Super simple spicy and tangy noodles is really so very simple that I made this so often. It’s spicy, savory, and tangy. It took less than 20 minutes from start to finish.
I’m not sure if you will believe me or not, but I pretty much survived on this super simple spicy and tangy noodles the first 6 months when I just had our second baby. No time to cook. Tired mom. Demanding baby. Full-time breastfeeding. Seriously…! cooking was the last thing on my mind. Survival mode on. Mom left me with this recipe before she left. I was almost in tears everyday trying to get back with my daily routine and cooked up something at the kitchen. So, this super simple spicy and tangy noodles feed the entire family (I omit chili paste for my daughter’s) and just need to add a protein like eggs, or leftover chicken, or pan-fried tofu to make it more complete.
My mom told me a splash of this and that, but I know it may be a bit difficult to follow if you are not familiar with Asian cooking and taste. So, here’s my effort trying to “quantify” it. But ultimately, trust your taste buds 😉 Here’s a short clip showing you how REALLY easy this noodles can be.
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INGREDIENTS:
- 1 lb of spaghetti/linguine/angel hair/rice noodles/egg noodles/ramen noodles/udon noodles whatever floats your boat!
Sauce:
- 1 Tbsp of sesame oil/garlic oil/truffle oil
- 2 Tbsp of store-bought red chili paste/black bean chili paste or more if you like it really spicy
- 4 Tbsp of Chinese black vinegar available at Asian grocery store
- 3 Tbsp of soy sauce/tamari or more to your taste
Garnishes:
- Fresh cilantro leaves for garnish
- 1 stalk of fresh green onions finely chopped
- Fried shallots crips available at Asian grocery store
If you want to turn this into a complete mea (use one or more of the following):
- Soft-boiled/hard-boiled eggs
- Pan-fried firm tofu cubes
- Leftover rotisserie chicken
- Grilled chicken/meat/seafood shrimp or crab meat lumps
- Grilled/steamed veggies asparagus, broccoli, bok choy, etc
INSTRUCTIONS:
-
Cook the noodle as directed on the package. While the noodle is cooking, In a large mixing bowl, prepare the sauce by mixing all the ingredients. Stir to mix everything. Add in the cooked noodles (pan-fried tofu cubes, leftover rotisserie chicken or other protein of your choice if using) and tossed to make sure the sauce is coating the noodles. Have a taste to see if you like it. Add more soy sauce, or more chili paste if you prefer. It should be savory, spicy, and tangy. Garnish with some fresh cilantro leaves. Serve warm, cold or at room temperature
RECIPE NOTES:
If you can't find Chinese black vinegar at the Asian Store (usually located near where the cooking wine, soy sauce, etc is), you can use Balsamic vinegar, though to be honest, the taste is not quite the same, but pretty close
So – Chinese black vinegar on my London list… never heard of it before. These noodles look so great, I could eat two plates full of them right now.
Yes…. it’s a Chinese kitchen’s staple for sure. It gives that extra “zing” to the noodles !!
Looks so good and like you said super easy. 🙂
Thank you Kristina