Cold Sesame Noodles (Easy Vegan Recipe)
Rich, hearty, refreshing, and super easy Cold Sesame Noodles inspired by Chinese and Taiwanese flavours with homemade chili oil.These noodles are inspired by Taiwanese sesame noodles and the cold sesame noodles I had from the restaurant Mian in Las Vegas, that served it with a delicious numbing chili oil. I paired these with my homemade chili oil to create a really rich, hearty, and somewhat refreshing bowl of noodles. You can also enjoy this with my cucumber rose salad (recipe here) to balance off the richness.
Ingredients
Sesame Sauce
- 1.5-2 tbsp Chinese sesame paste adjust according to desired sesame flavour and richness (see notes)
- 1 tbsp soy sauce or more to taste
- 2 tsp dark mushroom soy sauce
- 2 tbsp Chinese black vinegar
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp hot water
Noodles
- 5.5 oz dried wheat noodles of choice , I used knife cut noodles (see notes)
- Ice cubes optional
To Finish
- Chili Oil , homemade recipe here
- Chopped nuts
- Green onions or scallions
Enjoy With
- Cucumber rose salad , recipe here
- Other toppings/protein of choice such as sliced cucumber for extra freshness
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix all the sauce ingredients together. Feel free to adjust according to your desired taste and consistency. Do note that the sauce will slightly thicken once mixed with the cold noodles. Set the sauce aside.
- Cook the noodles until very chewy or al dente. I like to slightly undercook mine since the noodles will continue to cook from the residual heat even when the heat has been turned off.
- Drain the noodles from the water and run through cold running water to stop the cooking.
- Optional: place the noodles in a strainer and add some ice cubes before mixing to get the noodles cold. Drain from any excess water then place in a large bowl.
- Pour the sauce over the noodles and mix well. The noodles will still be slightly wet from the water/ice, which will be just right so the noodles aren’t too dry.
- Add chili oil, chopped nuts, green onions, and other toppings/protein of choice. Sliced cucumber or radish will be a great addition for that extra crunch and refreshing bite. Mix your noodles until well coated in the sauce, and enjoy!
- Storage tip: these noodles are even better colder and I kept mine overnight in the refrigerator. The sauce does thicken in the fridge so you can add a splash of black vinegar or even a drizzle of sesame oil and mix to coat before enjoying.
WATCH Video
Notes
Asian/Chinese Sesame Paste vs. Tahini
- Asian/Chinese Sesame Paste is different from tahini. Chinese sesame paste is made from roasted sesame seeds so it’s a rich brown in color (like peanut butter color), while tahini is made from raw sesame seeds so it’s a lot paler in color (almost white).
- I don’t recommend substituting Asian/Chinese sesame paste with tahini in this recipe since tahini will completely overpower the sauce.
WHAT IF I DON'T HAVE SESAME PASTE?
- If you really don't have access to sesame paste, you can replace the Chinese sesame paste with 1 tbsp (16 g) of plain peanut butter, 1.5 tsp (5 g) of crushed toasted sesame seeds and 1 tsp of sesame oil. Do note that this will slightly alter the flavour of the sauce and give it hinds to peanut.
Noodles of Choice
- I recommend using wheat noodles of any kind for this -- so whether its thin wheat noodles, these knife cut noodles, or even instant ramen noodles -- it's totally up to you. I just really like the texture and bite of the wheat noodles for this recipe.
NUTRITIONAL INFO
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 436kcal | Carbohydrates: 69g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 849mg | Potassium: 263mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 8IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 56mg | Iron: 4mg
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