Healthy Sweet and Spicy Noodles Recipe

Recipe Highlights

• This recipe is vegan, gluten-free, refined sugar-free, and made with only 8 ingredients.
• You can get creative with your add-ins, or choose to keep it simple. Almost all vegetables will pair deliciously with this sweet and spicy sauce.
• If you’d like to make this recipe in advance, you can freeze or refrigerate it and reheat it with a splash of water in a frying pan to soften the spicy noodles. It makes for a delicious and quick lunch though, so I’d recommend enjoying it on the spot!
• For those with mixed eaters (e.g. some vegan, some omnivorous), you can make these sweet and spicy noodles as a base and add-in toppings of choice later. This is a recipe that would frequently be made when I was growing up as the only vegan in the household–I’d grab my portion before my family added in whatever else they liked. Very versatile, like I said! 🙂

Ingredient Notes

• cooking oil: Use the neutral oil of your choice. 
• rice noodles: You can swap these out for a different type of noodle if preferred.
• garlic: I love to use finely minced fresh garlic, but feel free to use a jar of minced garlic if that is what you have on hand. 
• dried chili: You’ll need one small dried chili. Use more or less depending on your spice preference. You can swap this for chili sauce, chili flakes, chili oil, or my gluten-free gochujang recipe if that’s what you have on hand.  
• baby kale: You can substitute spinach or regular kale as well. 
• gluten-free soy sauce: Tamari is gluten-free soy sauce that has the same lovely flavor as regular soy sauce, without gluten! 
• sweetener: You can use coconut sugar, maple syrup, or your sweetener of choice. Use more or less to taste.
• salt and pepper: Use to taste.

optional, for garnish

Recipe Step-by-Step

1. Cook the noodles according to package directions and set them aside.
2. Heat a large pan or wok over medium heat. Once hot, add oil then add minced garlic and dried chili, cooking for a few minutes until fragrant. Add baby kale and cook until slightly wilted.
3. Next, add gluten-free soy sauce and coconut sugar, and stir with a spatula to combine. Add the noodles and toss to coat, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Garnish with sliced green onion, and additional dried chili if desired!

Variations

• Add veggies like Chinese Broccoli, Pea Shoots, Bok Choy, Baby Corn, Bell Peppers, and/or Carrots.
• If you don’t like spicy, you can omit the red chili peppers and it will still taste just as good!

Secrets to Success

• To make sure this recipe is gluten-free but tastes like it isn’t, I used gluten-free soy sauce. It tastes like the original but instead of a wheat base, uses a rice base instead. If you’re not allergic to gluten, of course, you can feel free to use regular soy sauce too!
• The most important component of a noodle dish is the noodles, in my opinion! Texture is everything, so make sure you cook them according to package directions. I used these wide rice noodles and all I had to do was soak them in warm water as I prepped my ingredients. 

Serving Tips

•  Serve this spicy noodles recipe alongside my Korean Braised Tofu or Tofu Satay, or by itself. 

Storage Tips

• Make Ahead: If you’d like to make this recipe in advance, you can freeze or refrigerate it and reheat it with a splash of water in a frying pan to soften the spicy noodles. It makes for a delicious and quick lunch though, so I’d recommend enjoying it on the spot!
• Leftovers: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat it with a splash of water in a frying pan to soften the spicy noodles.