I absolutely love these delicious noodles, and they have become a staple in my kitchen! They are incredibly versatile, making them the perfect choice whenever I need a quick and flavorful side dish to complement my Asian meals, adding a delightful twist to the usual plain rice. These Supreme Soy Noodles strike the perfect balance – bursting with enough flavor to devour on their own, yet subtle enough to pair flawlessly with any main course.
After taking a six-month break to concentrate on my debut cookbook, I am thrilled to be back with this fantastic new recipe! Although it’s super quick and easy, I can assure you that you’ll find yourself making it repeatedly. I hope you enjoy it just as much as I do!
Supreme Soy Noodles – the Asian noodles for everything!
I’m thrilled to share my first new recipe in six months – introducing the delightful Supreme Soy Noodles! These Asian noodles are incredibly versatile, pairing perfectly with any Asian dish you can think of. They’re quick and easy to make, and despite their simplicity, they’re packed with flavor, making them enjoyable on their own without loads of additional ingredients. On the other hand, they also complement any Asian main course like Chinese BBQ Pork, Sticky Asian Wings, Chicken or Beef Satay Skewers, Korean Pulled Pork, and many more!
But hey, if you feel like enjoying them alongside your Sunday roast chicken, who am I to judge! These noodles are incredibly flexible and suitable for any occasion.
Now, you might be wondering about the rather grandiose name “Supreme Soy Noodles” for such a simple dish. Well, I must admit it’s partly in jest to entertain myself (I find simple things amusing!). I’ve drawn inspiration from the colorful, superlative names often given to dishes in Chinese restaurants. So, I’m sticking with my grandiose name because even though it’s simple, it’s undeniably full of flavor! Give it a try, and let me know if you agree with the name – I’d love to hear your thoughts!
What you need to make these soy noodles
The foundation of the sauce for these noodles is soy sauce, but here’s the secret – a good noodle sauce requires more than just soy sauce! Relying solely on soy sauce results in a one-dimensional and bland taste. To achieve depth and character in the sauce, we incorporate a selection of staple Asian sauces. These ready-to-use sauces not only simplify the ingredient list but also pack a punch in terms of flavor!
Here’s what you need:
- The key players in this sauce are the soy sauces – a combination of dark and light soy sauce. Together, they create the perfect balance of flavor and color I’m aiming for. Dark soy sauce adds a rich intensity to the sauce while imparting a beautiful mahogany hue to the noodles, as seen in the photo below. On the other hand, light soy sauce contributes extra savoriness without darkening the sauce too much. For tips on substitutions and a deeper understanding of different soy sauces, check out the recipe notes!
Oyster sauce plays a significant role as one of the secret ingredients in this recipe, adding a delightful combination of sweetness, saltiness, thickness, and pungency. Despite its small quantity, oyster sauce has the incredible ability to infuse incomparable complexity, flavor, and umami to any dish. A staple in Chinese and South-east Asian cuisine, this sauce is made from oyster extract, which imparts an intensely savory taste without being overly fishy or oyster-like. For potential substitutes, refer to the recipe notes.- Another secret ingredient is mirin, a sweet Japanese cooking wine that adds both flavor and nuance to the dish. While traditional Chinese recipes often call for Chinese cooking wine with a touch of sugar, mirin serves as a convenient shortcut since it already contains sugar. As a non-alcoholic substitute, you can use more oyster sauce.
- When it comes to sesame oil, the toasted variety (with a brown hue) is preferred over the un-toasted type (with a yellow hue and less sesame flavor). In Australia, toasted sesame oil is commonly available, and it is used in this recipe to enhance the sauce’s flavor. However, it’s essential to note that sesame oil is added to the sauce and not used as the frying fat, as its flavor diminishes the longer it’s cooked.
- Green onions serve a dual purpose in this dish. The white part, when sautéed with garlic, acts as an aromatic flavor base to infuse the oil. Later, the green parts are used to add a touch of color and a pleasant bite throughout the noodles.
- And, as a signature ingredient in many recipes on this website, garlic continues to make an appearance, contributing its unique and essential flavor to this dish.
