These noodles are an addictive combination of salty, spicy and sweet. For best results, use thick Asian wheat noodles, such as udon or lo mein, that cook up with chewy resilience. We try to include vegetarian dishes into our repertoire of meals, and this recipe is anything but ho-hum. Plus the ease of prep and limited ingredients let you serve dinner in under a half hour.
Chili crisp, a Chinese condiment sold in jars, is chili oil amped up with with red pepper flakes and additional spices. If you can find it, it’s a more flavorful alternative to standard chili oil. We used a chili-garlic paste, including the full two tablespoons. In fact, The Hubs added even more to his portion before tasting it–which probably wasn’t that wise 😉
If you want to amp up the veggies, one reviewer suggested including mushrooms, which we both agreed would be a good addition. Our Udon noodles weighed in at only eight ounces as opposed to the ten ounces the recipe called for. Luckily we didn’t have another mouth to feed because we polished off the entire skillet’s worth!
Chili-Soy Noodles with Bok Choy and Peanuts
Ingredients
- 10 oz. dried Asian wheat noodles
- 1 Tbsp. neutral oil
- 1 lb. baby bok choy, trimmed and sliced crosswise into ½-inch pieces
- ⅓ cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp. packed brown sugar
- 1-2 Tbsp. chili oil OR chili crisp, plus more to serve
- ¾ cup unsalted roasted peanuts, finely chopped
Directions
- Cook the noodles in a large pot of salted boiling water until tender. Drain, rinse and drain again.
- In a 12-inch skillet, heat the neutral oil until shimmering. Add the bok choy and cook, stirring, until the stems are tender; transfer to a plate.
- In the same skillet, mix the soy, sugar, chili oil and half the peanuts. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened.
- Add the bok choy and noodles, then toss until warmed. Serve sprinkled with the remaining peanuts and drizzled with additional chili oil.
Adapted from a recipe by Milk Street
Accounting for Taste 