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These 30 Minute Saucy Ginger Sesame Noodles with Caramelized Mushrooms are best for those nights when you’re craving spicy, warming, Chinese inspired noodles, but want something a little healthier too. Crispy caramelized mushrooms in a sweet, spicy, tangy ginger garlic sauce, atop egg noodles in steaming, spicy broth. These quick vegetable-filled Chinese inspired noodles can be made and ready in just about 30 minutes. Not only is this a healthy noodle, but it’s also delicious…and extra saucy too. Just the way all noodles should be.
Welcoming Monday with one of my favorite autumn recipes yet. And also? Plenty of snow too. We had our third snowfall of the season yesterday and it’s a winter wonderland outside. This warming and oh so cozy recipe could not be more fitting for today.
It’s quick, easy, and full of pantry staples. So you see? The perfect Monday recipe.
The background.
These noodles…I love them so much, but wow they took a long while to get just right. At this point, I’ve now made about four versions of this recipe. Each a little different, one even had meatballs, and another had brussels sprouts. I can’t even remember what the third version was, but somehow, someway I landed here.
After three failed attempts, I gave up working on a new gingery sesame noodle. To be honest, I was tired of trying and just figured the idea I had in my head wasn’t really working. Three tries with no happy outcome and I was pretty much done.
But then, I guess I wasn’t, because these noodles happened. How they came to be? It’s simple, I was in need of a really quick recipe last week. It’s been the craziest past few days. There have been some curveballs thrown my way and it’s left me with even less time than I had before…which wasn’t a lot to begin with. The point is, I had to find something quick, and something I could make with ingredients I already had on hand.
I started pulling ingredients from the pantry, and vegetables from the fridge, and I just started cooking. Before I knew it I had the most beautiful soy caramelized mushrooms coated in sesame seeds with a side of extra saucy noodles and steaming soy broth. Once I’d put everything together, it hit me, I finally made the recipe I had envisioned in my head for the last month. Saucy Asian-inspired noodles with broth and veggies. I was putting too much pressure on the recipe while testing, but somehow I worked out the kinks without even thinking about it.
And now? I could not be more excited to share the recipe today. These noodles are not only fast, and healthy, but they’ll leave you wanting bowl after bowl.
They’re delicious.
Everything you need to know about these 30 minute noodles.
If you love my dan dan noodles, you’re going to love these ginger sesame noodles. It’s the same concept, but minus the meat and plus caramelized mushrooms. To be honest? I love this recipe even more than the dan dan noodles. The mushrooms are just so good!
I always start by making the sauce. It’s s a simple mix of soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, and peanut butter or tahini. I like to add balsamic vinegar and molasses for a little tang and sweetness that you’d find in a hoisin style sauce.
Next, boil the egg noodles. You can really use any kind of noodle, but a good egg noodle is my favorite. If you’re gluten-free, use your favorite rice noodles and make the recipe work for you! Drain the noodles, then add the broth and some of the saucy mix to that same pot. This is your “spicy broth” to mix the noodles with. Keep this on low while you caramelize those mushrooms.
Now the mushrooms. The best part! You want to thinly slice the shrooms, then let them crisp in a little sesame or olive oil. Once they’ve cooked down, just add a splash of soy sauce and let the sauce caramelize over the mushrooms. It’s so simple but so delicious.
To assemble, I like to ladle the spicy creamy broth into bowls, add the noodles, and toss together. Then top with the mushrooms, spoon over chili sauce, and add fresh green onions. It looks like a meal that took all day to prepare, but it’s the easiest!
Perfect for crazy fall weeknights when it’s cold out and you just want a cozy but healthy dinner.
Hoping you guys love this one as much as I do! I’m already excited to make this again tonight!