- Feel free to use any type of noodles you prefer for this recipe – whether they’re white or yellow, thick or thin, dried, or fresh. Personally, I opted for fresh white noodles from the refrigerated section of my store, as I find them to have a superior texture – chewier and more flavorful compared to dried noodles. However, rest assured that this recipe works perfectly fine with dried noodles as well. You might be surprised to hear that even spaghetti can be used here! Though it might sound unconventional, dried spaghetti is essentially made from flour and water, just like many dried noodles. Once it’s tossed with the delectable sauce, you’ll hardly notice the difference – it blends in seamlessly!
How to make Supreme Soy Noodles
It’s a 4-minute cook. There should be more recipes in the world like this!
Prepare the sauce by mixing all the required ingredients together.
Next, cut the green onions, separating the darker green part from the firmer white and pale green parts. Start by cooking the white part first as they take slightly longer to cook. The green part will be added at the end and only needs to be tossed in for a few seconds until wilted.
Cook the noodles following the packet directions. Here are some helpful tips:
- Cook the noodles just before you begin stir-frying. Avoid leaving cooked and drained noodles sitting around, as they may become more prone to breaking or sticking together.
- Use plenty of boiling water to ensure the noodles cook evenly and separate easily.
- After draining, briefly rinse the noodles to prevent them from becoming sticky and clumping together.
In a wok or a large non-stick pan over high heat, heat the oil until very hot. Start by cooking the white and pale green parts of the green onion for about 20 seconds to give them a head start and infuse the oil with flavor. Then, add the garlic and cook for approximately 10 seconds until lightly golden. Be careful not to burn the garlic, as it can turn bitter.
Add the cooked noodles and the prepared sauce to the pan. Toss everything together for about 1 1/2 minutes, ensuring that all the noodles are evenly coated with the sauce and some noodles start to caramelize slightly. The caramelization step is crucial as it imparts fantastic flavor to the noodles.
Finally, add the green part of the green onions and toss for about 30 seconds until they wilt. That’s it – your noodles are ready to be served!
You can serve the noodles by transferring them into a large serving dish and letting everyone serve themselves, or divide them between individual serving plates.
While this dish can be served as a side without any garnishes, if you want to add a decorative touch, a sprinkle of finely sliced green onion or sesame seeds (or both!) would be a delightful addition.
What to serve with these Asian noodles
Initially, I designed these noodles as a perfect accompaniment to a complete Chinese meal featuring Potstickers (Chinese dumplings) and steamed Asian Greens with Oyster Sauce, along with Chinese corn soup (sans chicken).
However, as I may have already mentioned numerous times, the true beauty of these Asian noodles lies in their versatility. They serve as an excellent neutral side dish to pair with any full-flavored Asian main course, such as Chinese BBQ Pork (Char Siu), providing a satisfying carb element. Yet, these noodles are also bursting with enough flavor to stand alone as a quick and delightful meal. I must admit, I’ve enjoyed many bowls of these noodles on their own!
Here are some additional suggestions for mains that pair beautifully with these versatile noodles: [Please provide a list of mains that complement the noodles]. Feel free to explore and find the perfect combination that suits your taste!
“CAN I ADD MORE VEGETABLES AND PROTEINS?”
When it comes to adding protein and vegetables to this recipe, it’s best to keep the amount of extras relatively small, such as a sprinkling of shredded carrots. Adding too many additional ingredients might dilute the sauce’s flavor. For a noodle dish with a more substantial volume of add-ins, I recommend trying my Lo Mein noodles recipe instead. It features a similar-tasting sauce, but it’s specifically designed to accommodate a larger quantity of add-ins, achieved by using more sauce thickened with cornflour/cornstarch to coat the vegetables and other ingredients.
And there you have it! This is the first new recipe I’ve shared in over 6 months, and I sincerely hope you enjoy it! Moving forward, my plan is to publish a new recipe every week in the foreseeable future as I work on finalizing the cookbook (you can catch up on updates here!). Additionally, some exciting changes are on the horizon for RecipeTin, so be sure to stay tuned for more updates!
