Description
This Takeout-Style Sesame Noodles recipe offers a quick and flavorful Asian-inspired dish featuring fresh or dried noodles tossed in a rich sesame and peanut butter sauce, complemented by crisp cucumbers, radishes, and crunchy roasted peanuts. Perfect for a light lunch or dinner, it combines savory, tangy, and slightly spicy elements with a creamy texture, ready in just 20 minutes.
Ingredients
Noodles
- 1 pound fresh noodles (or 1/2 pound dried noodles)
Sauce
- 3 tablespoons sesame oil (divided)
- 3 tablespoons Chinese sesame paste
- 1 tablespoon smooth peanut butter
- 3 tablespoons low-sodium or light soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup or granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon finely grated ginger
- 2 teaspoons finely grated garlic (or finely minced)
- 2 teaspoons chile-garlic paste (chile crisp or chile oil, can add more to taste)
Vegetables & Toppings
- 1/2 English cucumber (seeded and cut into thin sticks)
- 3 radishes (or carrots) (cut into thin sticks) (optional)
- 1/4 cup chopped roasted peanuts
Instructions
- Cook the noodles: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the fresh noodles and cook for about 3 minutes until they are barely tender but still slightly chewy. Drain the noodles in a colander and immediately rinse under cold water while running them through your fingers to prevent clumping. Once cooled and drained, transfer the noodles to a bowl and toss with 1 tablespoon of sesame oil to keep them from sticking.
- Alternative for dried noodles: If using dried noodles, cook them according to the package instructions. Drain and rinse under cold water, then toss with 1 tablespoon of sesame oil in a bowl.
- Prepare the sauce: In a medium bowl, whisk together the Chinese sesame paste, soy sauce, rice vinegar, smooth peanut butter, maple syrup (or sugar), grated ginger, grated garlic, the remaining 2 tablespoons of sesame oil, and chile-garlic paste until smooth and well combined.
- Assemble and serve: Pour half of the sauce over the noodles and toss thoroughly to coat. Divide the noodles into serving bowls and pass around the remaining sauce along with sliced cucumbers, radishes, and chopped roasted peanuts for topping according to individual preference.
Notes
- If fresh noodles are unavailable, dried noodles can be used as a substitute. Adjust cooking time according to package instructions.
- Chinese sesame paste is different from plain tahini; it has a richer, nuttier flavor. You can find it in Asian markets or online.
- Adjust the amount of chile-garlic paste according to your preferred spice level.
- For a nut-free variation, omit the peanuts and substitute peanut butter with a seed butter like sunflower seed butter.
- Maple syrup can be substituted with granulated sugar, but maple syrup adds a subtle depth of flavor.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Asian
