, however, get a little strict with the soup broth! The combination and quantity of sauces is one that my team and I agreed made the tastiest soup, after going back and forth quite a few times, with a few heated “debates” thrown in. If you skip any of the sauces, it will still taste good but not as great as it is intended to be.

So I really do hope you try the broth as written one of these days! And remember, you can get everything at large supermarkets here in Australia (Coles, Woolies, Harris Farms).

Enjoy! – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

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Spicy Korean Noodle Soup (quick & healthy)

Recipe video above. For all those times you need a spicy Asian noodle fix – FAST! This packs a serious flavour punch. The secret is the juices from the kimchi jar and a good dollop of gochujang, that magical spicy Korean paste you can get "everywhere" these days.

To add protein, cook raw prawns/shrimp or fish pieces in the broth (only takes 3 min), or top with slices of BBQ pork. You can also poach chicken in the broth using this foolproof method.

Course Main

Cuisine Asian, Korean

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Servings 2

Calories 365cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

Spicy Korean Soup Broth

• 4 cups / 1 litre chicken stock/broth , low-sodium
• 2/3 cup cabbage kimchi (Note 1)
• 2 tbsp kimchi juice , from kimchi tub (Note 1)
• 3 tbsp gochujang (Note 2)
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce (Note 3)
• 2 tsp fish sauce (sub more soy)
• 1 tbsp Chinese cooking wine (Shaoxing wine, Note 4)
• 2 slices ginger , sliced 0.7cm / 1/3" thick (skin on)
• 1 large garlic clove , smashed (Note 5)

Add-Ins (Note 7):

• 200g/ 7oz thin fresh egg noodles (or 100g/3.5oz dried – Note 6)
• 4 stems choi sum or other Asian greens, cut into 7cm / 2.5" lengths, stems separated from leafy part
• 1 small carrot , peeled, cut into thin matchsticks
• 2 1/2 tsp sesame oil , toasted (Note 8)
• 1/4 cup finely sliced green onions (1 stem)

Cups – Metric

Instructions

• Broth – Place all broth ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce heat so it’s simmering gently. Simmer 10 minutes without a lid.
• Cook vegetables – Add choi sum stems and carrot to the broth. Simmer for 2 minutes. Add choi sum leaves and simmer for another minute. Stir in sesame oil just before serving.
• Noodles – Meanwhile, cook egg noodles in boiling water per packet directions. Drain, give the noodles a quick rinse under tap water. Shake off excess water well.
• Assemble – Divide noodles between bowls. Top with the vegetables. Pick the garlic and ginger out of the broth, then broth pour over the noodles. Sprinkle with green onions and serve!

Notes

1. Kimchi is a traditional Korean pickle of fermented vegetables packed in tangy, spicy juice. Widely available in the fridge section of large grocery stores or Asian stores. Extract the juice by squeezing the spoon against the cabbage (there’s usually plenty in the jar, just need to extract it!).

2. Gochujang is a spicy Korean rice and bean paste loaded with savory flavour. You’ll need it for one of the signature recipes in my cookbook: Korean BBQ Beef Short Ribs! Also for most Korean recipes I’ve shared.

3. Soy – Use light or all-purpose soy sauce but not dark soy sauce – too strong! More on different soy sauces here.

4. Chinese cooking wine – Substitute with mirin or dry sherry. For a non-alcoholic substitute, use another 1½ teaspoons fish sauce.

5. Smashed garlic – place the side of a knife on the garlic clove, then hit the palm of your hand on it to make the clove burst open but mostly hold together.

6. Noodles – Use any type you want! Try vermicelli or lo mein noodles.

7. Veg – Feel free to sub with anything of your choice.

8. Sesame oil – toasted sesame oil is brown and has more flavour than untoasted (which is yellow). Default sesame oil sold in Australia is toasted, untoasted is harder to find.

Leftovers – Store broth and noodles separately for 3 days in the fridge. Reheat separately then put together!

Nutrition per serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 365cal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 2717mg | Potassium: 805mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 5232IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 77mg | Iron: 4mg

Life of Dozer

When you see Dozer in a window display of the flagship Dymocks bookstore that thousands of people pass by every day – who cares about the recipes in my cookbook!!?? 😂

The post 15 minute Spicy Korean Noodle Soup appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

This Asian-style salad combines glass noodles with fresh herbs, vegetables and shredded chicken with an addictive creamy hoisin dressing that clings to the slippery noodles. The zingy salty lime cashew crumble really makes it, so don’t skip it! Terrific no-cook meal for hot summer nights.

