We've told you how to upgrade your instant ramen before. The curly, springy noodles are just begging to be hit with miso, garlic, and ginger or tossed with ground pork and served in a real, rich broth (no powder packets here!) Now, we're ditching the soup and serving those noodles cold with Sichuan pepper, fried scallions, tahini, and turnip. The chilly noodles paired with the buzzingly spicy pepper are refreshing and sweat-inducing at the same time. Pretty cool, especially for such a quick (and easy) vegetarian dinner.
Ingredients
- 4 scallions, whites and greens separated, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 tsp sesame seeds
- 2 tsp Sichuan pepper, coarsely chopped
- 12 oz thin ramen noodles or spaghettini
- kosher salt
- 1/4 cup tahini (sesame seed paste)
- 1/4 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
- 4 baby white turnips, trimmed, thinly sliced into rounds
- 3 tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tsp sugar
Directions
- Cook scallion whites, vegetable oil, red pepper flakes, sesame seeds, and pepper in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally, until oil is sizzling and scallions are golden brown, 12–15 minutes; let chili oil cool in saucepan.
- Meanwhile, cook noodles in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente; drain. Rinse under cold water and drain well.
- Whisk tahini, vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, and 2–3 tablespoons chili oil (depending on desired heat) in a large bowl; season with salt. Add noodles and toss to coat. Top with scallion greens and drizzle with more chili oil.
Ingredient Information: ?Sichuan pepper is available at Asian markets and some specialty foods stores. If you can't find it, add an extra teaspoon each of red pepper and tahini.
Recipe courtesy of: The Bon Appetit Test Kitchen
Image Credit: Christina Holmes
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