Lemongrass Chicken Noodle Stir Fry is the ultimate healthy comfort food. Full of vitamin packed veggies, aromatic lemongrass and ginger. All nestled in a bed of rice noodles just waiting to be devoured. This dish is on the same level as your favorite pad thai.
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We have all been there, you know that place of promising ourselves only healthy eating from here on out. We sail through the first couple days so proud of ourselves that we have eaten our veggies. We avoided the caramelized, ganache covered, diabetic coma birthday cake at work and our energy levels are soaring. And then it hits us…That stressful encounter at work, the car breaking down, the unexpected bill that is more then your mortgage. All you want to do is curl up on the couch and eat a delivery pizza and ice cream. Screw the veggies, you want comfort food and you want it STAT! Raise your hand if you understand this feeling a thousand times over.??
Of the many lessons I learned in the almost 10 years of counseling clients is healthy comfort food is a must. Whether your goal is weight loss or just overall healthy eating, if you don’t like what you are eating, you will soon crash and burn. In addition, sometimes you need a meal that looks like decadence on a plate but is actually good for you. That is where this Lemongrass Chicken Noodle Stir Fry comes to the rescue. This recipe is packed with veggies, clean ingredients and gluten free options. A quick trip to the grocery store and 30 mins in the kitchen you will have healthy decadence on a plate.
Tips for Lemongrass Chicken Noodle Stir Fry:
“Lemongrass and sambal oelek, WHAT!?!?!?” You are probably cursing me right now and I understand, but trust me on this one. These two ingredients are easier to find and use then they appear. They add a depth of flavor that makes this Lemongrass Chicken Noodle Stir Fry sooooooooo incredibly yummy.
- Sambal Oelek is similar to Sriracha but is used more for cooking than Sriracha. It is a combination of different chilies that are ground and add heat to the dish. You can actually see the chili pepper seeds, so a little goes a long way for delicate taste buds. If you are more comfortable with Sriracha feel free to interchange it, but why not give something new a try? For those wanting to stay on the organic side with their ingredients check out this Organic Sambal Oelek. (affiliate)
- The glorious herb lemongrass. It is so mysterious to many but it actually is extremely easy to use.
- After much experimentation Annie Chun’s Pad Thai Rice Noodles ended up being my favorite. They hold their shape beautifully, are long, lacy and taste great. Just follow the directions on the package. If you decide to prepare the rice noodles first, remember to rinse with cold water after draining and then toss with a little sesame oil. If you have a helper, even better. Put them in charge of soaking the noodles in boiling water at about the same time you start the stir fry. Both should be done at about the same time. Place both in a large mixing bowl and toss. (affiliate)
- The secret of any stir fry is having a hot wok, cooking in smaller batches and tossing the entire time. With this Lemongrass Chicken Noodle Stir Fry cook the lemongrass and chicken first and set aside. With the veggies you will be breaking the rules a bit but I promise it will work out. Get the wok nice and hot again with the sesame oil and stir fry the asparagus for about 2-3 mins. Then add the brown onion and cook for about 1 min. Add the mushrooms and cook for 2 mins. Then in goes the red bell pepper and it cooks for about 2 mins. Last veggie, the green onions with about 2 more mins of cooking. Add the chicken back in. Stir the sauce and add to the wok. Continue tossing and cooking for about 2 mins or until sauce thickens. At this point the wok will be full but because of the order in which it was stir fried, everything comes together beautifully. (affiliate)
For additional healthy Asian Cuisine check out:
Cashew Eggplant Chicken Stir Fry
Chicken Peanut Udon Noodle Salad
Ingredients
Stir Fry
- 8 oz stir-fry rice noodles
- 3/4- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts *cut into bite size pieces
- 1 sm bunch asparagus *ends cut off & cut into 1/3's {about 2 cups cut}
- 1/2 med brown onion *cut into strips {about 1 cup cut}
- 4 oz shiitake mushrooms *cut into bite size pieces {about 2 cups cut}
- 1 med red bell pepper *cut into strips {about 1 1/2 cups cut}
- 1 sm bunch green onions *cut in halfway lengthwise & into 1/3's
- 2 lemongrass stalks {3 tbsp finely chopped}
- 1/4 cup toasted sesame oil *divided in half {+extra for drizzling on noodles}
Sauce
- 2/3 cup chicken broth
- 3 tbsp fish sauce
- 3 tbsp soy sauce *Tamari for gluten free
- 1 tsp sambal oelek *produces med heat
- 3 tbsp lime juice {1-2 limes}
- 1 1/2 inch piece fresh ginger *peeled & grated {1 1/2 tbsp}
- 2 lg garlic cloves *crushed or minced
- 2 tsp brown sugar *packed
- 2 tsp cornstarch *or arrowroot
- sesame seeds for garnish *optional
Instructions
- Prepare rice noodles according to package. Drain and rinse with cold water. Add to a lg mixing bowl & drizzle with a bit of sesame oil to prevent sticking. Set aside.
- Prepare asparagus, brown onion, mushrooms, bell pepper and green onions- place in separate bowls and set aside.
- For the SauceIn a medium sized mixing bowl stir together chicken broth, fish sauce, soy sauce, sambal oelek, lime juice, brown sugar, ginger and garlic. In a smaller bowl make a slurry with cornstarch & a small amount of sauce. Stir well making sure there are no lumps. Whisk into larger sauce bowl and set aside.
- Process lemongrass by cutting bulb (knobby end) & tougher stalk side off. Remove the first 2-3 tough outer layers. Pound with a rolling pin or meat tenderizer to break apart. Finely chop-set aside.
- Process chicken.
- Heat a wok with 2 tbsp sesame oil over high heat until slightly smoky. Add lemongrass stirring consistently. Stir fry for about 1 min. Add chicken & continue stirring. Stir Fry until chicken is well cooked, about 4-5 mins. Set aside and wipe down wok.
- Heat wok with remaining 2 tbsp oil over same heat until slightly smoky. With each ingredient stir consistently. Add asparagus, cook for about 2-3 mins. Add onion, cook for about 1 min. Add mushrooms, cook for about 2 mins. Add bell pepper, cook for about 2 mins. Add green onions, cook for about 2 mins or until just starts to wilt.
- Add chicken back to wok. Stir sauce and add to wok. Cook for an additional 2 mins or until sauce thickens, stirring constantly.
- Top noodles with stir fry and toss gently.
Notes
Nutrition
If you love healthy decadent Asian cuisine then check out these recipes:
Cashew Eggplant Chicken Stir Fry
One-Pot Asian Chicken and Rice
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