Garlic Sesame Noodles

Noodles are a girls best friend and these easy garlic sesame noodles are without a doubt my favorite noodle recipe to date. They require just a few ingredients, are gluten free and can be eaten hot or cold!

Given the popularity of my sesame chickpeas, two things are very clear. One, you guys LOVE sesame flavored things. Those chickpeas, sesame tofu and teriyaki tofu, it’s hard to deny the deliciousness that is sesame.

Second, you guys love easy, 15 minute style meals. I mean, who doesn’t? Especially when they involve noodles.

So, I introduce you to (probably) your new favorite meal when you’re in a pinch: garlic sesame noodles. They’re gluten free, vegan, ready in 15 minutes, can be eaten hot or cold (like my teriyaki noodles), pair well with salmon, tofu, or just on their own!

Key Ingredients

The best thing about these sesame noodles is that they require ingredients you most likely already have in your pantry.

If you’re in a pinch for dinner and need something quick, this is the perfect recipe for you!

• Brown rice noodles: You can really use any type of noodle for this recipe. Ramen, soba, udon, regular spaghetti, brown rice spaghetti, whatever you have!

• Soy Sauce/Tamari: I highly suggest using low sodium soy sauce/tamari for this recipe. If you use regular, it will still be delicious, but quite salty!

• Honey: You can use maple syrup or even brown sugar or coconut sugar in place of the honey.

• Tahini: Most sesame noodles are not going to use tahini, but honestly, sesame noodles without the tahini are just not as good in my opinion! It helps make the noodles creamy and thickens the sauce a bit so you aren’t drowning them in pure soy sauce. You can safely sub the tahini for peanut butter for a sesame peanut noodle version!

• Garlic: If you’re a regular around here, you know that garlic is a staple in virtually all of my savory recipe. Plus, they’re garlic sesame noodles after all!

• Sesame oil: For this recipe, the sesame oil is where much of the flavor comes from. Be sure to use toasted sesame oil for the most flavor.

• Rice vinegar: To help round out the flavors of the sauce. I’m not a huge fan of vinegar, so there is no strong vinegar flavor to these noodles. It just acts to balance out the salty from the soy sauce, the sweet from the honey, and the spicy from the sriracha.

• Sriracha: For a little spice! Any hot sauce will do, and feel free to adjust to your spice preferences. As written, the recipe is not super spicy (and this is coming from someone very sensitive to spice).

How to make this recipe

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package instructions. 

While the pasta is cooking, prep the sauce. Start by mincing the garlic very finely or use a garlic press to get it super small since we won’t be blending up this sauce. You don’t want super large chunks!

Add the minced garlic to a pan with the neutral oil. This can be avocado, olive, or refined coconut oil. Avoid using virgin coconut oil since it has a stronger coconut flavor.

Saute until the edges of the garlic look golden brown, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk together all of the remaining sauce ingredients in a bowl until there are no visible clumps of ginger and the tahini is spread throughout. 

Pour the sauce into the pan with the garlic and mix well. Let simmer for 2-3 minutes or until the sauce thickens slightly. 

When the pasta is done cooking, combine with the sauce. Taste, and feel free to add any additional flavors you choose.

Garnish with scallions, red pepper flakes, crushed peanuts and enjoy! You can also view this recipe as a web story.

Serving suggestions

There are so many ways you can serve this recipe and so many ways to jazz it up. I love it fresh out of the pot with a side of chicken or salmon. Or keep them vegan and add my peanut tofu or teriyaki tofu.

You can toss in some steamed broccoli, serve it alongside my General Tso’s chickpeas, or saute a bunch of veggies and make this a stir fry! You can use different noodles, sprinkle on peanuts, make it spicy, whatever you want!

It’s versatile and since it’s so great hot or cold, it makes for the perfect on the go and work lunch. Just a quick note: if you do plan on adding protein or vegetables to the mix, I’d suggest doubling the sauce recipe!

Frequently asked questions

Do they store well? Once prepared, these sesame noodles will keep for 5 days in an air tight container in the fridge. You can eat these noodles cold or warm them up in the microwave or stove!

Are they spicy? As written, these noodles are not super spicy on their own, you can add more sriracha or red pepper flakes for more spice if desired. These are also delicious with a bit of chili paste! But if you’re looking for some really spicy noodles, try my chili noodles instead!

What is tahini? These sesame noodles call for tahini, which is similar to, but not the same as, sesame paste. Sesame paste has a stronger flavor but it’s not found in all grocery stores, so I opted for a version that everyone will have access to.

Sesame paste is made with toasted sesame seeds, whereas tahini is made with raw sesame seeds (usually). If you can find sesame paste near you, you can use that instead! You are also welcome to use peanut butter if you want a peanut flavor to these noodles.

Need more easy recipes? Try these!

• Vegetable Lo Mein
• General Tso’s Chickpea Stir Fry
• Orange Chickpeas
• Chili Garlic Noodles
• Thai Peanut Sauce

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