Quick Cooking Noodle Recipes: Vegetable Chow Mein, Cold Sesame Noodles and a Buffet Noodle Soup

Our Quick Cooking Noodles are the plain, classic pre-cooked noodle in the range: straight wheat noodles with a clean flavour that takes on whatever you cook them with. Their most useful trait for kitchens is that they are made to resist soaking, so they keep their texture in sauce and in broth. These three recipes play to that: one hot from the wok, one cold, and one soup that can stand on a hot counter.

Preparing the noodles

• For the wok: cook for about 1 minute less than the time on the pack, drain, rinse with cold water, drain well and toss with a little oil.
• For cold dishes: cook for the full pack time, then cool them completely in iced water so the texture firms up. Drain very well.
• For soup: cook for the full pack time in a separate pot of water, not in the broth, so the broth stays clear.

Portion guide: 80–100 g dry noodles per main course, 50–60 g for a starter or side.

1. Vegetable chow mein

Chow mein simply means stir-fried noodles, and there are as many versions as there are cooks. This one is vegetable-led, with an optional protein, and a sauce you can batch.

Serves 2 · Prep 10 min · Cook 7 min

Ingredients

• 180 g Quick Cooking Noodles (dry weight)
• 1 carrot, cut into thin sticks
• ½ red pepper, sliced
• 100 g pak choi, halved or quartered lengthways
• 80 g mushrooms (shiitake or chestnut), sliced
• 80 g bean sprouts
• 2 spring onions, cut into 3 cm pieces
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1 tsp grated ginger
• 2 tbsp neutral oil
• Optional: 150 g chicken breast, beef strips or firm tofu

Sauce:

• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tsp dark soy sauce (for colour)
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce or vegetarian stir-fry sauce
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 tbsp water
• ½ tsp cornflour stirred in

Method

1. Prepare the noodles for the wok. Mix the sauce.
2. If using protein, stir-fry it in 1 tbsp oil over high heat until just cooked (2–3 minutes), then remove.
3. Add the remaining oil. Fry garlic and ginger for 20 seconds.
4. Add carrot, pepper and mushrooms, stir-fry for 1½ minutes. Add pak choi and fry for 1 minute until the leaves wilt.
5. Add the noodles and the protein. Give the sauce a stir (the cornflour settles) and pour it over. Toss for 1–2 minutes until the sauce thickens and coats the noodles.
6. Add bean sprouts and spring onions, toss for 20 seconds and serve.

Tips

• For crispy “Hong Kong-style” noodles, pan-fry the blanched noodles flat in a little oil for 2–3 minutes per side until golden, then pour the stir-fried vegetables and sauce on top.
• Dark soy sauce is mainly for colour. Leave it out if you don’t have it.

2. Cold sesame noodles

A chilled noodle dish with a nutty, tangy sauce. Good for summer menus, lunch boxes and as a side.

Serves 2 as a main, 4 as a side · Prep 15 min · Cook 4–5 min plus chilling

Ingredients

• 180 g Quick Cooking Noodles (dry weight)
• 1 cucumber, cut into thin sticks
• 1 carrot, grated or cut into very thin sticks
• 2 spring onions, finely sliced
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
• Fresh coriander (optional)
• Optional topping: shredded cooked chicken or a soft-boiled egg

Sesame sauce:

• 3 tbsp Chinese sesame paste or tahini
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp black (Chinkiang) vinegar or rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp sugar or honey
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp chilli oil (or more)
• 1 small garlic clove, grated
• 2–4 tbsp warm water, to loosen

Method

1. Cook the noodles for the full pack time, then cool in iced water. Drain very well and toss with ½ tsp sesame oil.
2. Whisk the sesame paste with the soy sauce first, then add vinegar, sugar, sesame oil, chilli oil and garlic. Add warm water a spoonful at a time until the sauce is like thick cream.
3. Toss the noodles with the sauce just before serving.
4. Top with cucumber, carrot, spring onion, sesame seeds and coriander.

Tips

• Sesame paste thickens as it sits. Loosen leftover sauce with warm water before using it again.
• For a spicier version inspired by Sichuan dandan noodles, add ground Sichuan pepper and crispy fried pork mince on top.
• For meal prep, keep sauce and noodles in separate containers and dress before eating.

3. Buffet chicken and ginger noodle soup

A light, clear soup for canteens and buffets, where the noodles may sit in hot broth for a while. This is where a soak-resistant noodle earns its place.

Serves 4 · Prep 10 min · Cook 25 min

Ingredients

• 300 g Quick Cooking Noodles (dry weight)
• 1.5 l chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
• 300 g chicken thigh fillets
• 30 g ginger, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp fish sauce (optional)
• 200 g pak choi or spinach
• 2 spring onions, sliced
• Chilli oil and lime to serve

Method

1. Put the stock, ginger and garlic in a pot and bring to a simmer. Add the chicken and poach gently for 15 minutes.
2. Lift out the chicken, slice or shred it. Season the broth with soy sauce and fish sauce, and taste for salt.
3. Meanwhile, cook the noodles in a separate pot for the full pack time and drain.
4. Add pak choi to the broth for 1–2 minutes.
5. Divide noodles between bowls, add chicken and greens, and ladle over the hot broth. Finish with spring onions, chilli oil and lime.

Tips for a hot counter

• Keep noodles, broth and toppings in separate containers and assemble each bowl to order. The noodles hold better this way, even if they are soak-resistant.
• Keep broth at serving temperature, not at a rolling boil.
• Refill the noodle tray in small amounts every 20–30 minutes rather than putting out the whole batch at once.

For restaurants: batch and hold

• Blanch in batches before service, cool fast in iced water, drain, oil lightly and refrigerate covered. Use the same day.
• Weigh your yield once: dry noodles gain a lot of weight when cooked. Write the cooked portion weight on the station card.
• Batch sauces. Both the chow mein sauce and the sesame sauce keep well in the fridge. Stir before each use.
• Cold noodles for delivery travel well when sauce and toppings are packed separately.

More recipes

For wavy noodles, see our MIE noodle recipes; for broth-based dishes, the ramen noodle recipes. Our whole range is on the products page, and if you would like samples for your kitchen, contact us.