Recipes

Thai Noodle and Vegetable Stir-Fry

Rice noodles are very tender and are “cooked” simply by softening them in a pot of very hot water-not boiling them like heartier pasta made from wheat. After only 10 minutes, the noodles are soft but still firm and pleasantly chewy-and ready to add to the wok.

For this recipe, I used stir-fry noodle sticks, but you can also use very thin rice noodles, which soften even more quickly than the thicker sticks-in about 5 minutes.

The key to an easy stir-fry is to have all the ingredients ready to go before you turn on the heat. Small pieces of vegetables (and meat or seafood, when included) cook very quickly, meaning dinner comes together fast once the pan is hot.

Tip: Make the sauce first so it’s ready to use when needed, and group the other ingredients together in the order they’ll be added to the wok.

Thai Noodle and Vegetable Stir-Fry

Author: Pamela Steed Hill

Serves: 4

Ingredients

For the Sauce
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
¼ cup vegetable broth
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp chili-garlic sauce (or similar hot sauce)
2 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp white sugar
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
2 tsp sesame oil
For the Noodles and Vegetables
4 oz Thai stir-fry rice noodle sticks
2 tbsp peanut oil
4 oz green beans, trimmed and cut crosswise in half
2 Thai chiles, finely chopped
½ medium red bell pepper, coarsely chopped
4-5 oz white asparagus spears, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 oz shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced (stems trimmed or removed)
2 scallions, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced
1 medium stalk baby bok choy, coarsely chopped (including leaves)
cilantro leaves, for garnish

Instructions

For the Sauce
Combine all ingredients in a bowl, stirring well to dissolve the sugar. Set aside.
For the Noodles and Vegetables
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Remove from the heat and immerse the noodles in it. Cover and let stand 10 minutes. Drain and rinse the noodles under cold water.
Heat a wok (or large, deep skillet) over medium-high heat and add the peanut oil. Add the green beans, Thai chiles, and bell pepper and stir-fry 2 minutes.
Add the asparagus, mushrooms, scallions, and bok choy. Stir-fry 3 minutes, until all vegetables are crisp-tender.
Add the drained noodles to the wok and stir-fry 1 minute. Pour the sauce over the noodles and vegetables and toss well to combine. Simmer until hot throughout, about 1 minute.
Divide the wok mixture among 4 shallow bowls and garnish with cilantro leaves. Serve right away.