À La Carte: Open for noods

Sick-day udon soup, vermicelli-tofu bowls, stir-fried rice noodles + more 🍜

Hi friends,

February is typically the most miserable month here in New York. The charm of winter faded ages ago (on December 31, to be exact), so it’s just dark, depressing, and bitterly cold. Quite snowy this year, too, which is not as romantic here as it may be in other places. Unless, of course, icy sidewalks followed by brown slush sounds romantic to you.

For our final stretch of winter darkness, nothing comforts the soul like noodles. Below, I’ve rounded up a gamut of different styles and shapes for all your noodle needs…

1. NEW! Sick-Day Udon Soup with Tofu, Kale and Kimchi

The original version of this was published five years ago, and seeing how severe cold and flu season is this year, I realized it was once more worthy of the spotlight.

If you’re feeling under the weather and need a chicken-less noodle soup, this one’s for you. My take on sick-day soup leans into Asian flavors and features a spectrum of superfoods, like garlic, ginger, kale, tofu, and kimchi. And instead of egg noodles, I go for udon – thick, slippery Japanese wheat noodles.

2. Stir-Fried Rice Noodles with Vegetables

Bookmark these easy rice noodles with veggies, garlic, and hoisin for when you need a noodle side dish for something like sesame garlic tofu, miso eggplant, or crumbled tempeh.

3. Cold Vermicelli Salad Bowls with Tofu

These colorful Vietnamese-inspired bowls with peanuts and rice vinegar dressing are summery in nature - a nice way to bring some proverbial sunshine into the current season.

4. Peanut Tempeh Udon

This rich udon with tempeh crumbles is ultra cozy, yet still packed with veg - specifically, bell pepper and napa cabbage.

5. Creamy Vegan Tteokbokki

Not exactly a noodle in nature, but sliced tteok (Korean rice cakes - now available at Trader Joe’s) get the noodle treatment here with a creamy coconut milk sauce, curry paste, corn, shiitakes, and napa cabbage. Trust me, it’s a comfort food you didn’t know you needed!

Planning to make one of these? Tell me how it goes in the comments section or tag me with your creation on Instagram.