Getting food on the table on a weeknight can be a difficult feat, especially for those who are busy. If that describes your average weeknight, these vegan chili garlic noodles are guaranteed to become a staple in your household. And although the chili garlic oil packs a little heat, it doesn’t overpower your palate. You want to know the best part? The chili garlic oil sauce makes a double batch, so you can have more for the next time you want them!
It’s very important that you use a neutral flavored oil to make the chili garlic oil. Olive oil is not a good choice because it will impart an odd flavor that doesn’t go with the rest of the ingredients. Great oils to use include avocado oil, grapeseed oil, or another neutral-flavored oil. And while Sichuan pepper flakes are an optimal choice, you may not find them easily. For this reason, red pepper flakes are serve as an excellent substitute.
One of the great things about this recipe is that it is very customizable. If you prefer other vegetables then you can change up the recipe. Not a fan of bok choy? Use broccoli or Chinese broccoli. Allergic to peanuts? Use cashews because they work very well in this recipe. Finally, if you don’t have soy sauce, you can use tamari or liquid aminos. Feel free to be creative in the kitchen with this recipe! That’s the main thing to remember.
- Prep Time:10m
- Cook Time:15m
- Total Time:25m
- Category: Entrees, Vegan, Vegetarian
Ingredients
For the Noodles
- 1 (8 ounce) package rice noodles
- 1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 head bok choy, thinly sliced
- 3 green onions, thinly sliced on a bias
- 1/2 c basil leaves, plucked
- 1/8 c cilantro, chopped
For the Chili Garlic Sauce
- 1/3 c grapeseed oil
- 2 tsp. red pepper flakes
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 c unsalted peanuts, roughly chopped
- 3 tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 1/2 tbsp. rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp. agave nectar
Instructions
For the Noodles
- Cook the rice noodles according to the instructions on the package. After boiling and straining the noodles, rinse with cold water and transfer to a large bowl.
- While you are waiting for the water to boil for your noodles, you can prepare the vegetables and ingredients for the sauce.
- Warm a tablespoon or so of avocado oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the bell pepper, bok choy, and green onions to the pan and cook for about five minutes, tossing occasionally.
- Add the basil to the pan and cook for an extra minute before removing from heat.
For the Chili Garlic Sauce
- Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat until it is hot and shimmering. You can use a thermometer to ensure it registers 350º F.
- In a small bowl, combine the red pepper flakes, garlic, and peanuts.
- Pour the hot oil into the boil (it should start to sizzle). Stir and let it sit for about a minute before add in the soy sauce, rice vinegar, and agave nectar.
- Place the frying pan with the veggies back over medium heat and add the noodles to the pan. Mix well to combine and then add half of the chili garlic oil over the noodles, tossing to coat the noodles. You can add more if desired.
- Lastly, add the cilantro to the pan with the noodles and toss to mix in. Serve the noodles in bowls and enjoy.
