This post is sponsored by Explore Cuisine – I’m delighted to partner with this brand that I already love. All opinions and content are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that support this site! #UseYourNoodle #SmarterWayToPasta
There are few things tastier in this world than saucy noodles with veggies, and these garlic sesame noodles are up there with my favorites. Better yet, I’ve made them healthier than ever by using Explore Cuisine Chickpea Spaghetti. This spaghetti is higher in protein and fiber than traditional noodles such as lo mein that you might use with this dish, but I swear you’d have no idea while eating it.
The chickpea noodles cook in 10 minutes, during which time you can whisk up the sauce and stir-fry your veggies. This meal literally comes together in minutes and is made with pantry ingredients plus a few fresh veggies. There are no shortcuts on flavor here, though. After I finished taking some photos of the noodles, we seriously ate the rest of them straight from the pan because we couldn’t wait to put them on a plate, that’s how good they are.
The dish starts by stir-frying fresh bell pepper, carrot, and broccoli, and then adding the cooked Explore Cuisine pasta and tossing everything with an easy sauce made with fresh garlic, toasted sesame oil, soy sauce, and hoisin sauce. If you prefer, serve the finished dish with scallions and more toasted sesame seeds. You won’t be disappointed!
2018 is a good time to be alive, with Explore Cuisine’s line of bean-based pastas (including other favorites like green lentil lasagne, mung bean rotini, and red lentil penne) available at my regular neighborhood grocery store. Everything in their line of products is vegan and gluten-free, which makes life that much easier since we have a gluten allergy in the house!
I hope you enjoy these lightning fast, nutritious and delicious garlic sesame noodles, which totally fulfill my noodle cravings while being healthier and cheaper than takeout! Let me know here in the comments if you give them a try, or tag me with @yupitsvegan on Instagram!
Garlic Sesame Noodles
Ingredients
- 1 8 oz. package Explore Cuisine chickpea spaghetti
- 2 tsp vegetable oil
- 1 red bell pepper thinly sliced
- 1 carrot thinly sliced or cut into matchsticks
- 1 head broccoli cut into bite-sized florets
- 2 green onions or scallions thinly sliced (optional, for serving)
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds (optional, for serving)
For the sauce:
- 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tbsp coconut sugar (or use brown sugar)
- 1 tbsp chili-garlic sauce (or use sriracha, etc.)
- 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
Instructions
- Boil a large pot of water. Cook the Explore Cuisine chickpea spaghetti according to package directions until cooked through. Drain and rinse with cold water.
- Whisk together all of the sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Adjust the seasoning to taste if desired.
- While the pasta cooks, heat the oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the bell pepper and carrot. Cook, stirring frequently, until starting to become tender, about 3 minutes. Add the broccoli, and cook for another 2 minutes until the broccoli turns bright green.
- Add the cooked chickpea noodles and sauce mixture, folding gently to combine. Continue to cook for about 3 more minutes, or until the sauce is thickened slightly and heated throughout. Serve hot, garnished with green onion and sesame seeds if desired.
Video
Nutrition
Recipe adapted from Damn Delicious.
Other noodle recipes on the site:
I'm Shannon, the writer and photographer of Yup, it's Vegan! I'm a morning person based in Baltimore, USA. My mission is to create healthy plant-based recipes that anyone would enjoy, using seasonal produce with inspiration from global flavors.
Camille says
I used regular spaghetti noodles since I didn’t have chickpea ones, low sodium tamari instead of soy sauce, brown sugar instead of coconut sugar — and it turned out pretty delicious! Next time, I’ll add some tofu to it. Thanks for the recipe 🙌
Arianna says
This was so devine! I needed to make something quick and easy for lunch, and this was perfect. I doubled the sauce recipe like someone suggested, and that made it even better. I was out of hoisin so I subbed oyster sauce. And such a great meat-free meal even if you’re not vegan/vegetarian!
Caitlin Fischer says
This recipe is a winner! My husband said it was better than eating at a restaurant. I added seasoned tofu to bulk it up for him. I cant wait to make it again!!
Stacey says
Out of curiosity, what did you season the tofu with?
Eleanor says
Wow my family love this so much! We could probably eat this everyday lol. I keep trying to make more so we can have left-overs but it never works. It’s just too darn good!
Laura says
This is such a great recipe. Flavorful and simple. One of the best sauces I’ve tried yet! My husband loved it. This is the perfect recipe for those nights when you need something quick and delicious. Thank you so much for sharing it!
Norma Merkin says
This was absolutely delicious! One of my new favorites. My friend and coworker made some and shared with me. Definitely going to make some soon! My bf is vegan and I want to share with her!
T says
Our whole family enjoyed this, and we will definitely make this again (and again). I found that I needed to make 1.5 x the sauce to have enough for the recipe. My teenage son and husband also asked me to double it next time to make enough for our family of four, we had NO leftovers and they had to scrounge up a second course.
Eric says
This says it is gluten free but you dont specify gluten free soy sauce.
Kelsey says
Well just use gluten free no biggie.
Ashley says
Your recipe and photos have been stolen by this other blog: https://webright.club/vegan-garlic-sesame-noodles/2/
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Thanks for letting me know about that!
