Veggie Egg Roll Noodle Bowl

Something happened last week back home in New Orleans.  I realized I am far more thirsty than I am hungry which means that summer is here (and it is unrelenting) and it’s now time to swap food for various forms of liquid.  

I’m entertaining smoothies.  I’m here for cold coffee.  I’m here for summer water and Pimm’s Cups.  What else can we drink?  Gazpacho?  Sure sign me up.  

Aside from liquids, I’m also entertaining vegetables (and sure… anything chocolate). This bowl of lunch or dinner is inspired my egg rolls and made into a vegetable forward light meal with just a bit of crunch.  It’s also one of those clever hidden salads that lasts a good long while in the fridge.  It does some werk.  It’s fresh and well worth all the chewing.   

This is one of those recipes that is as firm or as flexible as you want it to be.  It can be just as I’ve made it here or more of a fridge dump for you. The recipe is yours. I just feel lucky to share it with you.  

Here’s what you’ll need for these priiiime noodle bowls.  

The essentials are rice noodles (I like the super skinny ones), garlic, ginger, scallions,  tamari, and spice.  

The vegetables should range from crisp to green, fresh to sautéed.  My suggestion would be to clean out your fridge, hustle out the tired and the lonely and sauté them up in this bowl.  I gathered cabbage, carrots, cucumber, red peppers, collard greens, jalapeños, radishes, oh – snap peas too. 

It’s plenty.  Feel free to do the most with this bowl.  Feel free to do the least.  It’s summer. We’re allowed. 

This recipes starts in a saucepan (a big boy if you have one) with sesame oil, and a generous portion of chopped garlic, grated ginger, chopped scallions, and crushed red pepper flakes.  

Saute until fragrant and that won’t take long.  It very quickly smells mouth-watering.  Everything will soften and – it’s time for more.  

Add any vegetables that you think might benefit from a quick saute.  

I added the cabbage, carrots, snap peas, red peppers, and the collard greens.  Everything, tossed to soften.  

Once wilted slightly (give it five minutes or so) we’ll add tamari, fish sauce, and rice vinegar.  

Add the cooked vegetables to the softened rice noodles.  

Toss all the cooked things together.  

And the very good news is that we’re not done with the deliciousness just yet! 

Add the fresh which may include (but is certainly not limited to) cucumbers, radish slices, a few jalapeno slices, sesame seeds, and ripe avocado. 

Because we’re egg roll inspired we’ll add fried wonton strips.  The crunch is everything we need. Welcome and it’s a very good idea to add almost too many.  More is appropriate!  

Eat as much as you can enjoy and store the rest in the fridge, keeping the crisp wontons in a separate bag at room temperature.  Enjoy enjoy!  Happy summer!