This simple recipe pairs crunchy veggies with chewy rice noodles and marries them in a fragrant soy sauce.
Difficulty:👍👍👍👍
Cost: ££
Method
- Cook the noodles in a saucepan of boiling salted water, according to the instructions on the packet. Drain and refresh in cold water (this stops them from over-cooking) and place to one side
- Place a wok or large frying pan on a medium heat, add the sesame seeds and toast until golden, stirring regularly, then tip into a small bowl.
- Place the pan back on a high heat and heat the oil. Add the red onion, garlic, ginger and chopped coriander stalks and fry for 2 minutes, or until lightly golden, stirring regularly.
- Throw in the broccoli, pepper, baby corn and sugar snaps or mangetout, and fry for a further 2 minutes.
- Add the noodles and spinach. Allow the spinach to wilt, then stir well.
- Squeeze over the juice of half the lime and add 1 tablespoon soy sauce, then toss until ingredients are coated.
- Drizzle over 1 teaspoon sesame oil, another tablespoon soy sauce and add another squeeze of lime juice
- Sprinkle over the sliced chilli (if using), coriander leaves and toasted sesame seeds.
- Stir well. Serve hot.
Ingredients
200g thin rice noodles
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 tbsp vegetable, or sesame, oil
1 red onion, sliced
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, peeled & chopped into matchsticks
½ a bunch of fresh coriander divided into leaves & stalks
100g broccoli, cut into little florets
½ a red or yellow pepper, deseeded & sliced into strips
100g baby corn &
100g sugar snap peas or mangetout, sliced into 3cm pieces at an angle
100g baby spinach
1 lime
2 tablespoons low-salt soy sauce
Sesame oil, for drizzling
½ a fresh red chilli (optional) – deseeded & finely chopped
When stir- frying it’s really important to shake, stir and toss the food around to keep it moving and stop it from burning.
Ingredients for stir-fries are usually sliced up quite thinly to help them cook quickly – its best to do all the preparation before you start frying.
You can use whatever vegetables are available – the general rule for stir-fries is to cook vegetables are in order of hardness – e.g. carrots, broccoli, cauliflower first, then courgettes, peppers, green beans etc and spinach, or other leaves, mushrooms & bean sprouts last.