Matthieu says
Brilliant recipe! It’s great to cook and even greater to eat!! I’ve been adding a tiny bit of honey to the sauce and I’d totally recommend that to anyone who wants to try it! I’d give it six stars if I could
Ana says
The sauce for this is INSANE. I used rice stick noodles and this is my most favourite recipe I have made in months. So so so good!!!
Carroll says
Delicious! So easy and fast. Love having easy dinners that are healthy. Sometimes I roast chickpeas in the oven and throw on top to add a little more protein. Thank you!
Nancy says
This is so addicting! I had to stop myself from eating all of it! This is the quick go-to noodle recipe I’ve been looking for. All pantry items and veggies that I always have on hand. Thank you!
Jill says
Incredible flavour! My niece and I made this and she thinks we would win master chef with this recipe 😂 It on my list of favourite, regular meals!
Ashley says
This was our first vegan meal that I made, and we really enjoyed it. Flavors were great!
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
That is exciting to hear, thanks for leaving a comment!
Lori says
Hi there – I made this for lunch after a trail run. Yum! Tough not to eat the whole pot! Couldn’t find the chick pea pasta at the PCC so made so with brown rice spaghetti. Xoxo – Aunt Lori
Toya Prayer says
I have officially found my new favorite vegan food website! I came here looking for the deets on how to make the most amazing vegan white cake, and haven’t left yet. That was early this morning…it’s now 1pm! Thank you, and we’re neighbors! I live in Severn!
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Thank you so much for the kind words, Toya! Maybe I’ll see you at a local vegan event sometime!
Kendall says
Any recommendations to make this more ramen-soup like with more broth? I like my ramen more like soup haha!
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Hmm, honestly I think I would follow a recipe that already has a broth, I’m not sure how well this one would convert! I totally feel you though.
colette says
How long does this recipe keep in the fridge for?
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Should keep for at least 3 days, although it’s best fresh.
Joan says
Why isn’t the sodium content per serving provided in the nutrition facts for this recipe?
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
I don’t provide sodium calculations for many recipes because it varies drastically based on the brands used.
Katie says
This was DELICIOUS. I’ve never left a review of a recipe before but this was just too good. So flavorful.
I added chicken (cooked the chicken on the side and seared it in soy sauce and garlic chili sauce). Other than that I followed the recipe. Cooked the carrots, Bell peppers and broccoli a little longer. My bf loved it too and we want to make it all the time. Thanks!!
Siana says
Thanks for adding this comment. I was going to add chocked chicken so I’m happy to see you did and it turned out amazing !
Patty says
A weeknight favorite in our house! The kids like it and have no idea they’re eating chickpeas! I sometimes add cabbage, or snap peas. One of the keys I learned is, to make sure to get the pan nice and hot so you get good caramelization on the veggies. If they steam, they’ll water down the sauce.
Amy says
Saw this, had to have it, made it, was not disappointed!
Edel Codd says
Both hoisin and soy sauces have wheat in them, making this a glutinous, not gluten-free recipe.
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Hi Edel, both of these products exist in wheat free versions, or please see my reply to another comment about how to replace the hoisin sauce. Hope this helps.
Catrice says
I just made this tonight…Absolutely loved it, couldn’t find chickpea noodles so I used Quinoa noodles instead. It worked out perfectly. All flavors blended well. Thanks for sharing
Meg says
I just made this and ended up disappointed with the result. It doesn’t have a strong enough sesame flavor and reminds me of the Healthy Choice Frozen Chicken Teriyaki meals. That isn’t a good thing
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Hi Meg, sorry to hear this was your experience. I’m wondering if you made any changes? During my testing when I tried to make this with a much lower amount of oil (in an attempt to reduce the fat), it tasted exactly like that to me as well. Without the extra fat, the flavors are totally thrown off balance and taste like crappy diet food that’s overly sweet. We were making a lot of Lean Cuisine jokes here too. When I make it with the listed quantity of oil, and get the pan and oil nice and hot before adding the vegetables, it comes out great. Without high heat and oil, the vegetables just steam and release water, instead of caramelizing, leading to that diet meal flavor. Hopefully this helps!
Diana K says
Very yummy recipe. The sauce in particular was very good. Definitely added to my favorites!
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Glad to hear it, Diana!
Jenn says
Hi Shannon, I made these noodles a couple of nights ago – they were delicious, but the raw garlic taste was quite strong for me… I LOVE garlic and wouldn’t cut back on the amount, but next time I’ll probably fry the garlic lightly to mellow and sweeten the flavour before adding it to the sauce ingredients. Yes, there will definitely be a next time 😁 Thank you!
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Thanks for your comment Jenn! Yes, these are definitely garlicky lol. I found that for me, that the garlic cooked enough when the sauce was briefly cooking in the pan, but please do adjust to your taste. Glad you enjoyed them!
Jen says
What is the best substitute for the chickpea spaghetti? I could not find it at my local store. I could use regular spaghetti or rice noodles or udon noodles. which do you think would work best in this recipe?
thank you!
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Hey Jen, I think any kind of thin noodle-y pasta should work well, just substitute it by weight, and drain it but do not rinse before combining with the other ingredients. The instruction to rinse the noodles is specific to this type of pasta. Hope this helps!
Carolyn says
These look so amazing! What can I substitute for hoisin sauce?
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Hey Carolyn, I recommend substituting ketchup or tomato paste for the hoisin if needed. They are more readily available and somewhat similar in terms of texture and spices.