These garlic sesame noodles are healthy, vegan and take just 15 minutes to make! And with just a few store cupboard ingredients they’re perfect for busy days!

Noodles are a complete saviour when you’re hungry and tired.  Or just generally can’t be bothered to cook but don’t want to resort to tapping that app and having someone deliver your (largely) unhealthy and expensive meal.  These sesame garlic noodles are perfect for just such types of occasion.

They also don’t need anything in the way of fancy ingredients and can very easily be adapted to include extra veggies or served as a side to some kind of vegan protein – like tofu.  I love them as a quick and warming lunch for these chilly January days as they can be made in advance and given a quick zap in a microwave.  They’re also just as delicious cold if you’re eating these during the warmer months but want something filling and tasty!

The key ingredients:

Are all likely to be in your cupboard already!

Sesame oil – I love toasted sesame oil for that extra sesame flavour.  That smell of it warming in the wok before you add the veggies .. oh my.

Garlic – six cloves of garlic might seem a lot but the rawness is cooked out of them in just a short time, leaving a lovely mellow garlic flavour that’s not overpowering.

Rice vinegar – if you’re not familiar with rice vinegar it doesn’t have quite such a pungent smell or flavour like normal white vinegar.  It’s here to round out the flavours of the sauce, balancing out the sweetness from the agave and salty from the soy sauce or liquid aminos.

Tahini – even more sesame flavour being crammed in!  Helps to make the sauce for these sesame noodles really creamy and rich too.

Brandy – sort of optional but recommended.  If you don’t have it, you can use whiskey, rum, sherry, a splash of wine, even apple juice or simply water instead.

Chili powder or flakes – these are again optional but recommended.  Use to whatever spice level you prefer.  Alternatively use fresh chillis when sautéing the onion and peppers.

How to make this simple sesame noodles stir fry:

Prep the veggies.  Peel and slice the onion and deseed and slice the pepper.  Peel and crush the garlic. Slice the fresh chilli if using.

Heat the sesame oil in a wok then stir fry the onion and pepper for 3-4 minutes until softened and just starting to caramelise.

Stir in the crushed garlic and tahini and cook for 1 minute.

Add all the liquid ingredients – soy sauce, brandy, rice vinegar and agave or maple syrup – as well as the smoked paprika and bubble for a minute or two over a gentle heat to bring all the flavours together.

Add the noodles and stir well, making sure the noodles are well coated in the sauce.  If the sauce is too thick simply add a splash of water to the desired consistency.  You want the sauce to coat and cling to the noodles.

Taste and add chilli flakes, salt and pepper as needed.  It’s likely you won’t need any salt as the soy sauce or liquid aminos usually does the job!

Looking for even more quick, easy and healthy vegan meal ideas?  Try these:

Smoky Bean and Cheese Toasties

Sausage Casserole with Pearl Barley

Garlic Butter Miso Noodles

Creamy Tomato and Black Garlic Tagliatelle

If you make these Sesame Garlic Noodles or any of the recipes from The Cook & Him I’d LOVE to see! Just snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #thecookandhim and tagging @thecookandhim in the photo itself (as this guarantees I’ll see your picture!)

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