Easy Vegan Garlic Noodles

These easy vegan garlic noodles are perfect for lunch or a light dinner, and you can whip them up in just 15 minutes! They're loaded with flavour from a mix of fresh garlic, sesame oil and soy sauce, and they're very easy to make your own.

Sometimes the best recipes are the simplest ones, and these vegan garlic noodles are proof. Made with just a handful of ingredients, this easy vegan stir-fry is loaded with flavour and quick to make in just 15 minutes.

Whether you want a quick lunch or a light dinner at the end of a busy day, these vegan garlic noodles are just perfect.

Besides being a quick dish, you can easily rotate the veggies based on what you have available in the fridge.

Why you'll love these vegan garlic noodles

• They're loaded with flavour. The freshly crushed garlic flavour pairs great with the soy sauce mix to coat the noodles in a deliciously addictive sauce.
• They're incredibly quick to make. You can have a bowl of delicious garlic noodles in your hands in 15 minutes.
• You can make it with any veggies you want. I like these noodles with a mix of red bell pepper and sugar snap peas but they're the perfect vehicle for just about any veggies you may have on hand.

Ingredients and substitutions

Whole wheat noodles - I used whole wheat noodles for this recipe because they have more fibre. Check to see if the noodles you chose are vegan, as not all of them are.

For example, in the United Kingdom, Blue Dragon Whole Wheat Noodles are vegan; however, Sharwoods are not since they contain eggs.

Sesame oil - You can use either toasted or untoasted sesame oil in this recipe. Untoasted sesame oil has a somewhat nutty or entirely neutral flavor. Toasted sesame oil is darer and has a rich and distinctly nutty flavour.

Spring onions - You only need the white and light green parts of the spring onions to make this recipe.

Garlic - Use freshly crushed garlic in this vegan noodles recipe for the best flavour.

Red bell pepper - Any colour of bell pepper works here. You can also add other veggies, such as mushrooms or broccoli florets.

Sugar snap peas - Snap peas, commonly known as sugar snap peas, are a hybrid between garden peas and snow peas. They're sweet and crunchy and just perfect in stir-fries.

Soy sauce - Light soy sauce works great in this recipe, but you can use your favourite.

Hoisin sauce - This thick sauce is sweet and tangy and even though its name means "seafood" in Chinese, hoisin sauce is actually vegan and made from fermented soybean paste.

Light brown sugar - You can substitute this with coconut sugar.

How to make vegan garlic noodles

Cook the noodles according to the instructions on the package - skip this step if using straight to wok noodles.

Heat the sesame oil in a wok or a large, deep pan and fry the spring onions for 1-2 minutes over medium heat.

Stir in the garlic and continue to cook for another minute, then add the red bell pepper and sugar snap peas. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the veggies soften slightly but are still crunchy.

Add the red chilli flakes, soy sauce, hoisin sauce and light brown sugar plus 100 ml (½ cup) of hot water (you can use the water the noodles are cooking in). Simmer for 1-2 minutes until the sauce thickens.

Stir in the noodles and season to taste. Serve immediately, sprinkled with some extra chilli flakes or chopped green onion if you like.

Recipe notes and tips

• You can make these vegan garlic noodles as fiery as you like by adjusting the red chilli. If you don't want your noodles hot, you can skip the chilli flakes.
• These vegan garlic noodles are best served immediately. Leftovers will keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days and you can reheat them in the microwave.
• Sprinkle some sesame or toasted peanuts on individual bowls before serving.

If you liked this vegan garlic noodles recipe, you might also like some of my other quick and easy vegan Asian recipes:

• Vegan Sweet and Sour Cauliflower
• Sticky Lemon Tofu
• Crispy Orange Tofu
• Vegan Pad Thai with Crispy Tofu
• Vegan Chinese Jackfruit Stir Fry

Don't miss out on any new recipes! Follow Vegan Cocotte on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest.