Easy 20-Minute Miso Noodles (Vegetarian)

close up bowl of miso noodles with chopsticks sticking out and carrot, edamame, sesame seeds and other veggies on top

Easy 20-Minute Miso Noodles (Vegetarian)

These quick and easy miso noodles come together in just 20 minutes! Perfect for a busy weeknight dinner idea. This Japanese-inspired dish brings together tender noodles (use udon, ramen, soba, or whatever noodles you like!), green onion, and perfectly seared shiitake mushrooms, edamame and bok choy in a deliciously creamy miso-based sauce.

Course dinner, Main Dish

Cuisine American, Asian, Japanese

Diet Gluten Free, Halal, Hindu, Kosher, Low Fat, Low Lactose, Vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 10

Total Time 20

Servings

Calories 550kcal

Author Christy Gurin

Equipment

1 large skillet or wok
1 strainer
1 pot
1 Wooden spoon or spatula of some kind for cooking the veggies
1 tongs or a pasta fork

Ingredients

8 oz dry noodles udon, rice noodles, ramen, spaghetti, soba or any noodles you prefer (
2 teaspoons sesame oil divided
8 ounces shiitake mushrooms sliced in half or quartered if large
2 cups edamame beans thaw first if frozen
2 bunches baby bok choy bottom core cut off and leaves separated
sesame seeds and other garnishes (sliced radish, julienned carrot, etc. - see notes for ideas)

Sauce Ingredients

¼ cup white miso paste
1/4 cup tahini can substitute peanut butter
3 Tablespoons low sodium tamari or soy sauce or coconut aminos*
3 Tablespoons rice vinegar
2 Tablespoons mirin
1 Tablespoon garlic chili sauce
2 teaspoons minced garlic about 2 medium cloves
2 teaspoons sesame oil toasted or untoasted
1/3 cup sliced green onion

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

In a medium bowl, whisk together all sauce ingredients with a wire whisk. Set aside.
Bring a pot of water to a boil and on another burner, start heating a large sized skillet over medium-high heat.
Once the skillet is hot, add 1 teaspoon sesame oil and then mushrooms and cook, stirring only once or twice for 2-3 minutes to allow them to sear. Add remaining teaspoon sesame oil and then edamame and bok choy. Let cook for 3 minutes until veggies are well seared. Remove pan from heat.
While vegetables are cooking in the skillet, cook noodles in pot of boiling water al dente according to package instructions (usually 3-5 minutes for soba noodles, longer for other types) and drain, reserving ½ cup of the cooking water from the noodles.*
Add noodles and sauce to the pan with the mushrooms and bok choy. Add a splash of the reserved pasta water to the pan to thin out the sauce if it’s too thick and stir in. Add a small amount at a time until you get the desired consistency (normally 1-2 Tablespoons but will depend on how thick your tahini was and the absorbency of the noodles used).
Use tongs to divide noodle mixture into 4 serving bowls. Top each one with a sprinkle of green onion, sesame seeds, chili crisp oil and any other garnishes you are using. Serve right away.

Notes

Substitutions:
- Mushrooms: can sub regular or baby portobellos for shitake
- Rice vinegar: can sub apple cider vinegar or another vinegar with a tiny pinch of sugar.
- Noodles: substitute with rice noodles, ramen, spaghetti or whatever you prefer.
- Tamari: can swap soy sauce 1:1. If swapping for coconut aminos, you may need to add extra salt.
Gluten free: Rice noodles and tamari make it GF. I really like the Lotus Foods brown rice and millet ramen and buy it at Costco. Make sure your miso is GF too because not all are.
More protein: Top with soft boiled, poached or sunny side up fried egg, marinated tofu or meat for more protein.
Spice: Top with toasted chili crisp oil, siracha or other hot sauce to spice it up.
Reserving pasta water: I normally put a bowl or cup under the strainer to reserve the pasta water. If you forget, just use plain hot water.
Remove the pan from heat right after you add the noodles and sauce. This will make sure it is still hot enough to heat up the sauce and will make it become silky and bond with the noodles better.
Garnish ideas: sesame seeds, julienned carrot, more green onion, thinly sliced radish, red pepper, chopped up peanuts, a fried egg, chili crisp oil, and/or whatever else you prefer.
Rinsing noodles: some noodles, like rice noodles, benefit from a quick cold water rinse as soon as they're done cooking. This removes extra starch to keep the noodles from sticking.
To prepare ahead of time: You can prepare the veggies and the sauce in advance and store them separately. Then make the noodles and sear the vegetables right before serving and toss it all together.
Storage: store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Do not freeze.

Nutrition