26 Easy Asian Noodle Recipes You’ll Want to Add to Your Weekly Rotation

• Time Commitment: 35 minutes
• Why I Love It: high protein, beginner-friendly, one pan
• Serves: 2 people 

Consider this dairy-free, protein-rich recipe from Uyen Luu’s new cookbook Vietnamese the easiest way to use up neglected veggies. “[This dish is] for sharing or going solo…[and] if you do not have fresh flat rice noodles, it is delicious with rice or any kind of dried pasta,” Luu writes, adding that, “you can use all sorts of crunchy greens, like sugar snap peas, snow peas, chayote, kale, chard, zucchini, green beans or runner beans.” In other words, whatever produce you have on hand is fair game.

• Time Commitment: 10 minutes
• Why I Love It: <30 minutes, beginner-friendly, vegetarian
• Serves: 2 people 

This popular Thai dish from Caroline Hwang’s cookbook Stir Fry: Over 70 Delicious One-Wok Meals couldn’t be easier to prepare. Whisk together a few pantry staples to create a sauce, stir fry veggies in hot oil, add noodles and eggs to the mix and boom—you’ve got a dairy-free, pescatarian dinner for the books.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: make ahead, beginner-friendly, one pot
• Serves: 4 people

This one comes courtesy of Kelli Foster’s new cookbook The Probiotic Kitchen—and the probiotic action is indeed strong. “Inspired by the calming, nourishing power of classic miso soup, this version gets a hearty upgrade with soba noodles, meaty mushrooms and spinach,” Foster writes. And who doesn’t love a vegan, gluten-free soup that will actually fill you up?

• Time Commitment: 25 minutes
• Why I Love It: <10 ingredients, vegetarian, beginner-friendly, <30 minutes
• Serves: 4 people 

The trick to the impeccably tender asparagus, you ask? You’ll find it in Christopher Kimball’s new cookbook, Milk Street: Noodles. “We separate the tender tips from the sturdier stalks,” explains Kimball. “Toss the stalks, cut into pieces, into the noodle cooking water first, and a minute later, add the tips.”

• Time Commitment: 20 minutes
• Why I Love It: crowd-pleaser, <30 minutes, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 4 to 6 people 

Another winner from Kimball’s cookbook that’s punchy, salty and just sweet enough. This lightning-fast dish won't disappoint. “Hoisin provides salty-sweet umami in the no-cook sauce,” Kimball explains. “Ginger provides fresh, peppery punch and chili-garlic sauce (or sriracha) adds balancing heat, along with allium notes.” Udon is the go-to noodle here, but lo mein, shirataki or even linguine will do, if you'd prefer.

• Time Commitment: 15 minutes
• Why I Love It: <30 minutes, vegetarian, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 2 people 

It may be unconventional, but this recipe from Lara Lee’s cookbook, A Splash of Soy: Everyday Food From Asia, is certainly delicious. “Key to balancing the dish are the garnishes: flakes of crispy seaweed and scallions are sprinkled on top, layered with a squeeze of lime and a crispy fried egg, whose all-important runny yolk is broken into and tossed together with grated Parmesan for a bowl of sheer decadence,” explains Lee. You had me at cheese and runny yolk.

• Time Commitment: 25 minutes
• Why I Love It: <30 minutes, kid-friendly, vegan
• Serves: 6 people

According to the award-winning food bloggers behind I Am a Food Blog, “this is probably the easiest takeout dish you can make. All you need to do is make a quick sauce, cook the noodles, add some veggies and toss.” In fact, you can pull off this vegan, dairy-free takeout favorite in under a half-hour. The secret to the umami-laced sauce is toasted sesame oil and two types of soy sauce.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: high protein, special occasion-worthy, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 4 people

“I’m a huge fan of the recipes that Nagi Maehashi shares on RecipeTin Eats, and these spicy, protein-rich Sichuan noodles are one of my favorites,” says PureWow contributor Emma Singer. They’re coated in an intense sesame-chile sauce that's dairy-free and loaded with Chinese chile paste and Sichuan pepper powder. Crown it with hoisin pork and sui mi ya cai (aka preserved mustard greens) but keep in mind Nagi’s serving recommendation: “unlike most noodles, such as Lo Mein and Chow Mein noodles, Dan Dan Noodles aren’t tossed together with sauce, vegetables and proteins. Instead, it’s served layered for a DIY toss situation.” Pretty fun, right?

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: high protein, special occasion-worthy
• Serves: 4 people

“Jajangmyeon is a casual, comfort noodle dish that is smothered in a savory black bean sauce. It’s part of a Korean Chinese hybrid cuisine, which is a lesser-known cuisine developed in the 19th century by early Chinese immigrants in Korea,” explains blogger Jenny Park. This Korean-Chinese noodle recipe calls for thick udon noodles and a silky, savory black bean sauce mixed with diced pork, zucchini and onions. Even better, it contains a whopping 41 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber per serving.

