I don’t hold my chopsticks properly, and that’s the cold, hard truth. Legend has it that I had perfect form when I was a little chitlin but somehow lost it over the years. I blame it on my siblings’ bad example. I suppose I should find solace in the fact that I don’t hold chopsticks like drumsticks or ask for a fork at a Chinese restaurant. That would be the ultimate form of humiliation if you look like me.
I didn’t want you to see how I hold chopsticks like a pencil, so I solicited the help of a hand model in exchange for food. It’s a fair deal.
My mom always dedicates an entire shelf in her kitchen to dry noodles. There’s egg noodles, seasoned egg noodles, flat rice noodles, mung bean noodle threads, instant ramen (my brother’s contribution)—nearly anything you can find at an Asian supermarket. If you ask her why she needs so many noodles, I’m sure her answer would be that there is a time and a place for everything. Well, this is the time and the place for some flat mung bean noodles.
The beauty about mung bean noodles is that they’re gluten-free (made with mung bean and potato starch). They usually come in the form of small cakes, and they’re a whiz to prepare. Just dump them in a pot of boiling water and they’re ready in minutes. Good for those days when you’re semi-lazy to cook (because let’s be real, if you were too lazy to cook, you’d order some takeout or delivery).
Picking up a few of my mom’s habits, I usually stash a bag of dried noodles or two in my pantry in case I need to cook a meal in a pinch. These stir fry noodles take only 25 minutes to prepare. Ready in a pinch!
LOOKING FOR MORE NOODLE DISHES?
- Easy Green Curry Noodle Soup
- Pan-Fried Rice Noodles with Fried Egg
- Coconut Curry Noodle Stir Fry with Glazed Tofu
- Sesame and Olive Soba Noodles
- You can also see my complete noodles archives here.
Vegetable Stir Fry Mung Bean Noodles
Ingredients
- 4 flat mung bean noodle cakes, about 8 oz/230g
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 large sweet onion, sliced
- 1 stalks celery, sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- 2 Thai chilis, sliced (optional)
- 1 pound (455g) Chinese broccoli, stemmed and stalks sliced
- 2 large carrots, peeled and julienned
- 1/2 large red pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 scallion/green onion, sliced
- 1/3 cup (80ml) low-sodium tamari (or soy sauce, if not gluten free)
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- sesame for topping, optional
Instructions
- Fill a large saucepan with 3 to 4 inches of water and bring it to boil. Drop the noodle cakes into the boiling water, and let it cook for about 4 to 5 minutes or until the noodles look translucent. Drain the liquid and run the noodles under cold water.
- Heat a large stir fry pan with olive oil over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, add the onions and let it cook for a minute. Add the celery, garlic, ginger, chili and stir until the onions start to brown.
- Add the Chinese broccoli and cook for 2 to 3 minutes before adding the carrots, pepper, and green onions. Once the Chinese broccoli turns into a bright green, add the noodles and stir.
- Mix the soy sauce, sugar, and sesame oil in a small bowl, and pour into the noodles and vegetables. Cook for an additional 2 minutes.
- Sprinkle sesame seeds on top, and serve immediately.
Kelly // The Pretty Bee: Cooking & Creating says
This looks wonderful! I love noodles. Pretty pictures, too!
Lisa says
Thanks, Kelly!
christine ruby says
Delicious…easy recipe with such flavor! Even the “picky eater” of the family enjoyed this…thank you
Lisa Lin says
Thanks for trying the recipe!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
Yes! Totally fabulous! I’ve never had mung bean noodles!
Lisa says
Thanks, Rebecca! I could be wrong, but they might sell them at Whole Foods! Otherwise, You’d have to go to an Asian supermarket.
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
I see them all the time, just never took the plunge and bought them!
Whitney @ Sweet Cayenne says
This looks so beautiful and delicious!! I’ve never had Chinese broccoli before – is this similar to broccolini and can I find it in a general grocery store? Thanks!
Lisa says
Thanks, Whitney! Chinese broccoli (sometimes called Chinese kale too) is very similar to broccolini except the stalks are thicker and they have much more leaves. I’ve only seen them in farmers markets and Chinese supermarkets. You might find them labeled as gai lan, which is the Cantonese name for them.
gorgeois says
This was the most delicious recipe ever, thank you so much!
