These saucy Sesame Vegetable Noodles are a versatile side dish for any Asian-inspired meal. Or add a fried egg on top for a satisfying and easy vegetarian dinner!
To know me is to know that I love a fried egg on top of a savory dish. It was a love that was born during the five years we lived in Bangkok where adding a fried egg to your lunch is a beloved practice. In Bangkok, 10 baht (about 30 cents) will get you fried egg that will put already to-die-for-delicious dishes like fried rice and Pad Krapow over the top.
And so it was that when I tasted these noodles – packed with vegetables and wrapped in a savory ginger and sesame sauce – I immediately knew just what they needed. A fried egg. Cook the egg so that the yolk is still a bit runny and it will add to the saucy, creaminess of the dish.
If you want to serve these sesame vegetable noodles as a side dish, they’re great that way too – just skip the egg. Everything comes together in one pan in under 30 minutes.
Here’s all you need!
Ingredients
- Garlic and Ginger – In this simple meal, these ingredients give the sauce depth and added flavor. Don’t skip them.
- Low-Sodium Soy Sauce – This recipe was tested with low-sodium soy sauce. If using regular soy sauce, reduce to 3 Tablespoons.
- Brown Sugar – Dark brown sugar gives the sauce a darker color and a bit more rich flavor, but light brown sugar will work just fine.
- Rice Vinegar – Rice vinegar adds tart, fresh flavor to the rich sauce.
- Cornstarch – You’ll need some cornstarch to thicken the sauce so that it coats the noodles.
- Toasted Sesame Oil – This savory sesame oil gives the dish its signature flavor.
- Spaghetti – I love to use spaghetti in this dish. It’s so easy to find and soaks up the rich sauce. If you have another noodle you’d prefer (or want to use a gluten-free version), just about any kind will work.
- Portobello Mushrooms, Shredded Carrots, Red Bell Pepper – Slice all of the vegetables very thin so that they finish cooking around the same time. Pre-shredded carrots work well here and save time.
- White Sesame Seeds – These add a bit of texture and some more of that great sesame flavor. If you don’t have time, you can skip it.
- Eggs – Don’t forget the fried eggs on top!
Wok-Fried Egg
If you are making these noodles in a wok and want to serve them with the fried egg on top, treat yourself to a wok-fried egg. I learned how to make a wok-fried egg by watching many of them being cooked by street vendors in Thailand. The process is incredibly simple – just crack an egg into a shallow pool of hot oil at the bottom of the wok. But the result is a bit of magic. The edges get super crisp and lacy while the yolk stays perfectly runny.
For lots of photos of the process, check out this post.
Possible Variations
- Add protein – If you’d like more protein in addition to or instead of the fried egg, try folding in leftover chicken or sautéed tofu cubes.
- Make it gluten-free – Use gluten-free spaghetti and Tamari in place of the soy sauce.
- Mix up vegetables – These noodles are really a blank slate for vegetables. Just about anything you have on hand will work – just be sure to adjust the cooking time as needed to cook them until they are nice and tender.
- Scramble eggs – Not feeling the fried egg? Whisk the eggs and gently scramble them with the vegetables before tossing everything together.
More Asian-Inspired Weeknight Favorites
- Instant Pot General Tso’s Chicken
- Instant Pot Sweet and Sour Chicken
- Asian Chicken Lettuce Cups
- Asian Chicken Salad with Edamame
- Asian Roasted Broccoli with Cashews
- Honey Garlic Chicken Fried Rice
- Beef and Broccoli Ramen Stir-Fry
- Slow Cooker Sesame Beef and Broccoli
- Honey Ginger Chicken Stir-Fry
- Sesame Garlic Ramen Stir-Fry
- Chili Cashew Chicken
Favorite Tools
Sesame Vegetable Noodles
Equipment
- Wok or Saute Pan
- Nonstick Pan
Ingredients
For Sauce:
- 2 cloves Garlic, chopped
- 1 tsp grated Fresh Ginger
- 1/4 cup Low-Sodium Soy Sauce (see note)
- 1/4 cup Water
- 1 Tbsp Dark Brown Sugar (can use light brown sugar as a substitute)
- 1 Tbsp Rice Vinegar
- 1 Tbsp Cornstarch
- 2 tsp Toasted Sesame Oil
For Noodles:
- 8 oz Spaghetti (sub any type of noodles, soba, dried ramen, etc.)
- 2 Tbsp Cooking Oil
- 2 Portobello Mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 5 oz Shredded Carrots (I like to buy pre-shredded)
- 1 Red Bell Pepper, thinly sliced
- 2 tsp White Sesame Seeds
- 4 Eggs
- Chopped Green Onions, for serving
- Sriracha or other hot sauce, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Boil noodles according to package directions.
- While noodles cook, combine all of the sauce ingredients in a jar and shake or whisk well (make sure that the cornstarch is fully incorporated). Set aside.
- Heat a large saute pan or wok over medium-heat. Add 1 Tbsp oil. When oil is hot, add mushrooms, carrots, and bell pepper. Saute until all of the vegetables are nearly tender, 5 to 7 minutes.
- Pour sauce over vegetables and bring to a simmer. Simmer until sauce thickens slightly, about 2 minutes.
- Drain noodles and add to vegetables and sauce. Add sesame seeds. Toss everything well to combine. Set aside, off the heat, covered, to keep warm.
- Place a nonstick pan over medium heat. Add 1 Tbsp oil and swirl pan around to coat the bottom of the pan. When pan is hot, crack eggs into heated oil. Cook on one side for sunny-side up or flip for over-easy.
- Serve eggs over noodles. Season tops of eggs with some salt.
- Add chopped green onions and / or hot sauce if you’d like.
Notes
Nutrition
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