Asian Noodle Bowls are so easy to make at home and yummier (and healthier!) than any takeout option. This noodle bowl has all the best bits of our favorite Asian cuisines!
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These noodle bowls are so much better than your typical Lo Mein or Chowmein noodles. This bowl has simple elements that come together to create magic - crunchy stir-fried veggies, a kickass sauce, crispy tofu cubes of paneer (or tofu) coated in a honey-sesame sauce and peanuts as toppings. It’s like all the best bits of Asian cuisine came together in a bowl – at least I like to think so!
At our home, we love to incorporate Asian meals into our menu from time to time - have you seen our recipes for chicken satay and (my personal favorite) Thai noodle soup?
List of Ingredients
Sauces – We need light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, rice vinegar and my current favourite Asian ingredient – Gochujang (Korean chili paste). All these ingredients should be easily available at your local Asian grocery store or supermarket. Gochujang can be substituted with any mild chili sauce or hot sauce, if you can’t get your hands on some.
Noodles – I like to use regular wheat noodles that are use for Lo Mein. You could also use rice noodles for a gluten-free option, or udon noodles or even ramen noodles.
Veggies – Regular or Chinese cabbage, carrots, bell peppers, celery and spring onions are what I like to use. Make sure you chop the veggies fine and thin. After chopping the spring onions, keep the whites and greens separate. The whites will go into the stir fry and the greens for the garnish.
Toppings – We need paneer or tofu, sesame oil to fry the paneer/tofu, sesame seeds, honey and optionally, chili paste or chili sauce. Crushed peanuts and edamame beans can be added as well.
Toppings for an Asian Noodle Bowl
Here’s what makes this noodle bowl so much better than regular lo mein or chowmein. Crispy pan-fried paneer or tofu coated in a honey-sesame sauce – these take just another 5 minutes more to make, but the results are so worth it! Resist the urge to eat them as is, and top your noodle bowl with them.
You will need tofu or paneer (I use paneer), honey, sesame seeds, sesame oil and optionally, some chili sauce to make them. Additional toppings such as cooked shrimp, crushed peanuts, and a squeeze of lemon are perfect to finish the dish.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Start by cooking your noodles as per the packet instructions. Undercook them slightly, because we will be cooking them along with the rest of the ingredients to finish off the dish. I have used regular Lo Mein noodles. Cook them for 3 minutes in boiling water, then quickly plunge them in cold water to stop them from cooking further. Keep aside.
Heat up a wok on high heat, and add sesame oil. Once the oil is hot, add minced garlic and ginger. Don skimp on the garlic – I use 4-5 cloves of garlic. Saute for a minute and add the rest of the vegetables. The key to stir frying is to be quick and keep the wok on a consistent high heat. Using a spatula, keep stirring the veggies so that they release moisture, and remain crunchy. Cook for 5 minutes.
Once the veggies are cooked, add the sauces. I like to add my sauces to a small bottle – makes it so much easier to mix it all together and then pour.
Mix the veggies with the sauces and immediately add the cooked noodles.
Toss the noodles together with the veggies and the sauces and turn off the heat. Keep aside to make the topping.
To make the crispy paneer/tofu topping, heat up a skillet with a little sesame oil. Once the oil is hot, add the cubes of paneer/tofu. Lower the heat to medium-high and flip the cubes so that they brown evenly. Once the cubes are browned and crispy, keep aside.
To the same pan, add sesame seeds, honey and optionally, some chili sauce, give it a stir and turn the heat down to low. Let the sauce thicken a little and then add the paneer or tufu cubes back into the pan. Mix well to coat the cubes. Your crispy paneer or tufu is ready to go on top of the noodle bowl of your dreams!
To serve, add the noodles to a bowl, followed by the crispy paneer/tofu, peanuts, lemon wedges, the green part of the spring onions.
Suggested Toppings
In addition to the crispy paneer/ tofu topping, you could also add the following toppings to the noodle bowl:
- Edamame beans
- Cooked shrimp
- Fried egg
- Crushed peanuts
- Sauteed bok choy
Asian Noodle Bowls
Equipment
- Wok
Ingredients
- 8 oz. (250 grams) Lo mein noodles (see notes)
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 4-5 garlic cloves minced
- 1 inch piece of ginger minced
- 3/4 small cabbage finely chopped
- 1 cup assorted bell peppers cut into thin slices
- 1 cup carrots cut into thin slices
- 1 celery stalk finely chopped
- 2 spring onions chopped (keep whites and green separated)
- 1 tablepoon rice vinegar see notes for substitution
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon Guchujang paste see notes for substitution
For the toppings:
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 cup paneer or pressed tofu cubed
- 1 tablespoon white sesame seeds
- 1 teaspoon chili sauce optional
- 3/4 cup peanuts crushed
Instructions
- Start by cooking your noodles as per the packet instructions. Undercook them slightly, then quickly plunge them in cold water to stop them from cooking further. Keep aside.
- Heat up a wok on high heat, and add sesame oil. Once the oil is hot, add minced garlic and ginger.
- Saute for a minute.
- Add the vegetables. Using a spatula, keep stirring the veggies so that they release moisture, and remain crunchy. Cook for 5 minutes.
- Mix the sauces together in a small jar and add them to the wok. Mix the veggies with the sauces and immediately add the cooked noodles. Toss together and turn off the heat. Keep aside to make the topping.
- To make the crispy paneer/tofu topping:
- Heat up a skillet/pan with a little sesame oil. Once the oil is hot, add the cubes of paneer/tofu. Lower the heat to medium-high and flip the cubes so that they brown evenly.
- Once the cubes are browned and crispy, keep aside. To the same pan, add sesame seeds, honey, chili sauce (optional), give it a stir and turn the heat down to low. Let the sauce thicken a little and then add the paneer or tufu cubes back into the pan. Mix well to coat the cubes.
- To serve, add the noodles to a bowl, followed by the crispy paneer/tofu, peanuts, lemon wedges, the green part of the spring onions. You could also add edamame beans and cooked shrimp or egg. Serve warm.