17
May

Vegetarian Sweet Chili Noodle Stir-Fry

Vegetarian Sweet Chili Noodle Stir-Fry in a wok being stirred by a wooden spoon

 

I was craving a good veggie noodle stir-fry the other day with a sweet, tangy, and slightly spicy sauce. Take-out for something like this isn't really an option because it will either contain soy sauce (thus gluten) or rice noodles. This vegetarian sweet chili noodle stir-fry is better than take-out and is really simple to throw together. I was on a huge veggie kick last month, so this is packed with vegetables – but shrimp, chicken, or even ground pork works really well in it!

Since the vegetarian sweet chili noodle stir-fry was already filled to the brim with veggies, I decided to use shirataki noodles instead of a spiralized veggie. Shirataki are thin, translucent, gelatinous traditional Japanese noodles made from the konjac yam. I loved the texture and substance it gave the dish. The trick to using shirataki noodles is to rinse them really well (some say they have a bit of a fishy smell) and to boil them briefly to help the texture. I then sauté them in a hot pan to rid of some of the moisture and make the noodles soft – similar to a thin asian rice noodle. You could also use kelp noodles here, or of course spiralize your favorite veggie like squash or sweet potatoes.

The shiitaki mushrooms give the dish a hearty, meaty texture and flavor and the crisp-tender stir-fried cabbage, carrots, and broccoli make it filling. I also particularly love the crunchy, toasted cashews sprinkled on top.

But my favorite part of the dish? It's the SAUCE!! I'm not kidding – you will want to put this sauce on EVERYTHING. I made a triple batch and served it over salmon and drizzled on vegetables for a few nights afterwards. It's so delicious. You could use this sauce on my other stir-fry recipes as well!

Enjoy everyone!

Shop My Kitchen

Vegetarian Sweet Chili Noodle Stir-Fry



AUTHOR:

SERVES: 4

Cuisine: Vegetarian

Category: Dinner

PREP TIME: 10 mins

COOK TIME: 37 mins TOTAL TIME: 47 mins

Ingredients:

Sauce

  • ¼ cup honey
  • 2 tablespoons coconut sugar
  • 1 ½ tablespoons coconut aminos
  • 2 teaspoons unseasoned, organic rice vinegar*
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried chili flakes
  • 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 teaspons peeled and minced ginger
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste

Noodles

  • ½ pound Napa cabbage, core removed and thinly sliced
  • 2 cups broccoli florets
  • 6 ounces carrots, cut into thin half moons
  • 2 scallions, thinly sliced (keep white bottoms and green tops separate)
  • 14 ounces shirataki noodles, rinsed well and drained
  • 3 ounces shiitake mushrooms, sliced
  • 3 tablespoons toasted cashews, roughly chopped

* You could use apple cider vinegar in place of the rice vinegar if you’d like. Organic, unseasoned rice vinegar is typically considered ok in a Paleo diet because the fermentation/distillation process voids the antinutrients and carbohydrates , but definitely do what’s best for your body!

Instructions:

  1. Stir honey, coconut sugar, coconut aminos, rice vinegar, chili flakes, sea salt, garlic, and ginger together in a saucepan; bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook until reduced in volume by half, about 30 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the tomato paste.
  2. Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables and noodles. In a deep skillet or wok, heat 1 tablespoon avocado oil on medium-high heat. Add the white parts of the scallions. Season with sea salt and pepper. Sauté for 30 seconds, until fragrant and slightly softened. Add the cabbage, broccoli, and carrots. Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes, until the cabbage has softened. Turn off the heat.
  3. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the noodles to the boiling water and cook for 2 minutes. Drain noodles and pat them dry. Add them to the skillet with the vegetables and cook, stirring frequently for 1 to 2 minutes, until most of the liquid has evaporated.
  4. Add the mushrooms and sauce to the pan with the cooked vegetables. Cook on medium-high, stirring frequently for 1 to 2 minutes.
  5. Garnish with chopped cashews and green tops of the scallions.

 

Spiralized vegetable noodles like carrots or sweet potatoes would also be great in this. Skip the boiling step and sauté with the other vegetables until crisp tender.



Keywords: Dairy free, gluten free, paleo, vegetarian, stir-fry, quick and easy, shirataki noodles, shiitaki mushrooms