Glass noodle salad

This is one of those summer-time showstopper salads that makes you me believe you I could become a clean-eating goddess because even though you’re I’m usually the kind of person who goes ga-ga over fall-apart meat, one bite of this and woah…… How can healthy be so darn delicious???

The star of today’s salad is glass noodles, those delicate thin, transparent noodles that look just like rice vermicelli noodles except they are see-through. Like glass. Hence, the name!

Combine those with a simple-yet-incredible hoisin dressing that clings rather than slides off the slippery noodles, fresh herbs, vegetables and shredded chicken, to make it a meal (or not!). Then finish with a shower of what I’m calling a lime cashew crumble, a ridiculously easy-to-make finishing touch that elevates this dish from mmmm this is so good to holy moly, how can a SALAD be so freakin’ delicious!!

What are glass noodles, and please tell me I can get them at my local shops!

Yes you can! Asian aisle, dried thin white noodle sticks labelled bean thread vermicelli noodles or variations thereof: bean thread glass noodles, glass noodles, or just bean thread. The packet I get is pictured above.

Made from the starch of mung beans, they’re also commonly known as cellophane noodles and just require soaking in boiling water to rehydrate.

Typically in Asian cuisines, they’re used in soups, spring rolls, and stir fries. Today I’m using it in a salad because they make for a perfect no-cook satisfying salad for a summertime meal!

Can’t find glass noodles? No problems! Rice vermicelli noodles make a perfect substitute. They’re not see through. But that’s ok, we shall survive! 😂

What you need for this Glass Noodle Salad

I’ve made this salad as a meal by adding a good amount of chicken. But feel free to add more vegetables instead to make it a side salad, or a meat-free meal.

Try not to skip the fresh herbs, they bring such a lovely freshness to this salad! Also, don’t skip the lime cashew crumble. Make it once, and you’ll understand why I say that.

• Bean thread / glass noodles / cellophane noodles – all the names these noodles go by! See above for a close up photo. Find it in the Asian or noodle aisle of grocery stores. Or, you can substitute with vermicelli noodles in a pinch!

• Shredded chicken – It’s ok, you can just buy a roast chicken and shred the meat! Otherwise, poach your own chicken breast or use any relatively plain flavoured leftover roast chicken or other meat you have. Shred it or slice into batons.

  For a meat-free alternative or to make this into a veg-loaded side salad, just skip the chicken and add more vegetables.

• Carrot, cucumber and cabbage – The vegetables I’ve opted for. I like to julienne the carrot and cabbage so they jumble up nicely with the noodles. I cut the cucumber a little larger on an angle for some textural contrast – it’s nice to bite into some fresh juicy crunch!

  Other vegetable suggestions – bean sprouts (handy no prep!), asparagus (finely slice on angle), crisp lettuce (finely slice), green beans (cook and cool), green papaya (shredded – see here for how), cherry tomatoes (halved), radish (julienned), lightly steamed Asian greens (cut into 7.5cm/3″ lengths), broccolini (cut into thin batons, lightly steamed).

• Mint & coriander/cilantro – These herbs bring a fabulous South East Asian freshness to this salad! Really try not to skip these, if you can. But if you don’t have them (or are one of those coriander/cilantro haters) they can be skipped and it will still be a super tasty salad thanks to the dressing.

The Hoisin dressing

Glass noodles are slippery little suckers, so it’s good to make the dressing a little thicker so it clings to the noodles better. To do this, I use a touch of mayonnaise.

• Kewpie mayonnaise – Don’t get turned off by the inclusion of mayonnaise in the dressing! It’s just 1 1/2 tablespoons, and as noted above, it makes the dressing a little creamy so it clings to the slippery noodles better. Plus, we’re using Kewpie mayonnaise. Everyone knows this Japanese mayo is the best one around! (But it’s ok, you won’t ruin the recipe if you use another type of mayo but you will do me proud if you get Kewpie).

• Soy sauce – Provides the saltiness in the dressing.

• Hoisin – flavour, touch of sweetness and also helps thicken the dressing because hoisin is a thick sauce. Love the Chinese five spice flavour in it.

• Chinese five spice powder – For more five spice flavour goodness! This is a spice blend available at everyday grocery stores. It’s a spice mix made with star anise, cloves, Chinese cinnamon, fennel and Sichuan pepper that is used widely in Chinese cooking as well as other Asian cuisines such as Vietnamese.