• Time Commitment: 40 minutes
• Why I Love It: keto-friendly, low-carb, beginner-friendly, gluten free
• Serves: 4 people

“The lemongrass chicken noodle bowl is everything you know and love about Vietnamese food – fresh, healthy, low carb, and full of flavor,” writes Chihyu Smith of her lemongrass noodle salad recipe. Try this Paleo, keto, low-carb shirataki noodle dish once and you’ll make it for every summer picnic you ever host. It’s finished with nuoc cham, a Vietnamese fish sauce vinaigrette that’s often used for dipping.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: kid-friendly, beginner-friendly, high protein
• Serves: 6 people 

Complete with tender flank steak, thin-sliced bell peppers, broccoli and a flourish of sesame seeds, this dish packs a serious punch of dairy-free protein.

• Time Commitment: 5 hours
• Why I Love It: special occasion-worthy, gluten free, crowd-pleaser
• Serves: 8 people

The culinary talent behind I Am a Food Blog write that, “in terms of Vietnamese noodle soups, Bun rieu is not as well known as pho or bun bo hue, but it’s a hidden gem [consisting] of al dente rice noodles, flavorful seafood and tomato soup, and intensely delicious and really pretty toppings.” This Vietnamese tomato and crab noodle soup boasts shrimp, pork shoulder and savory-sweet crab meatballs. It does, indeed, score extra points for presentation, and thanks to the rice noodles, it's gluten-free to boot.

• Time Commitment: 15 minutes
• Why I Love It: <30 minutes, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 2 people

It doesn't get lower lift than this lightning-fast, dairy-free recipe. Think veggies, chicken and instant ramen, drenched in sweet-yet-zingy chow mein sauce.

• Time Commitment: 25 minutes
• Why I Love It: <30 minutes, make ahead, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 4 people

Count on this low-carb, gluten-free, pescatarian glass noodle salad to refresh your palate on a hot summer day. It’s finished with roasted peanuts, julienned veggies and lots of fresh herbs.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: high protein, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 4 people

Since it’s made with instant ramen noodles, ground beef and pantry staples, this dairy-free recipe goes easy on the wallet.

• Time Commitment: 45 minutes
• Why I Love It: special occasion-worthy, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 2 people

This classic dim sum couldn’t be simpler to pull off, despite the vegan recipe calling for making the gluten-free rice noodles from scratch. (And while you could use a rice noodle maker, you can totally make them using a plate and a wide-rimmed sauté pan with a lid instead.)

• Time Commitment: 45 minutes
• Why I Love It: make ahead, beginner-friendly, special occasion-worthy
• Serves: 2 people

This dairy-free Malaysian main made with coconut milk is guaranteed to soothe the soul at first sip. The key is sautéing the laksa paste with garlic, ginger, chile and lemongrass for maximum flavor.

• Time Commitment: 20 minutes
• Why I Love It: gluten free, beginner-friendly, <30 minutes
• Serves: 6 people

It’s gluten-free, Paleo and loaded with crunchy ingredients that’ll keep you coming back for more. We’re talking fried chow mein noodles, toasted almonds and all the fresh produce.

• Time Commitment: 50 minutes
• Why I Love It: high protein, dairy free, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 4 to 6 people

Sweet dreams are made of Thai coconut curry noodle soup. It’s dairy-free, fragrant and impeccably balanced, from the luscious coconut milk to the bold red curry paste to the zingy lime juice.

• Time Commitment: 20 minutes
• Why I Love It: <30 minutes, high protein
• Serves: 2 people

Because your nut allergy shouldn’t stand between you and this protein-packed essential. The recipe feeds two, so simply double (or triple) the ingredients to cook for more.

• Time Commitment: 15 minutes
• Why I Love It: <30 minutes, gluten free, <10 ingredients
• Serves: 3 people

If you want to curb the spiciness of the gluten-free buckwheat noodles tossed in hot pepper sauce, add a bit of honey to the mix (and top your vegetarian plate with extra cucumbers).

• Time Commitment: 40 minutes
• Why I Love It: kid-friendly, beginner-friendly, high protein
• Serves: 6 people

Make the shrimp-pork wontons yourself, according to the recipe, or save time by using store-bought frozen wontons instead. Either way, this dairy-free recipe won't disappoint.

• Time Commitment: 10 minutes
• Why I Love It: <30 minutes, vegetarian, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 1 person

The secret to this vegetarian, dairy-free tonkotsu copycat? Whisking the ramen’s seasoning packet, Kewpie mayo and a few pantry staples together, then combining it with the noodle water to create a thick, luxurious broth.

• Time Commitment: 20 minutes
• Why I Love It: <30 minutes, make ahead, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 2 to 3 people

The citrusy, garlicky vinaigrette would taste good on just about any salad you can imagine, but we especially like it on this gluten-free, pescatarian gem.

• Time Commitment: 30 minutes
• Why I Love It: gluten free, low carb, keto-friendly, beginner-friendly
• Serves: 4 people

If you’re on a low-carb or gluten-free diet, dangmyeon, or Korean sweet potato noodles, are your new best friend. The sauce is nothing but coconut aminos, aged balsamic and toasted sesame oil.

• Time Commitment: 20 minutes
• Why I Love It: <30 minutes, beginner-friendly, gluten free
• Serves: 4 people

Wide, flat rice noodles meet crushed peanuts and a homemade garlic chile oil. This crowd-pleaser is gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan, BTW.