Here’s a vegetarian dinner so quick and so delicious that you’ll never miss the meat! If you’ve never cooked with rice noodles before, then you’re in for a treat. They’re usually shelved with the Asian foods (Thai) and this is what they look like. There are several popular brands on the market. In this recipe, you’ll break the long dried noodles into pieces BEFORE rehydrating them which makes them much more manageable when it’s time to eat! That’s right, I said “rehydrating”. You don’t actually cook these noodles, you just let them sit in hot water until they become soft. The chile garlic sauce gives this a little kick, so if you like your food less spicy, you may want to use less of it than what the recipe specifies.
Rice Noodle Bowl with Broccoli and Bell Peppers
Adapted from Vegetarian Times July/August 2010
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
8 oz. dried rice noodles, broken into 1-inch pieces
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
4 teaspoons rice vinegar (you could substitute apple cider vinegar)
1 tablespoon sugar
4 teaspoons chile sauce (less if you don’t like your food too spicy)
1 cup water
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 bunches finely chopped green onions (white and light green parts only)
3 cloves or 4 teaspoons minced garlic
2 red bell peppers, thinly sliced
2 cups broccoli florets, cut into 1″ pieces
3 tablespoons chopped roasted peanuts
Directions:
1. With a small whisk combine soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, chile sauce, and 1 cup of water in a small bowl. Set aside.
2. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add broken noodles and remove from heat. Let stand 5 to 7 minutes or until noodles are rehydrated. Drain and discard water. Set noodles aside.
3. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add bell peppers and broccoli. Cook 1 minute. Add soy sauce mixture and bring to a boil, cooking 1 more minute, or until red pepper and broccoli are tender. Stir in noodles. Serve sprinkled with chopped peanuts.