• Rice vinegar – An Asian vinegar made out of (wait for it…..) rice! Using rice vinegar is on theme for this Asian flavoured salad, but you can substitute with apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar.

• Sesame oil and canola oil – Sesame oil for flavour, and canola oil to make up the rest of the oil required so the sesame flavour isn’t too strong.

• Fresh ginger – The dressing only calls for 3/4 teaspoon of finely grated ginger, for background flavour. I don’t use a lot because there’s plenty of other flavours going on. But feel free to dial it up!

Lime cashew crumble (don’t skip this!)

This is a fabulous, effortless finishing touch that gives this noodle salad that je ne sais quoi! It’s limey, salty and sweet, and makes cashews even better than they already are. Here’s all you need:

Thank you for inventing this Chef JB. We love your clever, simple ideas like this that make food even tastier with such little effort!

How to make glass noodle salad

Far out – what a treat – a 4 step recipe. 😂

1. Soak glass noodles in boiling water for 3 to 4 minutes until they become transparent and soften. Then drain and when cool enough to handle, loosen the tangle of noodles.

   Note: Some packets will say to soak in cold water. Ignore it. Or – try it, get annoyed when it doesn’t work, drain then soak in boiling water. (That would be me.)

2. Toss lime cashew ingredients in a bowl. They can be used immediately or set aside for a while until needed.

3. Shake dressing ingredients in a jar.

4. Toss – Place all the salad ingredients except the lime cashews in a bowl and pour over the dressing. Toss well. Then add half the cashews and toss through. Pour into a large serving bowl or individual serving bowls, then sprinkle over the remaining cashews. Dive in!

How I make this noodle salad ahead

If you’re wanting to get ahead, you can prepare all the components separately ahead of time then toss them together just prior to serving. This is what I do – everything is kept in the fridge. You can just put everything in one large container, just keep them separated:

1. Noodles – soak, drain, rinse, detangle, cool.

2. Cabbage, carrot and cucumber – slice, store in container.

3. Shredded chicken – store in container.

4. Mint and coriander / cilantro leaves – Pick, wash, dry, store in paper towel lined container, covered with paper towel then a lid.

5. Lime crumble – make and keep in the fridge. If you made it a day+ ahead, give it a fresh spritz of lime juice and zest.

6. Dressing – shake in jar, store in fridge.

If you do this, the salad can be made up to 3 days ahead (the chicken will dictate the shelf life). Handy for meal prep / work lunches.

Hope you love this as much as I do! – Nagi x

PS In case you’re looking, more salads with substance this way -> Salad Meals recipe collection.

Watch how to make it

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Glass noodle salad (cellophane / bean thread noodles)

Recipe video above. This Asian-style salad combines glass noodles with fresh herbs, vegetables and shredded chicken with a hoisin dressing that's slightly creamy so it clings nicely to the slippery noodles. The lime cashew crumble really makes this, so don't skip it!

Terrific no-cook meal for hot summer nights. Skip the chicken to turn it into a fabulous starch + veg side for Asian meals. Serves 3 to 4 as a meal, 5 to 6 as a side. More meal-size salads here!

Course Light mains, Salad meal, Side Salad

Cuisine Asian

Keyword bean thread noodles, cellophane noodles, glass noodle salad

Prep Time 20 minutes

Servings 3 – 4

Calories 617cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

Glass noodle salad:

• 100 g / 3.5 oz bean thread vermicelli noodles / cellophane noodles (Note 1)
• 3 cups shredded cooked chicken (about 1/2 store bought roast chicken) (Note 2)
• 2 packed cups (180g) green cabbage, finely sliced
• 1 cucumber , cut in half, sliced 3mm / 1/8″ thick on the diagonal
• 1 carrot , peeled then julienned
• 2 green onion stems , finely sliced on a diagonal
• 1 cup lightly packed coriander/cilantro leaves
• 1 cup lightly packed mint leaves

Lime cashew crumble:

• 1 cup unsalted roasted cashew nuts , roughly chopped
• 1 1/2 tsp lime zest
• 2 tsp lime juice
• 3/4 tsp caster sugar / superfine sugar (sub ordinary / granulated)
• 1/2 tsp cooking/kosher salt

Creamy hoisin dressing:

• 3 tbsp light soy sauce
• 3 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 1/2 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 1/2 tbsp canola oil
• 1 1/2 tbsp kewpie mayonnaise (or other mayo) (Note 3)
• 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
• 3/4 tsp finely grated fresh ginger
• 1/4 tsp Chinese five spice powder (Note 4)

