Asian Noodle Recipes - Cooking Light

Photo: Marcus Nilsson

The Joy of the Asian Noodle Bowl

As the street-food craze spreads across America, more folks are learning the pure fun of chopsticking into a bowl of noodles. Asian noodles—made from rice, wheat and egg, or buckwheat—are a world apart from Italian pasta, usually chewier, more resilient. Our noodle bowls are based on both street fare and homey comfort classics, with a nutrition tweak. We lowered the sodium (soy, fish, and hoisin sauces pack a lot of salt) while keeping true to the soul of each dish: all those spicy, salty, sweet, sour, and slurptastic thrills.

Photo: Marcus Nilsson

Korean Chilled Buckwheat Noodles with Chile Sauce

This dish is most popular in the summer but delicious year-round. Korean naengmyun noodles are made from wheat and buckwheat and are wonderfully chewy; Japanese soba is an adequate substitute but lacks the chewy texture. Because of the noodles' firm texture, the dish comes to the table with scissors, and you are to snip a few times and then mix everything together after enjoying the initial presentation.

View Recipe: Korean Chilled Buckwheat Noodles with Chile Sauce

Photo: Marcus Nilsson

Chinese Wide Noodles with Barbecue Pork and Dried Mushrooms

Here's a Chinese comfort-food favorite. A quick, healthy version of char siu pork amps up pork tenderloin with a marinade of sweet-salty hoisin sauce and aromatic five-spice powder—slivers of this meat meld with meaty wood ear mushrooms among chewy noodles bathed in a salty-sweet sauce. If you can't find wide lo mein noodles, try fettuccine.

View Recipe: Chinese Wide Noodles with Barbecue Pork and Dried Mushrooms

Photo: Marcus Nilsson

Indonesian Stir-Fried Noodles

This easy dish is an Indonesian street-food noodle classic, and it depends on two things: serving it piping hot, right out of a very hot wok, and finding some kecap manis (pronounced KEH-chup MAH-nees), a molasses-thick sweet soy sauce. Most Asian food stores sell it (usually ABC brand). If you can't find dried Chinese egg noodles, spaghetti actually makes a good substitute.

View Recipe: Indonesian Stir-Fried Noodles

Photo: Marcus Nilsson

Classic Pad Thai

The national dish of Thailand, simple to make and delicious to eat. You'll find many inauthentic versions in the U.S., some that even use ketchup or are otherwise too sweet. There should be some sweetness to the dish, but it should be balanced by tangy, savory flavors.

View Recipe: Classic Pad Thai

Photo: Marcus Nilsson

Vietnamese Salt and Pepper Shrimp Rice Noodle Bowl

An absolute classic, with wonderful contrasts: cold noodles, hot shrimp; chewy noodles, crisp veggies. You can prep the ingredients in advance and bring it all together right before serving. Shrimp is traditionally grilled for this dish, but searing it yields delicious results, too, without as much fuss as firing up the outdoor grill.

View Recipe: Vietnamese Salt and Pepper Shrimp Rice Noodle Bowl