Asian Noodle Bowl with Shrimp (Printable)

Tender shrimp and crisp vegetables in savory Asian sauce with crunchy peanuts.

# What You Need:

→ Protein

01 - 14 oz medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

→ Noodles

02 - 7 oz rice noodles

→ Vegetables

03 - 1 medium zucchini, julienned
04 - 1 large carrot, julienned
05 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 3 green onions, sliced

→ Sauce

07 - 3 tablespoons soy sauce
08 - 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
09 - 1 tablespoon sesame oil
10 - 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
11 - 1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce, optional

→ Toppings

12 - 1/3 cup roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
13 - 1/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
14 - Lime wedges for serving

# Directions:

01 - Cook rice noodles according to package instructions. Drain thoroughly and rinse with cold water to stop cooking. Set aside.
02 - In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, lime juice, sesame oil, honey, and chili garlic sauce until well combined. Set aside.
03 - Heat a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add a splash of oil and sauté minced garlic for 30 seconds until fragrant.
04 - Add shrimp to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes, turning once, until pink and cooked through. Remove shrimp and set aside on a clean plate.
05 - In the same pan, add julienned zucchini and carrot. Stir-fry for 2-3 minutes until just tender with a slight crunch remaining.
06 - Add cooked noodles, green onions, and prepared sauce to the pan. Toss thoroughly to combine and warm through, ensuring even coating.
07 - Return cooked shrimp to the pan and gently mix everything together until evenly distributed and heated through. Divide among four bowls and top with chopped peanuts, fresh cilantro, and lime wedges.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together faster than you'd expect, which means weeknight dinners stop feeling like a chore.
  • The sauce pulls everything together with this perfect balance of salty, sweet, and bright that keeps you reaching for another bite.
  • You can see and taste every component, so it feels like you're actually eating real food instead of something fussy.
02 -
  • Don't rinse your shrimp and then let it sit around waiting to cook, because the moisture on it will steam rather than sear, and you'll lose that little bit of caramelization that makes them taste alive.
  • The sauce needs to actually coat the noodles, so if you find yourself with a bottom of the bowl that's still dry after tossing, you didn't use quite enough, and that's worth knowing for next time.
03 -
  • Prep all your vegetables and mince your garlic before you turn on the heat, because once the pan is hot, everything moves quickly and you won't have time to catch up.
  • Buy shrimp from somewhere that turns over inventory quickly, because the difference between fresh-frozen and sitting-around shrimp is something your tongue will notice immediately.
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