Vermicelli Noodle Bowl

Active Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Super Fast
Vegetarian

Why we love it:

Super fast, super colorful, super delicious. Completely adaptable and variable. What more do you need!? Use the veggies you have in your drawer, change up the garnishes, add meat or fish or tofu. The sauce will stay in the fridge for up to month so even though it's absurdly easy, maybe double it?

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Ingredients

8 ounces Vermicelli Noodles (the package sizes vary greatly! Look for “bean thread” or “vermicelli” and around 8 ounces. A little more or less is ok, just adjust the sauce. And, if you have too much, seal airtight and store for next time. Leftovers are all delicious cold!)
2 Carrots
1 Bell Pepper (Orange, Yellow or Red)
¹⁄₄ pound Brussels Sprouts
1 Tablespoon Unsalted Butter
1 Tablespoon White Sugar
3 Tablespoons Rice Vinegar
1 Tablespoon Fish Sauce (or use vegan version, or soy sauce)
1 clove Garlic (minced)
2 Tablespoons Oyster Sauce
2 Tablespoons Canola Oil
1 Lime (zest and juice)
¹⁄₄ pound Arugula
1 Tablespoon Black Sesame Seeds
2 Tablespoons Sunflower Seeds

Cooking Instructions

1. NOODLES

Bring a pasta pot of water to a boil over high heat (cover the pot to make it go faster). Then, turn off the heat, add the noodles, and let stand for 3 to 5 minutes. Toss them with tongs a few times and drain once the noodles are tender.

Drain into a colander, rinse with cold water, and shake the colander to remove excess water.
2. VEGGIES

Julienne the carrots and peppers (to Julienne carrots, slice into ¼ inch planks, then stack them and cut into strips the same thickness. Cut them shorter so that they are about 2 to 2 ½ inches long. For peppers, just slice off the sides of the pepper and cut across into very thin strips).

Trim the very end of the brussels, then slice through them to shred into thin strips. Toss and rake up with your fingers so they fall apart.
3. SAUTÉ

Heat a sauté pan over medium heat and melt the butter. Add all of the veggies and cook until a little bit browned and a little bit softened, stirring often, for about 4 minutes total. They’ll still have a good bite to them. Turn off the heat.
4. SAUCE

Meanwhile, make the sauce. In a mason jar, or other container with a tight lid, combine the ingredients for the sauce. That’s: the sugar, rice vinegar, fish sauce (or use a vegan version, or soy sauce), minced clove of garlic, oyster sauce, canola oil, and the zest and juice of 1 lime. Cover the jar and shake it! Set aside.
5. COMBINE

Add a Tablespoon or two of sauce to the hot pan with the veggies. Toss to coat.

Drizzle a little sauce over the noodles, toss to coat.
6. SERVING

Plate the noodles in bowls, scatter the arugula around. Top with veggies. Sprinkle each with sesame seeds and sunflower seeds. Serve extra sauce on the side to drizzle over top to taste.

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Substitutions

PALEO:

bulk up the veggie sauté with some extra veggies and consider serving over squash noodles
PESCATARIAN:

add some sautéed shrimp, or cooked and flaked salmon over top
VERMICELLI:

these are very thin rice noodles. You can use thicker rice noodles, sometimes called Rice Stick or pad thai noodles. If you can’t find any, use angel hair pasta (but cook according to package instructions)
NOODLES:

serve this dish over steamed rice or quinoa
MUST HAVE MEAT:

add thinly sliced chicken to the pan before sautéing the veggies. Or, try ground chicken, turkey or beef

Kid Friendly Version

How to Tweak This Recipe for Kids:

If your kids aren’t vegetarians, add meat
Serve this dish separated into components and without the arugula garnishes

Prep Ahead & Use It Up

Make the sauce, store for up to 2 weeks
The noodles don’t hold up well when cooked and left undressed so you if you make them ahead, toss them with some of the sauce or some oil to keep the threads separate