I used a few drops of stevia instead of the brown sugar, it tasted great.
Lisa says
Thank you so much for letting me know how it turned out for you, Gorgeois! And thank you for your kind words! That’s great that you modified the recipe to suit your taste.
Christa Clark says
This recipe is fantastic! We enjoyed this for dinner tonight and loved it. Thank you for sharing!
Lisa says
Christa, Thank you SO much for trying out the recipe and for leaving me a comment! Glad you enjoyed it! You made my day!
Olivia says
Is it really just 4oz of noodles or 16oz (4 x 4 oz)? I just made it with 4 oz and it does not look like nearly enough for 4 servings.
Lisa Lin says
Hi Olivia, Thanks for catching it. It should be 8 ounces of noodles. I’ll change the recipe to reflect that. Thanks!
Anela says
Looks delicious! I love mung bean noodles! I make it as a soup, with bone broth, and seasonings. (Instead of ramen)
Also just a quick tip, soy sauce has gluten. So you’d have to get a gluten free soy sauce, for this to be completely gluten free.????
Lisa Lin says
Hi Anela, thanks for catching that!
J Wilson says
This is a wonderful recipe. I made it with the regular broccoli that I had, really delicious! I’ll make it many times.
Lisa Lin says
Thank you for trying the recipe and for letting me know how it turned out! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Lynne P says
This sounds delicious! I think I’ll substitute honey for the brown sugar- I’ve done that with their recipes in the past and it tastes great. Any suggestions for a good protein to add to this?
Lisa Lin says
Honey works very well with this recipe, too! I would add tofu or chicken to this dish. Hope that helps!
Scott says
at what point in the cooking should the protein be added?
Asmita. Lunkad says
Mung bean noodles are amazing healthwise , & taste great too. Have been using them since 4-5 years. Have a regular stock at home .Thx for sharing a healthy & colourful recipe.
Lisa says
Hi Lisa,
Was wondering if you knew of a substitute for soy sauce in this recipe? Or any recipe? I have found this recipe: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/92873/soy-sauce-substitute/, but I have not tried it yet. Do you have any feedback or sense as to whether it might work? Just trying a new elimination diet so I’m doing away with everything that tastes good.
Thank you,
Lisa (also)
Lisa Lin says
Hi Lisa, soy sauce is the main seasoning in this recipe. Have you ever tried using coconut aminos? It’s a blend of coconut tree sap and salt. Perhaps that would fit into your elimination diet?
Carmen Powell says
Just took the plunge & tried the mung bean noodles! They were so delish! I soak mine in cold water for 15 mins then add to my stir fry veggies [including bean sprouts, garlic & mushrroms] using a solid vegetable broth. It comes out so seasoned & fresh. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Lisa Lin says
Thank you for trying it, Carmen!! I’m so glad you enjoyed the noodles!
Candice says
Going to make this tonight. I have one gluten free child and one who likes the dishes I make gluten free. Going to use mung bean threads as I have not been able to locate mung bean cakes just yet. The picture looks like a flat noodle. Took a look at Amazon but no cakes
Molly Edwards says
How many calories in carbohydrates with this dish of the Meehan noodle vegetable? One of my favorites as well as chicken and rice. Thank you so much for your help.
heather says
Delicious. I would say try to time the noodles being done with being ready to be thrown in with the vegetables or they will stick together. I was wondering what to do with my mung bean noodles I had spontaneously bought. I am going to be eating this a lot.
Lisa Lin says
Thanks for trying this, Heather!
Miguel says
Did something very similar, minus the chilies (wife is no fan of hot food) and added tofu (covered in rice flour and fried — should have added salt and more flavour to the flour) and without the cabbage (I am intolerant to all cabbages). Came out delicious. Thank you for the inspiration.
John Pittello says
Awesome Lisa, I’m cooking mung bean stir fry for lunch. I’ll be cheating with a bag of stir vegetables i paid 1/2 price for and adding stuff in the fridge to it.
Mabon N Cornwell says
Great recipe
Lisa Lin says
Thank you!