Fall
by: Alexandra Stafford
April28,2016
3.8
4 Ratings
- Serves 4
Jump to Recipe
Author Notes
Adapted from Cal Peternell's Twelve Recipes, vegetable chow mein-ish has become a family favorite.
A few notes: The original recipe calls for 1 pound of spaghetti (you don't need to use soba or egg noodles or other Asian noodles to have success with this recipe). I like to make it with more vegetables and fewer noodles, which is how the recipe is written below.
Because all of the vegetables sauté at the same time, it’s important to prep them all before you start cooking. You can do this hours ahead of time and leave them out till you’re ready to cook.
Carrots: I haven’t even been peeling them. I just trim off the ends and run them down my mandoline. You can grate the carrots using a box grater or the shredder attachment to a food processor, or you can cut them by hand. —Alexandra Stafford
- Test Kitchen-Approved
What You'll Need
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoonssoy sauce
- 1 tablespoonrice vinegar
- 2 teaspoonssesame oil
- 8 ouncessoba noodles
- 4 tablespoonsgrapeseed or other neutral oil
- 2 cupsloosely packed julienned carrots
- 1 1/2 cupsthinly sliced white or yellow onions
- 1 poundasparagus, end trimmed, sliced on the bias 1/4-inch thick (about 3 cups)
- 3 cups1/4-inch-thick slices shiitake mushrooms (from about 7 ounces)
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoonskosher salt, plus more to taste
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Pinchred pepper flakes or hot sauce, optional
- 1/3 cupshelled edamame, optional
Directions
- In a small bowl, mix the soy sauce, vinegar, and sesame oil with 1/4 cup water. Set aside.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the soba noodles and cook according to package—mine have been taking about 6 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over high heat and add the grapeseed oil, carrots, onion, asparagus, and mushrooms. Add ½ teaspoon salt and immediately turn the heat down to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, 7 to 10 minutes—taste a piece of the asparagus to test for doneness. Add the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt if desired (I always do.) Turn the heat to low, push the vegetables aside, add the garlic and pepper flakes if using.
- Drain the soba noodles, run under cold water, then transfer to a bowl of cold water. Use your fingers to loosen any strands that are stuck together—this will ensure untangled soba noodles in the finished dish. (I learned this from this Food52 post: https://food52.com/blog/10282-how-to-cook-soba-noodles)Drain the soba noodles again, and add them to the pan of vegetables along with the edamame and sauce. Toss to coat and let sit on stove until noodles are heated through. Serve immediately with hot sauce on side, if using.
Tags:
- Pasta
- Vegetable
- Asparagus
- Carrot
- Sesame Oil
- Soy Sauce
- Vinegar
- Spring
- Fall
- Winter
- Entree
See what other Food52ers are saying.
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Alexandra Stafford
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Jeanie Phillips
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Bascula
I write the blog alexandra's kitchen, a place for mostly simple, sometimes fussy, and always seasonal recipes. My cookbook, Bread Toast Crumbs is available everywhere books are sold.
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15 Reviews
Jeanie P. May 17, 2016
This was so delicious! Made it nearly as written (added extra edamame) and everyone loved it!
Alexandra S. May 17, 2016
Yay!! So happy to hear this. Thanks for writing in :)
Bascula May 13, 2016
I highly recommend doing some prep ahead - this took way too long on a weeknight. Very tasty though. I added some raw peeled shrimp toward the end of the cooking time.
Alexandra S. May 13, 2016
Shrimp sounds so good! Glad you found this tasty. Sorry it wasn't as fast as you had hoped (or as I had promised!) for a weeknight meal.
Fresh T. May 6, 2016
Ali - Loved it! Worked great. My noodles did clump because I didn't do the food 52 de-clump method - it was still fine. I was in "its 8 pm, get dinner in face now" mode. I had prepped the veggies earlier....it all came together deliciously. It really took no time at all. By the time the water boiled I had already changed my child into jammies, put him in bed, and opened a beer. It was delicious. So was the beer. Thanks again for posting an awesome recipe.
Alexandra S. May 8, 2016
I love it, that sounds like a perfect evening! The no-clump soba noodles were a real treat. I think you will approve!
marynn May 4, 2016
https://youtu.be/4AMCkwJmuak
Alexandra S. May 4, 2016
Oh my gosh, love! Thanks so much for sending. Just watched the ginger-scallion video, too, which came on afterwards, and now that's ALL I can think about. YUM!
marynn May 4, 2016
Francis Lam on demand!
valerie J. May 3, 2016
Is this supposed to be served at room temperature? From the fact that we are adding the cold noodles and room temperature seasonings to the then not so hot vegetables, I assume so. Could we reheat everything a little?
Alexandra S. May 3, 2016
Hi Valerie,
I just updated the recipe to note to leave the noodles in the pan on the stovetop until they are heated through—I eat this hot! The vegetables are hot, and while the noodles are cold and the sauce is room temp, it all heats up quickly.
Therese P. May 8, 2016
The recipe instructions skip from boiling the water to draining the noodles ( ie no instruction to
add the noodles to the water) Recipe sounds like a keeper.
Alexandra S. May 8, 2016
shoot! fixing now. Thanks for catching this!
Fresh T. May 2, 2016
As usual Alexandra, you make terrific recommendations. I can't wait to make this. And...I'm going to try out the Chinese method of julienning carrots a la Francis Lam. Thank you for a dinner suggestion that is simple. You're awesome!
Alexandra S. May 2, 2016
Dana, I don't know this Francis Lam method ... can you elaborate?! And thank you :) you are too sweet!!
