Description
A quick and flavorful Sweet and Sour Noodles recipe featuring sautéed vegetables and a tangy, thickened sauce made from ketchup, soy sauce, and rice wine vinegar. These noodles are garnished with toasted sesame seeds for a delightful crunch and perfect for a simple weeknight meal.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Sauce and Seasoning
- ½ cup ketchup
- â…“ cup low-sodium soy sauce
- ¼ cup chicken or vegetable stock
- 2-3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons mirin or pineapple juice
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
For the Vegetables and Noodles
- 2 tablespoons butter or sesame oil (for sautéing)
- 1 bell pepper, chopped
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 9 ounces lo mein noodles, spaghetti, or linguine, cooked
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds, for garnish
- 2 tablespoons butter or sesame oil (for sautéing)
Instructions
- Sauté Vegetables: Heat butter or sesame oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chopped bell pepper, onion, and minced ginger. Sauté these vegetables until they are slightly softened and lightly golden, about 3-4 minutes. Then add the minced garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- Make Sauce: Pour in the ketchup, low-sodium soy sauce, chicken or vegetable stock, rice wine vinegar, and mirin (or pineapple juice) into the skillet with the sautéed vegetables. Stir well to combine all the ingredients thoroughly, and bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat.
- Reduce Sauce: Let the sauce simmer for about 4-5 minutes until it thickens and reduces slightly, concentrating the flavors and creating a rich, sticky coating for the noodles.
- Toss with Noodles: Turn off the heat, then add the cooked lo mein noodles (or your choice of spaghetti or linguine) directly into the pan. Toss everything together gently but thoroughly to ensure the noodles are evenly coated with the sweet and sour sauce.
- Season and Serve: Season the noodles with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds for a finishing touch and serve immediately while warm.
Notes
- You can substitute mirin with pineapple juice for a fruitier flavor in the sauce.
- Use gluten-free soy sauce if you need to make this recipe gluten-free.
- The choice of noodles is flexible; lo mein noodles work best, but spaghetti or linguine can be used as an alternative.
- To add protein, consider tossing in cooked chicken, tofu, or shrimp when adding the noodles.
- Adjust rice wine vinegar and ketchup amounts to tweak the sourness and sweetness to your preference.