Looking for other quick weeknight dinners similar to this? Here are a few ideas:
Saucy Tahini Noodles with Honey’d Sweet Potatoes
Crispy Sesame Ginger Potstickers with Chive Chili Sauce
Chinese Mushroom Dumplings with Sweet Chili Ginger Sesame Sauce
Lastly, if you make this 30 Minute Saucy Ginger Sesame Noodles with Caramelized Mushrooms, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
30 Minute Saucy Ginger Sesame Noodles with Caramelized Mushrooms
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 661 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce or tamari
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter or tahini
- 1 tablespoon molasses or pomegranate molasses (optional)
- 2 tablespoons fresh grated ginger
- 3 cloves garlic, grated
- 8 ounces Chinese style egg noodles or rice noodles
- 2 1/2 cups low sodium vegetable or chicken broth
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons sesame or extra virgin olive oil
- 3 cups shiitake or cremini mushrooms, sliced
- 2 shallots, chopped
- black pepper
- 2 tablespoons raw sesame seeds
- 2 green onions chopped, for serving
Instructions
- 1. To make the sauce. Combine 1/2 cup soy sauce, honey, balsamic vinegar, rice vinegar, peanut butter/tahini, molasses, 1 tablespoon ginger, 1 clove garlic, and 1/3 cup water in a bowl. 2. Cook the noodles according to package directions. Drain. To the pot used to cook the noodles, add the broth and 1/2 of the soy sauce mixture. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stir in the spinach. Keep warm.3. Heat the sesame oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the mushrooms. Cook undisturbed for 5 minutes or until golden. Add the shallots, 1 tablespoon ginger, and 2 cloves garlic. Cook 4-5 minutes, until fragrant. Add 2 tablespoons soy sauce and a large pinch of pepper. Cook another 2-3 minutes, until the mushrooms are caramelized. Add the sesame seeds, cook 2 minutes. Spoon the mushrooms out of the skillet and onto a plate. 4. To the skillet, add the remaining soy sauce mixture and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add the noodles, toss to combine, and cook until the sauce just coats the noodles, 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat. 5. Ladle the broth into bowls. Add the noodles and toss combine. Spoon the mushrooms over the noodles. Top with green onions and chili oil. Enjoy!
Notes
Chili Oil: I always keep a jar of this homemade chili oil on hand.
Hello I want to make this but I’m not sure what (broth) your talking about. I see the soy sauce mix but not the broth please help me
Hi there! You can use vegetable or chicken broth! xT
Love these noodles even though didn’t have rice vinegar the first time and couldn’t find my tahini the second time I made them. I now leave off the broth and use the sauce for pork dumplings that I steamed and then sauteed with the noodles on the s
Hi Sylvia,
Happy Friday!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was such a hit! Thanks so much for giving it a try!😎☀️ xT
I’ve eaten these noodles 4 days in a row – absolutely LOVE them! Cooked up quickly – just like the recipe said. I made mine spicy w/ chili paste – and added some tofu. Quick, easy and delicious. Thanks!
Hey Patricia,
Happy Monday!! So glad to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks a bunch for trying it out! xx
Tried this, it definitely takes longer than half an hour. The sauce was nice but the soup part made the tahini separate and just felt like it wasn’t needed in the meal.
Like in another comment below, I also don’t see the seasame oil (there’s olive oil?) listed in the ingredients. Luckily I already had some.
Hey Kate,
Thanks for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback. Sorry to hear it wasn’t enjoyed! The ingredient list specifically says “2 tablespoons sesame or extra virgin olive oil”. Let me know if I can help in any other way! xx
The ingredient list does not ask for sesame oil but it is noted in step 3
Hi Lacey,
The recipe calls for 2 tablespoons of sesame oil, sorry you missed that! Please let me know if I can help in any other way! xT
This was a delicious noodle dish, although it took me about an hour and a half from start to finish, not 30 minutes due to the complicated preparation ;-). I did cook the noodles at the very end rather than at the beginning to avoid them sticking together as another reviewer mentioned, and we only used a little of the broth when served since we didn’t really want noodle soup. In any case, another great recipe, and one that I’ll be making again.
Hey Helen,
Happy Wednesday!! I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it was tasty! xx
Simply delicious. Such a lovely, unique flavor. Thank you for this recipe~ I will certainly make again for my family!
