Easy Noodles in Ginger Broth
These super easy 30-minute noodles are full of ginger and garlic flavor plus the red Thai peppers bring a nice amount of heat to them! These noodles are a staple here at home, they are so warm and comforting any day! Technically you can add whatever vegetables and even greens you like but I always love the essential onions, mushrooms and some kind of peppers. And even if you can add any protein such as pieces of chicken, beef, fish or shrimp, there’s something quite comforting about the simplicity of just some veggies with these noodles swimming in a warm and flavorful gingery broth.
We love noodle dishes so much! They’re the answer to what to eat in the middle of the week that can be done in less than 30 minutes and still feel like you are eating from a cool trendy restaurant. If you have a few Asian pantry staples at home, you already are 95% there. The other 5% consists of super basic fresh ingredients. And noodles go with almost anything you have hanging around your fridge; bell peppers, carrots, broccoli, onions, mushrooms, eggplant, shredded cabbage, spinach, left over chicken, frozen shrimp (my favorite), even eggs… the list could go on and on! They are a great way to not only use what you already have but to eat more nutritious ingredients as well.
There have been plenty of times that we are about to order food and end up doing these noodles in ginger broth. They’re just super easy to make! I like to play around with them by adding less liquid and mixing with peanut butter in the skillet for some saucy peanut butter noodles. Or instead of adding broth, I add soy sauce with a bit of lemon juice, ginger and brown sugar to make lo-mein noodles. The possibilities are endless! These Hakubaku organic somen noodles are the ones we’ve been using for years. If you don’t have somen noodles you can use any other thin wheat Asian noodles, rice noodles or even angel hair pasta.
I don’t even feel the need to walk you through my process for this one; it’s so easy and straightforward, I’m sure you can jump just right in! But I’m leaving here some key notes in case you need to adjust the flavors.
Adjusting spicy and acidic recipes
When recipes are just a bit of this and a bit of that, you always need to adjust the flavors. This is more true than ever on recipes that are spicy, salty and acidic at the same time. Here’s a guide on how to adjust this recipe:
If your noodles are too spicy you need to add acidity and water or broth. A small squeeze of lime/lemon juice or a drizzle of rice vinegar plus a drizzle of water or broth should do the trick. Fat helps a lot as well so if the dish can handle it, add a drizzle of sesame oil.
If your noodles are too acidic because you went crazy with the lime juice (we’ve all been there, right?!) add water or broth and a bit of salt. As a last resource, add a small pinch of sugar as well.
If your noodles are too salty you need to bring in some acidity. A drizzle of lime/lemon juicy or rice vinegar will help. You need to dilute the liquid too so add more water or broth.
Don’t forget to let me know how much you enjoyed this fun and easy recipe. It’s so beloved for us, I feel I’m inviting you to eat in my family room!
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Easy Noodles in Ginger Broth
Ingredients
◯ Peanuts - ½ cup
◯ Sesame seeds - ¼ cup
◯ Sesame oil - ¼ cup
◯ White onions, thinly sliced - about 1 cup
◯ Cremini or white mushrooms, thinly sliced - about 1 cup
◯ Fresh grated ginger - 2 to 3 TBSP
◯ Ground or finely minced garlic - ½ Tsp
◯ Red Thai chili peppers, deseeded and sliced (optional) - 1 small
◯ Broth (I used beef broth but you can use chicken, vegetable or seafood) - 2 cups
◯ Water - 1 cup
◯ Fine sea salt - a good pinch
◯ Oyster sauce - 2 TBSP
◯ Lime juice - the juice of half lime
◯ Somen noodles - 1 tie or knot, about 4 oz
◯ Cilantro leaves, roughly chopped - ¼ cup
◯ Green onions - about 6 sprigs, roughly chopped
◯ Red Thai chili pepper slices and lime slices to serve
Details
Yield:
4 medium to large servings
Total time and active time:
25 minutes
Equipment:
Non-stick large skillet
Steps
In a large skillet toast the peanuts and sesame seeds over medium heat, moving frequently to prevent from burning. Toast until golden and fragrant, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from skillet and set aside. When peanuts have cooled down, roughly chop them.
In the same skillet heat the ¼ cup of sesame oil over medium heat. Sauté the onions and mushrooms for about 2 to 3 minutes, until soft and translucent. Add the 2 to 3 tablespoons of grated ginger and the half teaspoon of ground garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add the red Thai chili peppers and sauté again. Pour the 2 cups of broth and the cup of water, the pinch of salt, the 2 tablespoons of oyster sauce and the squeeze of lime juice and bring to a gentle boil. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes to marinade the flavors. Submerge somen noodles under broth and cook according to packet instructions, probably around 3 minutes. Taste and adjust flavors to your like if necessary.
Retire from heat. Using a ladle transfer noodles to serving bowls. Pour broth over noodles. Sprinkle toasted peanuts and sesame seeds on top of each bowl. Add the chopped cilantro leaves, green onions and chili peppers slices and lime slices to each bowl before serving. Serve immediately.
