Organic asparagus still seems to be going strong at local markets. Because its season is usually short, I like to take advantage of it, especially when it’s still elegantly thin.
This recipe features asparagus, noodles and a yummy traditional Chinese-style brown sauce. The original recipe that I found in Forks Over Knives magazine, calls for snow peas as well. For whatever reason, I forgot to buy snow peas when I bought the ingredients for this dish. I had already started the prep work when I discovered I didn’t have all the ingredients.
Because I had a large bunch of asparagus, I substituted extra asparagus for the snow peas. It turned out fine, but I’m sure the snow peas would have added a nice contrasting flavor and texture. The recipe below reflects the original, with the snow peas.
This recipe makes four servings. Asparagus-Noodle Stir Fry is relatively quick to put together, about 30 minutes start to finish. I’d suggest making the brown sauce ahead of time. Once you start the cooking process, it all goes by very quickly and there’s little time to chop garlic and grate ginger for the sauce. Make sure you have all the veggies chopped ahead of time as well.
Asparagus-Noodle Stir Fry
- 8 ounces whole wheat noodles (I used a combination of soba and udon noodles)
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced yellow onion
- 1-1/2 cups fresh snow pea pods, trimmed
- 1 cup 1-inch pieces asparagus
- 1/2 cup thin bite-sized strips carrot
- 1 recipe Chinese Brown Sauce (see below)
- 1/4 cup snipped fresh chives
- Freshly ground black pepper
Put It Together:
- Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and keep warm.
- Heat a large skillet over high.
- Add onion; cook and stir 4 minutes, adding water, 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time, as needed to prevent sticking.
- Add pea pods, asparagus and carrot; cook and stir 3 minutes.
- Add Chinese Brown Sauce; cook 2 minutes or until heated through, stirring occasionally.
- Add noodles and chives; toss to coat.
- Cook 1 minute more. Season with pepper.
Chinese Brown Sauce:
- 1/3 cup low-sodium veggie broth
- 1/3 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons grated ginger
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons arrowroot or cornstarch
- 1/4 cup date molasses or brown rice syrup
Combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan. Heat over medium until thickened.