Spicy Broccoli Noodle Bowls

Spicy broccoli noodle bowls are quick, easy, and delicious! If you’re anything like me I’m always trying to incorporate vegetables into all the meals I cook. The problem is as a mom my kids are not a fan of broccoli and tend to turn away from many things green that shows up on their plates. Yes, I know there are ways to hide veggies into everyday foods, but my hope is that one day they will willingly eat what’s green on their plate. So I keep trying. In this dish, I chop the broccoli pretty small so there are no big broccoli florets and the small pieces that are mixed up with the garlic and ginger are too tiny to pick out so they end up eating more than they know which in my book is a win!  

These bowls are spicy, but you can control the level of heat. Scale back on the crushed red pepper and omit the jalapeños if you don’t care for heat. You can always add jalapeño and crushed red pepper flakes to your own bowl when serving. It won’t be exactly the same flavor, but still yummy. For a point of reference, my eleven-year-old, Sophia, said it had a “kick” but it was still ok to eat! I like to top these spicy noodles with my crunchy cabbage slaw. The coolness from the slaw is a nice contrast to the hot noodles and I love the difference in texture. I’m a big texture person! I hope you try these spicy broccoli noodle bowls the next time you are craving Asian food.  

Ingredients for spicy broccoli noodle bowls:

First, I use fresh broccoli and I roughly chop it up. You’ll need about 2-3 cups of chopped broccoli. Second, fresh ginger is a must. You only need two tablespoons, but it’s much better than dried. You also need fresh garlic, about 4 cloves, green onions, sesame oil, one jalapeño, crushed red pepper flakes, soy sauce, and spaghetti. 

I use spaghetti because it’s readily available at any market. Feel free to use any long noodles you like. Ramen noodles, egg noodles, soba noodles, rice noodles, or chow mien noodles, they all work!  

You might also need sliced almonds if you’re adding them. I usually don’t because my daughter is allergic, but it’s a great bit of protein and added crunch and flavor. Lastly, the crunchy coleslaw is optional, but I think it really makes this dish perfect. You only need a bag of pre-chopped coleslaw, green onions, and fresh cilantro. For the lime vinaigrette, you’ll need fresh lime juice, dijon mustard, honey, olive oil, salt, and pepper.  

Here’s how to make this yummy noodle dish:

To get started, I recommend prepping the ingredients first. Everything comes together pretty quickly, so it’s important to have the stuff chopped and ready to go into the pan.  

I like to get the spaghetti going first. It takes about 12 minutes or so and if it’s done before I’m ready to add it to the pan it ok for it to sit for a few minutes. Follow the package directions making sure to add a little bit of salt to the water before adding the noodles. Before draining the cooked noodles reserve a cup of water and set it aside to use later.

First, roughly chop the broccoli, leaving only some of the florets big for presentation. Don’t discard the broccoli stalks either, chop them into small diced pieces. After the broccoli is chopped I quickly steam it until it’s just fork tender. Steaming it beforehand gives it a head start before adding it to the pan. Just set the broccoli aside until ready to use.  

Second, finely mince the ginger and garlic. If you happen to have a Microplane you can grate it as well.  

After that, dice the green onions and separate the white from the green parts. CYou will cook the white parts and add the green parts after the dish has been cooked.

Now you are going to want to cut the jalapeño. Half of the jalapeño is going to be cooked so half should be finely diced. The other half should be thinly sliced and will be used as a garnish to top the dish. 

Time to cook!

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the sesame oil. Once the oil is warm and starts to shimmer add the onion and ginger. Cook this for about 3-4 minutes until soft. Then add in the garlic, diced jalapeño, ginger, and crushed red pepper. This only takes about 30 seconds so stir it and get ready to add the steamed broccoli. Once the broccoli has been added give it a good gentle stir so all the flavors combine and the broccoli is warm. 

Remove the pan from the heat and add the soy sauce and cooked noodles. Gently toss until the noodles are fully coated with the sauce and the veggies are evenly distributed. If the noodles seem a bit dry add some of the reserved pasta water that we set aside earlier. Just a little goes a long way so start with just 1/4 cup at a time. I also like to add a drizzle of sesame oil over the noodle too for added flavor. Serve the noodles in large bowls and add optional toppings if desired.  

Toppings:

I’ve given you a lot of options when it comes to toppings. Toasted almonds, sliced jalapeños, and crunchy coleslaw.  

The simplest one is sliced jalapeños. If you really like to kick up the heat go ahead and add some fresh sliced jalapeños to the top of these noodle bowls. 

Next, try toasted almonds. You do not have to toast them, but toasting them in a pan really brings out the best flavor. It’s easy and takes about 5 minutes. Just add the almonds to a dry frying pan over medium heat and toast until light golden brown. Keep an eye on them and stir occasionally to avoid burning them. 

Last, but not least, add a heaping spoonful of my crunchy coleslaw. It’s cool, refreshing, and easy to make. Grab a bag of pre-shredded coleslaw mix, add some thinly sliced green onions and toss it with the lime vinaigrette. I can’t encourage you enough to try this slaw on top of the spicy noodles. I absolutely love it. The tangy lime dressing along with the crunchy cabbage is the best compliment to the spicy warm noodles and broccoli.  

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