My bestie Jenna texted me one night with lots of exclamation points. It was about this Blue Apron meal she had just made – the explanation seemed confusing and when she texted me pictures of the Blue Apron “how to” and recipe, it still seemed strange. Was it a soup? A pasta dish? I’d been wanting to make something with miso and Jenna, a great cook, endorsed this recipe big time. I went for it. Ok so noodle bowls are a thing, and I’d somehow forgotten. Sort of like Ramen? I like noodles and I like “all in one pot” type dishes, and while the process of getting there wasn’t fantastic, the end result came together pretty nice looking. Once I sorted the details out and got it written in my format, I can see it wasn’t so difficult after all. This is a noodle bowl, so it will be much thicker than a soup. Though I used the skinny rice noodles, I definitely recommend the fatter ones. The skinny ones got too spongy. As I note below, you can use udon noodles or linguini as well.
Though I loved the flavor, I wasn’t sure enough to post this here. It was Rich actually who convinced me; he loved this and ate two giant bowls. I can vouch for the reheat – I made this around 2 and he ate at 6. This might be outside your comfort zone but why not shake things up a bit?
Asian Noodle Bowls
Serves 4
4 eggs
6 oz (about 3/4 of a box) stick rice noodles *
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 tbsp. minced garlic
1 tbsp. minced fresh ginger
1 bunch scallions, whites and green parts divided
1/4 c. sweet white miso paste
2 tbsp. hoisin sauce
2 tbsp. tamari or soy sauce
5 c. water
1/2 lb. baby bok choy, trimmed and chopped
Juice of 1 lime
1/3 c. toasted cashews
Sriracha, optional
*This can be made with traditional linguini. Cook 8 oz (half a box) as directed and add at the end.Â
1. Fill a large bowl with boiling water. Add noodles. Set aside.
2. Boil a small saucepan of water. Add eggs and reduce heat to low. Simmer 10 minutes. Transfer to bowl filled with ice water.
2. Meanwhile, heat a dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Add oil, garlic, ginger, and white parts of scallions. Saute, stirring, occasionally, about two minutes.
3. Add carrots along with a big pinch of salt and pepper. Saute until softened, stirring occasionally.
4. Add miso, hoisin, tamari, and water. Stir to combine and turn heat to high. When mixture boils reduce heat to low and simmer for 8 minutes.
5. Add bok choy and simmer until tender, about 5 minutes.
6. Drain noodles and add to pot, along with lime juice. Taste for seasoning and add salt as necessary. Let simmer for several minutes to meld flavors.
7. Meanwhile, peel and slice eggs.
8. Ladle noodles into bowls and top with cashews, sliced eggs and the greens of the scallions. Add Sriracha if using. Serve immediately.
