Black Bean and Chilli Noodles with Broccolini
Super quick and easy – ready in 10 minutes!
A few of my lovely friends have pointed out that my recipes tend to be a little complicated and involved. My brother told me it took him 3 days to make my vegan sweet potato gnocchi. Not quite sure what he was doing........but point taken. My recipes tend to have lots of ingredients and multiple steps. That's how I like to cook and eat. My mission is to show people just how good vegetarian food can be so I like to pack as much flavour in as possible and make everything from scratch . That’s not to say simple food doesn't taste good, it's just not my style!
I don't think my friends and family mean their comments as a criticism (I think!?), merely pointing out that my food is more suited for dinner parties than an a simple week night dinner. And this is totally true. It's easy for me to forget that not everyone loves spending hours in the kitchen like me! I don't think I'll ever really change, but I have been motivated to try and make a few quick and easy meals. And this recipe totally checks that box! It can be ready in 10 minutes and has only 12 ingredients! Okay 12 might not sound simple, but for me it is and you'll have most of it is your pantry anyway.
I really like this recipe and it just goes to show how good simple food can be – I do need reminding sometimes! The star of this dish is the black bean chilli sauce. I only discovered how good this stuff is when making mapo tofu recently. It is so packed full of flavour and I love the texture of the slightly chewy fermented black beans. Sichuan pepper is a key ingredient in most black beans sauces which brings a nice tingly sensation to the tongue when eating this dish. Black bean chilli sauce is a good introduction to Sichuan pepper if you are not used to it, as it's quite subtle but still adds a kick.
You could use any type of noodles in this dish, I have made it with both ramen and soba noodles and loved it. It also works well with different greens such as Chinese broccoli and boy choy and you could add some tofu for extra protein. This dish has a little bit of a chilli kick but not too much – perfect for my palate. So if your love it extra hot, add some chilli oil of dried chilli flakes to the sauce. I love this dish both hot or cold. Make a double batch and enjoy the cold leftovers for lunch the next day.
Black Bean and Chilli Noodles with Broccolini
Prep and cooking time: 10 minutes
Serves: 2 serves
Dietary guide: This recipe is vegan and gluten free if using gluten free noodles (and make sure your black bean sauce is GF). I am yet to find a good shop bought FODMAP friendly black bean chilli sauce so unfortunately I don’t recommend a FODMAP friendly version of this dish.
Ingredients
150g of noodles such as ramen
2 bunches of broccolini trimmed and cut into large pieces
1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
3 teaspoons of sesame oil
2 tablespoons of chilli black bean sauce
2 tablespoons of light soy sauce or tamari if GF
2 tablespoons of sugar or maple syrup
2 teaspoons of minced garlic
2 teaspoons of finely grated ginger
1 teaspoon of Chinese black vinegar or rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon of chopped green spring onion
1 tablespoon of toasted sesame seeds
Method
Bring a pot of water to boil and cook noodles as per packet instructions.
Whilst the noodles are cooking mix all ingredients together in a small bowl for the sauce – the black bean chilli sauce, sugar, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, vinegar.
Pre-heat a large frypan or wok over high heat. When it's hot, add the tablespoon of vegetable oil, the broccolini and a small pinch of salt. Cook stirring a few times for about 4-6 minutes or until the broccolini starts to char in places but is still a little crunchy.
Drain the noodles when they are al dente and add to the broccolini along with the sauce. Mix until combined and divide into two bowls. Top with the spring onion and sesame seeds and serve.
