Sesame Vegetable Noodles

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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!

noodles in a white bowl with a fried egg

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!

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sliced vegetables on a white plate

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!
stirring vegetables in a cast iron skillet

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.

frying an egg in a wok

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.
picking up noodles with chopsticks

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5 from 3 votes

Sesame Vegetable Noodles

These saucy 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!
Prep: 25 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 45 minutes
Servings: 4

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

Soy Sauce – If using regular (not low-sodium) soy sauce, reduce to 3 Tablespoons. 

Nutrition

Calories: 422kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 164mg | Sodium: 629mg | Potassium: 562mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 7089IU | Vitamin C: 41mg | Calcium: 70mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Author: Jess Smith via Inquiring Chef
Calories: 422
Keyword: easy dinner, easy noodle recipe, easy, weeknight-friendly, noodle bowl, stir fry, vegetarian
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About Jess Smith

Jess is the recipe creator and photographer at InquiringChef.com. She spent nearly a decade as the Chief Recipe Developer for the award-winning meal planning app Cook Smarts. Her colorful, healthyish recipes have been featured in popular online publications including Parade, Hallmark, and HuffPost.

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