Cups – Metric

Instructions

• Glass noodles: Place dry noodles in a bowl and cover with freshly boiled water. Leave for 3 to 4 minutes or until transparent and softened. Drain using a colander, rinse under tap water (for rapid cool and reduce stickiness) then detangle using your fingers. Drain thoroughly before use. Set aside to fully cool.
• Lime cashew crumble: Place ingredients in a bowl and toss. (No marinating time needed)
• Dressing: Place ingredients in a jar and shake until well combined.
• Salad: Place glass noodle salad ingredients in a large bowl. Pour over dressing, toss well. Add half the cashews, toss again.
• Serve: Transfer to a large salad bowl or individual bowls. Sprinkle with remaining lime cashew crumble and serve!

Notes

1. Glass noodles are sold labelled as bean thread vermicelli noodles or cellophane noodles. Once soaked, they become transparent, hence the name! I use Double Pheonix brand which is sold at everyday grocery stores (Asian aisle) and Asian stores. See photos in post. Substitute with vermicelli noodles.

Ignore packet if it says to soak in cold water. It takes “forever” / sometimes just doesn’t work at all.

2. Chicken – Or poach your own, or use leftover cooked chicken or other proteins. To make this a side salad, skip the chicken and increase the vegetables.

3. Kewpie is a Japanese brand of mayonnaise that’s widely available these days, sold in the Asian section of grocery stores. It’s such a small amount it’s fine to substitute with another mayo. To make a mayo-free version, substitute with more canola oil. Tahini would also work as a thickener and double up on lovely sesame flavour.

4. Chinese five spice is a spice blend available at everyday grocery stores. It’s a spice mix made with star anise, cloves, Chinese cinnamon, fennel and Sichuan pepper than is used widely in Chinese cooking as well as other Asian cuisines such as Vietnamese.

Storage: Keep the lime cashew crumble and dressing separate from the salad. Toss just prior to serving. Once dressed, best consumed that day. Lime cashew crumble will keep for a few days but lime flavour fades so best to make fresh. Dressing will keep for 3 days.

Nutrition per serving, assuming 4 servings. 178 calories per serving is attributable to the cashews. I cannot recommend skipping it (because it’s SO GOOD!) but if you are really counting calories then it’s an option….. Remember, this is for a relatively generous serving and it’s for a complete meal that is satisfying! 

Nutrition

Calories: 617cal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 41g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 92mg | Sodium: 1247mg | Potassium: 753mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 2724IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 75mg | Iron: 5mg

I love noodle salads.

Proof!

Vermicelli Noodle Salad

The Bangkok – Satay Chicken Noodle Salad

Thai Prawn, Mango and Avocado Noodle Salad

Sesame Noodles

Vietnamese Noodle Salad with Shrimp (Prawn)

Life of Dozer

Perfectly positioned on the cow hide rug…… a little disturbing, perhaps!!!

The post Glass noodle salad with lime cashew crumble appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

This is how you get your spicy noodle fix, fast! Sichuan’s famous pork and bean stir fry, turned into hellishly tasty noodles.

Find the recipe on page 64 of Dinner.

This is a cookbook exclusive recipe!

This recipe is exclusive to my debut cookbook Dinner which includes a how-to video for every recipe. Just scan the QR code!

Just to explain….

I know, it’s confusing! You’re so used to getting recipes on my website – there’s over 1,200 of them, after all. And here you are looking at a tasty recipe video and I haven’t provided the recipe. 🙀

I’m not just doing this to torture you, I promise.

This page exists to display the how-to video for this recipe which I exclusively created for my debut cookbook, Dinner. Every recipe in the cookbook has a tutorial video. To watch it, you simply scan the QR code with your phone or tablet and it will take you straight to the recipe video like the one shown above!

Curious about my cookbook?

• Read the cookbook overview

• Browse all cookbook exclusive recipes here

• Read the Cookbook Tales. Spoiler alert: there’s A LOT of dirty dishes!! And quite a lot of Dozer. 😂

Stay tuned for more on this page! Some cookbook exclusive recipes will have extra information added as well as extra tips. I am also looking at enabling comments for selected recipes so I can answer reader questions about cookbook recipes. I’m just a little snowed under during this launch period – book tours, getting 131 recipe videos out, launching the book overseas. Please bear with me! – Nagi x (10 October 2022)

The post Spicy Sichuan Pork Noodles appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.