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Kung Pao Noodles & Veggie Stir-Fry

Spicy Kung Pao Noodles with Veggies

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5 from 5 reviews

Ready in just 30 mins, these Kung Pao Noodles with Veggies are so addictive, you’ll be coming back for seconds (and maybe even thirds)! This recipe combines the bold flavors of garlic, ginger, red chilis, and Sichuan peppercorns with a sour-sweet soy sauce, fresh veggies, and crunchy peanuts, to make up the stir-fried noodles of your dreams.ย 

Ingredients

Scale

SAUCE

STIR-FRY

  • 2 tbsp flavorless cooking oil (sunflower, grapeseed, etc.)
  • 23 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tsp fresh ginger, grated or minced
  • 68 whole dried Sichuan red chilis, halved, seeds removed
  • 1 large zucchini, sliced, halvedย (1.5 cups)
  • 1/2 small head of broccoli, cut into bite-size pieces (1 cup)
  • 810 brown mushrooms, halvedย (2 cups)
  • 3 green onions, white parts cut into 1cm pieces – green parts cut into 3cm pieces
  • 2 tsp Sichuan peppercorns, powder OR whole, then toasted and ground*
  • 1/2 cup roasted peanuts, chopped
  • 1/2 packet of noodles (250g or 9oz) like spaghetti, chow mein, lo mein, ramen, soba, linguine*

Instructions

  1. MAKE THE SAUCE:ย In a bowl, whisk together the sauce ingredients and set aside.
  2. PREP THE INGREDIENTS: Chop, slice, and mince the veggies as directed above. Cook the noodles according to their package instructions. (Note: Make sure not to overcook the noodles because they will cook for another minute in the sauce later. Al dente is perfect.)
  3. STIR-FRY THE AROMATICS: Heat your wok over high heat. Add oil. Once the oil is hot, stir fry the garlic, ginger, and chili until fragrant – about 45 seconds.
  4. ADD IN THE VEGGIES: Add in the zucchini, broccoli, mushrooms, and white parts of the green onions. Continue stir-frying until the vegetables are cooked through, but the zucchini and broccoli still have a little crunch. This should only take 5 minutes. Add a little more oil if needed. (If your wok is too small or your stove/wok doesn’t get hot enough, this process may take longer, and you may need to do this in two batches, then recombine.)
  5. ADD THE SAUCE AND NOODLES: Make sure the wok is still super hot. Re-stir the sauce to recombine it, then add the sauce, Sichuan peppercorns, and pre-cooked noodles into the wok with the veggies. Toss everything together, bring the sauce to a boil, then turn it down to a simmer, allowing the sauce to thicken. Keep tossing all the while. Once thickened, turn off the stove and remove it from the heat. This should only take 1 or 2 minutes.
  6. GARNISH AND SERVE: Stir in the peanuts and dark parts of the green onions. Serve immediately!

Notes

*LIGHT SOY: Light soy sauce is not the same as low-sodium soy sauce. Light soy is salty, reddish-brown in color, thin in viscosity, and has a light flavor.

*DARK SOY: Dark soy sauce is not the same as regular soy sauce. Contrary to light soy, dark soy sauce is almost black. It is reduced down, so it’s thicker, darker, sweeter, and less salty than light soy. It has a more full-bodied flavor.

*CHINKIANG: You can get Chinese (Chinkiang) black vinegarย on Amazon.ย Click here!ย Usingย Chinkiangย will yield the best, most delicious results. However, if you absolutely need to substitute it, you can useย rice vinegarย – or evenย balsamic vinegar (just be mindful of your sauce becoming too sweet).

*SHAOXING: You can get Chinese (Shaoxing) cooking wine on Amazon. Click here!ย I highly recommend using Shaoxing – this is the authentic way. However, if you need a substitute, you can use mirin (sweet Japanese rice wine). If you use mirin, use less sugar in the sauce, because mirin is quite sweet.ย 

*DRIED SICHUAN CHILIS: Can’t handle the heat? Don’t omit the dried red chilis. Add them into the stir-fry as directed, but eat around them or remove them. You need their flavor, but you don’t need to set your mouth ablaze!

*SICHUAN PEPPERCORNS: The most important ingredient in any Kung Pao dish is the Sichuan peppercorns. Without these peppercorns, you won’t have Kung Pao Noodles… you’ll just have, well… noodles. So don’t skip them!

*NOODLES: Avoid using rice noodles in this recipe. Use a wheat-based noodle, like chow mein, ramen, or spaghetti. If you are gluten-free, you can use buckwheat noodles, like soba noodles.

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