Citrus Sesame Mushroom Noodle Bowl (Vegan GF)

A vibrant and nourishing noodle bowl with a simple citrus, tamari and sesame dressing. This vegan, gluten-free and wholesome dinner or lunch bowl is quick to make and packed with zesty flavour.

Noodles will forever be a staple for me as a quick go-to meal with I am in a rush and need something nourishing. They are great for using up any leftover vegetables you have in the fridge and for making something amazing out of a few simple ingredients. This Citrus Sesame Mushroom Noodle Bowl is a certain favourite as it has so much colour, taste and texture but requires very minimal effort. Like a lot of my other noodle recipes, the piece de resistance is in the sauce. This citrus tamari sesame dressing is such a winner and just tastes like summer!

What goes into the dressing?

• Tamari soy sauce: this adds the rich umami flavour.
• Apple cider or rice vinegar: I love using rice vinegar and once you have some, it lasts a while in the cupboard, but apple cider vinegar also gives that delicious tang and zing to the dressing.
• Sesame oil: this adds the lovely “nuttiness” to the dressing as well as holding together all the flavours. It has a great toasty flavour and smell.
• Orange: I love to use the zest of fresh oranges as they add so much flavour and freshness to the dressing. Plus, use the inside of the orange for the noodle bowl.

Make the dressing by stirring or shaking together all the ingredients and then prepare the rest of the Citrus Sesame Mushroom Noodle Bowl. While I point out key vegetables below, you can play around and use whatever vegetables you have to hand. I love to also use raw red pepper strips and carrot ribbons or steamed/fried broccoli and asparagus.

The base to the Citrus Sesame Mushroom Noodle Bowl recipe is simple:

• Noodles: whatever noodles you have will work great here. Udon, buckwheat, gluten-free, brown or white rice noodles… you name it.
• Tofu: this is our protein source for the meal and is pan-fried until golden and crisp. You could also use cooked edamame beans or tempeh pieces.
• Spring onions: remember you can use all of the spring onion, just chop off the bottom root and the very top part but the green parts are also great in recipes.
• Sugar snap peas: or mange tout. I love using these in noodle bowls as they are so fresh and crisp and a gorgeous vibrant green colour.
• Garlic: for flavour.
• Mushrooms: I love garlicky mushrooms and cooking the mushrooms in a hot pan allows the juices to be released while the mushrooms turn golden and crisp on the outside.
• Fresh herbs: these really lift the bowl and bring it all to life. I love using fresh mint and coriander or parsley.
• Sesame seeds: for a little crunch on top.

Prepare all the vegetables, fry off the tofu and cook the noodles and then assemble the bowls however you fancy. You can either toss it all together with the dressing and serve it ready to eat or you can plate it up as shown here and drizzle over the dressing ready to mix all together as you eat the Citrus Sesame Mushroom Noodle Bowl.

I am so excited to share these on here, as you may recognise the bowls from a social media post last year, but finally I have written out the recipe. I love it so much so thought it deserved a permanent position in my lunch and dinner recipe archives.

I hope you will love these noodles; they are:

• Vibrant and wholesome
• Tangy and zingy
• Rich and umami
• Packed with colourful vegetables
• Naturally vegan, gluten-free and high in protein
• Quick and simple to make
• Delicious as a midweek dinner or leftover lunchbox

Plus, if you are in the mood for noodles and other speedy meals, how about my:

• Vegan “Drunken” Noodles
• Sticky Mushroom and Tofu Noodles
• Tomato Pesto and Gnocchi Traybake
• Coconut and Chilli Banana Blossom Noodle Bowl (also great with Jackfruit)
• Jackfruit and Sun-Dried Tomato Curry Noodles

Citrus Sesame Mushroom Noodle Bowl (Vegan GF)

• Servings: 2
• Time: 20 minutes
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

A vibrant and nourishing noodle bowl with a simple citrus, tamari and sesame dressing. This vegan, gluten-free and wholesome dinner or lunch bowl is quick to make and packed with zesty flavour.

Ingredients

Noodle Bowl:
• 2 noodle portions
• 200g tofu, sliced/cubed
• 4 spring onions, sliced (white and green parts)
• 150g sugar snap peas, halved
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced
• 160g mushrooms, sliced
• 1 bunch of fresh herbs e.g. mint, coriander, parsley
• 2 tbsp sesame seeds
• Olive or sesame oil
Dressing:
• 2 tbsp tamari soy sauce
• 1 tbsp apple cider or rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 orange
• Salt and pepper

Directions

1. Zest the orange for the dressing and put to one side. Stir together all the ingredients for the dressing, season with salt and pepper and set aside. Cook the noodles according to packet instructions.
2. Heat some olive oil in a frying pan and add the tofu, cooking over a medium-high heat for 5-10 minutes until golden and crisp on all sides. Remove from the pan.
3. Add a splash more oil to the pan and cook the spring onion, sugar snap peas and half the garlic and stir fry for 3-5 minutes until vibrant and crisp.
4. Meanwhile, heat a second pan and with a splash of oil and add the mushrooms and rest of the garlic with a pinch of salt, cooking over a high heat for 8-10 minutes until cooked through, golden and crisp.
5. Using the zested orange, peel the skin and slice into segments. Chop the herbs.
6. Stir half the dressing into the noodles and divide between two bowls. Top with the crispy tofu, sugar snap peas and spring onions, fried mushrooms, orange segments and the herbs. Sprinkle over the sesame seeds and serve with the extra dressing.

I look forward to hearing what you think of this Citrus Sesame Mushroom Noodle Bowl recipe so please let me know in the comments below. If you do make these noodles, please tag me as I love seeing them – I’m @nourishing.amy on Instagram and use the hashtag #nourishingamy. I’m also on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest  – please say hello!

With citrus noodle love x