Simple vegetarian stir-fry rice noodles

Vietnamese version (bản tiếng Việt): click here!

I tried this recipe since I “accidentally” bought the thin rice noodle, instead of vermicelli. I actually wanted to buy vermicelli (to make chicken vermicelli, stir-fry vermicelli with crabs or mushrooms, filler of spring rolls…) but the label on the package confused me. However, I would not waste anything, so I used the rice noodle for a simple yet addictive vegetarian stir-fry dish.

In this vegetarian recipe, I used shiitake and king oyster mushrooms because they are good sources of protein and have a meat-like texture suitable for any stir-fry dishes. As I mentioned briefly in the PhD style’s kimchi fried rice, there is a Youtube video from Epicurious about how to pick the right mushrooms for any recipes, which I think super helpful for my vegan/vegetarian friends. Basic seasoning is similar to my Vietnamese stir-fried beef noodles, except the marinating step and the use of seasoning powder (or M.S.G).

Introduce to you three types of vermicelli/glass noodles that could go well with this recipe. You’re welcome to try any other types of noodles for your own experience, and please let me know if you find any interesting point!

Ingredients: (for 3-4 servings)

• Rice noodles: 1 pack
• Shiitake mushrooms: ~150 grams (I used a whole pack of Shiitake mushroom sold in Asian grocery store)
• King oyster mushrooms: 2 whole mushrooms
• Carrot: 1 whole carrot (weighed ~100 grams)
• Garlic: 5 cloves
• Shallot: 1 clove
• Sweet onion: 1/2 of onion
• Cooking oil: 3 tablespoons
• Seasoning: 6 tbsp of soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of sugar
• Cilantro, parsley and spring onions as garnish; sprinkle some black pepper and add a little bit of sesame oil when serving.

Preparation:

• Finely chop the garlic and shallot, thin slice all the mushrooms and julienne the onion and carrot (If you bought shredded carrots, that’s perfect!).
• Soak the rice noodles in hot water for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, drain the rice noodles and rinse with cold water. Add 1 tablespoon of oil so that the rice noodles won’t stick together.
• Preheat a large pot (or pan, wok) at medium-high heat then add 2 tablespoons of cooking oil into it. When the oil is hot, add the chopped shallot and garlic, stir around until fragrant. (This step should be done while waiting for the noodles to be cooked in hot water.)
• Add all of the mushrooms and veggies to the pot then stir-fry for 5 minutes (so that the veggies and mushrooms are cooked). Season the veggies and mushrooms with 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, salt and sugar, stir well for few minutes.
• Add the rice noodles to the pot, then the remaining 4 tablespoons of soy sauce and mix everything together.
• Stir well for few minutes then turn off the heat, and the stir-fried rice noodles are done. Sprinkle some black/white pepper, top with chopped cilantro, spring onions and parley as garnish; add few drops of sesame oil on top before serving.

Total time: 20 minutes

Notes:

• Enoki mushroom is not suitable for this recipe because of high-water content.
• You can use more veggies such as bell peppers or red onions to add more color to your dish.
• Mung bean vermicelli or Korean glass noodles are perfect for the recipe. Even the instant noodles or long macaroni also go well with this stir-fry style. The only difference is how we cook each type of noodles/vermicelli/macaroni. Don’t forget to add few tablespoons of sesame oil (or normal cooking oil) to prevent the noodles, vermicelli or macaroni from sticking together.
  • With instant noodles, mung bean vermicelli, Korean glass noodles: 3-5 minutes soaked in hot water, then rinse with cold water.
  • With macaroni: boil them until soft (at least 10-15 minutes) then drain and rinse with cold water.

And that’s all I have for this recipe! Hope you enjoy it!