Hey Danielle,
Happy Friday!!🍀 I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your comment, so glad to hear it was delish! xT
I made this for my friends and our DnD session together (i do love to cook for them) It was a huge hit and they asked for the recipe. I got a bit lazy at the end and just combined everything instead of broth and stuff on top. I also added a bit of corn starch slurry to thicken up the sauce a bit more. Other than that i followed the recipe all the way thru. I added Shrimp I had on hand to it for a bit of protein and i used Thai Rice Noodles (husband cant have eggs) They were great with it. If I had had Thai Chili or really any chili sauce on hand i’d have added to the sauce, so next time i’ll do that. I wonder if using coconut milk would be delicious instead of water? I have so many ideas to grow off this base recipe and i love recipes i can do that with.
Hey there,
Happy Monday!! I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad it turned out well for you:) Sure, coconut milk would be great! xT
Hi Tieghan,
The flavor is great but I’m wondering how you got the noodles caramelized? My sauce turned out a bit runny and lighter in color. Thanks!
Hey Megan,
Amazing!! Love to hear that you enjoyed this recipe, thank you so much for making it and your comment! I really make sure that the sauce in step 4 simmers well to caramelize. xx
Love this, so much flavor! Used less mushrooms and added Tofu for some protein. Will be making it again. Thanks 😊
Hey Tanya,
Amazing!! So glad to hear that this recipe was tasty and thanks a lot for trying it out! xT
This was dynamite! I loved the addition of the chili oil and drinking the broth at the end was so yummy. Thanks for another great recipe!
Hey Ashley,
Happy Sunday!! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try and your comment, so glad to hear it was enjoyed! xT
I used the recipe in Half Baked Harvest Every Day cookbook. Essentially the same recipe, with the addition of chopped peanuts & red pepper flakes (but no sesame seeds) and chopped kale instead of spinach (I used 1/2 kale/spinach).
I encountered a major problem with timing – as directed I cooked noodles first (used rice noodles) and drained – then as directed used the same pot to make broth. But! – by the time I finished other recipe steps the noodles had severely clumped together (perhaps initially rinsing them would have made some difference). My recommendation – cook noodles in a separate pot and have them finish at approximately the same time the remaining soy sauce mixture is brought to a simmer – then add noodles.
Once I un-clumped the noodles (by mixing everything together) – the dish was delicious
Hey Jack,
Happy Friday!!⛄️ Thanks so much for making this dish and sharing your review, so glad to hear it was a hit! Thanks for sharing your feedback! xx
Really good for me! Used less broth, half amount of noodles and same amount of sauce. Since that’s what really gave it flavor. Alsooo added chili garlic sauce to broth.
Hey Mars,
Awesome!! Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! xT
Can I assume this is NOT toasted sesame oil? So many bloggers now do not differentiate ….toasted should not be used to fry. But is that the missing punch that the previous commenter mentioned?
Hi Maggie,
For this recipe, I did not use toasted sesame oil, just regular, if it was toasted I would have stated that:) Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT
Ok made this for dinner tonight, and after reading reviews I have some thoughts.
Initial reaction: not the balance of flavor I expect from asian foods. (sweet/spicy/acidic/etc) ….it was missing that punchy flavor and the broth addition diluted the relatively subtle flavors present. My spouse and I both agreed—it was watery. Then I added a LOT more chili oil. Like a LOT. Significant improvement in balance and flavor—still not hitting the *chef’s kiss* but I could understand why some people loved and others had issues.
If you prefer punchier flavors, I recommend cutting down on the broth a little (or using a miso-ginger instead of chicken bone broth)—and seriously kicking up the chili oil.
Also, thankyou for doing all of this work and sharing free recipes with all of us grumpy grouches. It’s a ton of work and food bloggers like you make home cooking so much better than what we grew up with. <3
Hey Rose,
Lol thanks so much for your comment and sharing your feedback:) Of course I’m happy to share as many recipes as I can! I appreciate you giving this one a try! xT