Chinese noodles...is there a no-cook variety?

[Darienne]

I should know the answer to this question but I don't.  I've looked it up a dozen ways but can't come up with a solid answer.  I know that when I make Hot & Sour Soup, I've only to soak the bean thread noodles for a few minutes in hot water and then I can cut them up and put them into the soup.

 

However, what I am looking for is a noodle, but not a bean thread type, that I can either soak for a few minutes...or cook for only a few minutes...before adding it to a very last-minute combination of already cooked chicken, already made sauce, probably commercially frozen vegetables or defrosted already home-cooked ones.  I do tend to roast and freeze a lot of vegetables.

 

This is all for those times...of which there are increasingly more...when I am just too tired to make a proper meal.   But we still want to eat non-processed foods.  We don't buy or eat much in the way of processed foods.  For instance, we've never eaten any of the M&M's entrees and have no intentions of doing so.  And I've never bought spaghetti or enchilada  sauce.  Or salad dressings.  Not making value judgements...it's just the way we have always eaten...even when Ed did most of the cooking at night and I had yet to learn how really.    (Hated cooking and came from a Mother who hated cooking.)

Thanks.  

[ElsieD]

Instant ramen noodles?  Here's a recipe that uses them.  I've made this and we both like it.

 

https://www.melskitchencafe.com/easy-one-pot-beef-and-broccoli-ramen-noodles/

Edited May 12, 2023 by ElsieD
Added link, added instant (log)

[liuzhou]

Fresh rice noodles, if you can find them, only need a minute. Whether you are actually cooking them or just heating them is open to question. Dried rice noodles about the same.

 

9 minutes ago, Darienne said:

then I can cut them up and put them into the soup.

 

Cutting noodles is a big taboo in China. They are a symbol of longevity and cutting them is to cut life short. Superstitious nonsense, of course!

 

Fresh Rice Noodles

 

[Duvel]

2 minutes ago, ElsieD said:

Ramen noodles?

I know you meant instant ramen noodles, but just in case kindly hide the next few days from plain sight, so that no ramen god can smite you with his wrath …

[ElsieD]

2 minutes ago, Duvel said:

I know you meant instant ramen noodles, but just in case kindly hide the next few days from plain sight, so that no ramen god can smite you with his wrath …

 

That is indeed what I meant.  Thank you.

[liuzhou]

On 5/13/2023 at 12:02 AM, ElsieD said:

Ramen noodles?

 

Yes.

 

These vac-packed fresh ramen noodles cook in a minute, too. You may not be able to source this brand in Canada, but I'm sure any Asian market or store will have something similar.

 

 

Edited May 14, 2023 by liuzhou (log)

[heidih]

Not Chinese but addressing your described need: I often boil pasta (linguine is my go to), drain, rinse with cold water and pack up to use for several days. Just heated in a dish as you described. Eliminates the extra pot when you are pooped. Freeze well too.

Edited May 12, 2023 by heidih (log)

[Darienne]

1 minute ago, heidih said:

Not Chinese but addressing your described need: I often boil pasta (linguine is my go to), drain, rinse with cold water and pack up to use for several days. Just heated in a dish as you described. Eliminates the extra pot when you are pooped. Freeze well too.

Brilliant.  I never thought of that.  Freezing cooked spaghetti, etc, and then using it.  Duh.... (I mean 'duh' me, of course.)

[Duvel]

6 minutes ago, liuzhou said:

These vac-packed fresh ramen noodles cook in a minute, too.

Pretty much all of them are. In Japan 30 sec varieties are the norm. But “no cook” typically excludes cooking 🤗 …

[Darienne]

18 minutes ago, ElsieD said:

Instant ramen noodles?  Here's a recipe that uses them.  I've made this and we both like it.

 

https://www.melskitchencafe.com/easy-one-pot-beef-and-broccoli-ramen-noodles/

Thanks to all who responded.  

 

Found one package of instant noodles.  I'd forgotten all about them.  There weren't any Asian ingredients available when we went to university and so they've never become part of our eating pattern.  

[rotuts]

@Darienne 

 

Trader Joes has these :

 

 

they are sealed and shelf stable 

 

I use them , more or less as you've suggested 

 

I understand readily available in Canada

 

Id love to have a similar product , shelf sable 

 

in other styles , cuts and ingredients .

 

being right there in front of me

 

as an add-in

 

 

Edited May 12, 2023 by rotuts (log)

[Darienne]

6 minutes ago, rotuts said:

@Darienne 

 

Trader Joes has these :

 

 

they are sealed and shelf stable 

 

I use them , more or less as you've suggested 

 

I understand readily available in Canada

 

No Trader Joes near where we live.  Maybe in Toronto.  And that ain't gonna happen.  Thanks. 

[rotuts]

I gather , similar noodles

 

not TJ's

 

are available in Canada

 

ref. @Anna N 

 

but I might be mistaken.

[Anna N]

10 minutes ago, rotuts said:

I gather , similar noodles

 

not TJ's

 

are available in Canada

 

ref. @Anna N 

 

but I might be mistaken.

There appears to be a Chinese grocery store in Peterborough which should carry a selection of noodles. Here. but it may not be convenient for Darienne. Most supermarkets carry some instant noodles. 

[Annie_H]

I pantry stock these for a quick cook weeknight meal. 4-5 minutes on a back burner without much water needed. The last 12 pack from amazon I screwed up and seasoning packets came with each cluster/pack. Not horrible ingredients except for the unnecessary added salt. (miso is salty). I used the seasoning in the noodle broth, then drained. 

Not judgmental but some consider 'instant' ramen, fried in oil, then dried, is the equivalent of a bag of potato chips. Like purchasing frozen fried foods, then air frying. 

4-5 minutes on the back burner in a small sauce pan while I prep some fresh ingredients is a very quick meal. I have fresh frozen noodles locally made in the freezer and dumplings. Variety we like. 

(this is amazon Canada)

 

[weinoo]

Interestingly, in my inbox today, from Woks of Life...

 

LO MEIN NOODLES & HOW TO COOK THEM

 

 

Quote

 

Lo mein in Cantonese (lāo miàn in Mandarin – 捞面) translates to “scooped noodles” or “stirred noodles.” It refers to the scooping motion you make when stir-frying the noodles in the wok, which is an important technique for cooking them evenly and ensuring they don’t stick. The beauty of the dish is that you can make it with whatever ingredients you have on hand!

 

Lo mein noodles are nice and chewy, and have a texture different from dried pasta or soup noodles. 

 

While you could substitute cooked spaghetti in a lo mein recipe, we highly recommend seeking out the real thing if you have a Chinese grocery store locally. If you’ve ever eaten lo mein in a restaurant, you know their texture and taste are very specific!

 

 

[liuzhou]

Sorry, Woks of Life, but 捞面 does not translate as you have it. 捞 translates as 'dredged' or 'fished out'. 面 translates as many things but here 'wheat noodles'. Nothing to do with stirring or any other wok technique. The noodles are briefly cooked in a pan of water from which they are dredged or fished out before being incorporated in with the other ingredients in the wok.