Yaki rice noodles with vegetables

Ingredients

Sauce

• Ketchup – 90 ml
• Vegan mushroom sauce – 90 ml
• Tamari sauce – 135 ml
• Rice wine – 45 ml
• Rice syrup – 30 ml (or 1 tbsp and 1 tsp sugar)
• Toasted sesame oil – 20 ml
• Garlic – 3 cloves (finely grated)
• Ginger – 3 tsp (finely grated)

Vegetables and noodles

• Fresh shiitake mushrooms – 300 g (in thick slices)
• Broccoli – 1.5 heads (in small florets)
• Baby pak choi – 6 (white parts sliced, leaves halved)
• Red bell pepper – 1.5 (thinly sliced)
• Carrots – 3 medium (in thin matchsticks)
• Scallions – 6 (white part in thick slices)
• Pre-cooked rice noodles – 900 g
• Sesame seeds – 3 tbsp (for sprinkling)

Method

Sauce

1. Mix all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Let it sit so the flavors come together.

Preparing the vegetables

1. Prep all the vegetables in advance: broccoli into florets, pak choi into pieces, bell pepper into slices, carrots into matchsticks, mushrooms into thick pieces, scallions into slices.

Stir-frying

1. Heat the wok over medium-high heat until it starts to smoke. Add 2 tsp of oil and the mushrooms, stir-fry for 1 minute and set aside.
2. Repeat with the broccoli — stir-fry for 2 minutes and set aside.
3. Add another 2 tsp of oil, the firm parts of the pak choi, the bell pepper, carrots and scallions, and stir-fry, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Finally, add the pak choi leaves, let them wilt and set aside.

Finishing with the noodles

1. Pour the sauce into the wok and let it bubble for 30 seconds.
2. Add the noodles and toss to coat them in the sauce.
3. Return all the vegetables to the wok and toss gently until everything is evenly heated through.

Serving

Serve hot, sprinkled with toasted sesame. You can add fresh cilantro or a squeeze of lime juice for freshness.

Key ingredients

Rice noodles

Gluten-free noodles made from rice flour; a filling base for wok dishes.

Shiitake mushrooms

Beta-glucans support immunity; natural umami without meat.

Broccoli

Vitamin C, sulforaphane and fibre; a quick sauté keeps it crunchy and nutritious.

Pak choi

Asian leafy greens with vitamins A, C and K; for quick stir-frying.

Red bell pepper

High in vitamin C and antioxidants; sweet once roasted.

Tamari sauce

Gluten-free soy sauce — deep umami without animal products.

Sesame seeds

Calcium, healthy fats and lignans; toasted, they add umami and depth.

Ginger

Warming; supports digestion and circulation, anti-inflammatory; traditionally used for nausea and cold.

Garlic

Antibacterial and antiviral; supports immunity and the circulatory system.

Onion

Prebiotic fibre for the gut flora, anti-inflammatory flavonoids.

Coriander seeds

Soothes digestion and gently cools the heat of spices.

Carrot

Beta-carotene (vitamin A) for skin and eyesight, fibre, natural sweetness.

Why it’s good for the body

• Shiitake mushrooms traditionally strengthen immunity and are rich in antioxidants.
• Broccoli, bell pepper and pak choi provide vitamins C and A and fiber.
• Ginger and garlic are anti-inflammatory and support digestion.
• Tamari and sesame oil give umami without animal products.

Traditional and functional notes on the ingredients — not medical claims.

Notes

• You can experiment with other vegetables, too — zucchini, kale or oyster mushrooms.
• Rice wine (mirin) can be replaced with rice vinegar and a pinch of sugar.