Yummy Lunchtime Peanut Noodles

I'm always trying to find things to make lunch time more interesting, and as we are coming out of the Winter I am looking for things other than soup to take to work.

These noodles take no time to make, all of ten minutes, and pack a really great flavour punch. They are also a great way to use up vegetables in your fridge, I added peppers and grated carrot to mine. I expect lots of other vegetables would work, steamed broccoli, finely shredded cabbage, spring onions, spinach, pak choi...

I found some Sambal Oelek (Indonesian chilli sauce) in Waitrose, a lot of bigger supermarkets seem to stock it now so you might find it in others. If not try your local chinese supermarket. You might be able to get away with a very good quality chili sauce but you won't get the same depth of flavour.


I prefer my noodles hot but you can eat these cold too.

To make 1 lunchbox size portion, this recipe is easily doubled/tripled/quadrupled.

Approx 50g wheat noodles - I used ramen noodles
1 carrot - grated
1/2 red pepper grated
small handful fresh coriander, chopped.

For the peanut sauce:
1/2 inch piece of lemongrass
50ml water
1 heaped tablespoon of peanut butter (smooth is best but i only had crunchy and its fine)
2 teaspoons of sambal oelek (add more if you like your chilli)
teaspoon size of fresh ginger
dash of rice vinegar or juice of half lime
Cook your noodles according to the packet instructions, if you intend to warm your noodles up for your lunch cook them for a minute less than the instructions. Drain and return to the pan.

Simmer the lemongrass with the water in a small pan for a few minutes.

Meanwhile mix the rest of your sauce ingredients in a bowl.

Remove your lemongrass from the pan, turn down the heat and add in the rest of your sauce mixture. Whisk together to combine, if your sauce seems a little thin keep simmering it slowly for a few minutes to thicken it up.

Mix in your vegetables, coriander and your sauce with the noodles.
Pack up in a little box and wait until lunchtime!