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A bowl of garlic and sesame noodles with snap peas, carrots, and shiitake mushrooms. Garnished with fresh cilantro.
Sacha Hirschfeld

Garlic Sesame Noodles

This delicious bowl of noodles is the perfect weeknight meal! Fast, flexible, and satisfying; what more could you want?
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings: 2
Course: Mains
Cuisine: Asian, Japanese
Calories: 918
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tbsp peanut oil
  • ½ cup shallots finely diced
  • 6 garlic cloves minced
  • ½ lb ground meat pork, chicken, turkey, beef
  • 13 oz vaccum sealed pre-cooked udon noodles see notes
  • 1 tbsp fresh ginger finely grated
  • 1 tbsp fish sauce Red Boat Brand is my go-to
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce or Braggs aminos
  • 1 ½ tbsp mirin
  • 2 tbsp hoisin sauce
  • ¾ cup water
  • 1 cup shiitake mushrooms tough stems removed and sliced
  • 1 cup snap peas ends trimmed
  • 1 cup carrots peeled and sliced diagonally
  • 3 scallions cut into 2" long pieces
  • 1 tbsp dark sesame oil
  • ¼ cup unsalted peanuts chopped
  • ⅓ cup fresh cilantro lightly packed; for garnish
  • ¼ tsp toasted black sesame seeds for garnish

Equipment

  • 1 wok or large and deep skillet
  • 1 large pot
  • 1 strainer
  • 1 wok spatula
  • 1 pair of tongs

Method
 

  1. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together ginger, fish sauce, soy sauce, hoisin, and mirin; set aside.
  2. Remove your udon noodles from its package and add it to a pot of boiling water. Frozen udon noodles can be added directly to the pot of boiling water. Stir gently until your udon noodles are separated and pliable. This should take 1 - 2 minutes. They come precooked so avoid overcooking them as they can get too soft. Rinse and drain your noodles under cold water. If not using right away, drizzle on a little bit of oil to keep them from sticking.
  3. Heat peanut oil in a wok over high heat. Add ground pork and break into small pieces using a wooden spoon. Add shallots and garlic; sauté, stirring constantly, until meat is nicely browned.
  4. Pour in the sauce; stir to combine, ensuring all of the pork is coated in the sauce.
  5. Add water to the skillet to deglaze the pan, scraping down any brown bits from the bottom as you go. Once the liquid is reduced by half, add shiitake mushrooms, snap peas, carrots, and green onions; stir-fry for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. It's important not to overcook the carrot and snap peas, because they're going to bring the crunch to these soft and saucy noodles.
  6. Add noodles to the wok and drizzle the toasted sesame oil overtop; turn off heat, and toss to coat using a pair of tongs.
  7. Divide amongst wide shallow bowls and serve immediately. Garnish with chopped peanuts, cilantro, green onion, and toasted black sesame seeds.

Notes

UDON NOODLES: I used vacuum packed udon noodles that are pre-cooked and in individual packets. You can find these in the refrigerated or frozen section of Asian grocery stores. You can also use dried udon noodles. Simply cook them according to their directions and proceed with the recipe.
VEGETABLES: You can easily sub a variety of vegetables based on what you have on hand. Texture is one thing to keep in mind when deciding what combination of veggies to use. Reach for crunchier vegetables like carrot, celery, or thickly sliced cabbage; you want contrast to the soft, saucy noodles.