Stir-Fried Rice Noodles With Beets and Beet Greens
- Total Time
- 10 minutes, plus 30 minutes' soaking
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
- 7ounces rice vermicelli or thin rice stick noodles
- ½cup chicken stock or vegetable stock
- 1tablespoon soy sauce (more to taste)
- 1tablespoon Shao Hsing rice wine or dry sherry
- Salt to taste
- ½teaspoon sugar
- 1tablespoon minced garlic
- 1tablespoon minced ginger
- ¼ to ½teaspoon red pepper flakes, or 1 to 2 serrano or Thai chiles, minced
- 2eggs
- 2tablespoons peanut oil, grapeseed oil, sunflower oil or canola oil
- 4small or 2 medium beets (½ pound), preferably golden or Chioggia beets, peeled and very thinly sliced, then cut into half-moons
- 2medium-size leeks, white and light green parts only, cut in half, cleaned of sand, and thinly sliced
- 1generous bunch beet greens, stemmed, washed well in 2 changes of water, and coarsely chopped or cut in ribbons
- ½cup chopped walnuts
- ½ to 1cup coarsely chopped cilantro
- 2teaspoons walnut oil
Preparation
- Step 1
Place noodles in a large bowl and cover with warm water. Soak for 20 – 30 minutes, until soft. Drain in a colander and using kitchen scissors, cut into 6-inch lengths. Set aside within reach of your wok. Combine stock, soy sauce, rice wine or sherry, salt and sugar in a small bowl and stir until salt and sugar dissolve. Combine garlic, ginger, and pepper flakes or minced chile in another bowl. Have all ingredients within reach of your wok.
- Step 2
Beat eggs in a bowl and season with a little salt. Heat a 14-inch flat-bottomed wok over high heat until a drop of water evaporates within a second or two when added to the pan. Swirl in 2 teaspoons of oil by adding it to the sides of the wok and swirling the wok. Make sure that the bottom of the wok is coated with oil and add beaten eggs, swirling the wok so that the eggs form a thin pancake. Cook 30 seconds to a minute, until set. Using a spatula, turn pancake over and cook for 5 to 10 more seconds, until thoroughly set, then transfer to a plate or cutting board. Roll up or fold in half and cut into strips using the edge of your spatula or a knife. Set aside.
- Step 3
Swirl remaining oil into wok and add garlic, ginger, and pepper flakes or chile. Stir-fry no more than 10 seconds and add beets and leeks. Stir-fry 2 minutes, until beets are crisp-tender. Add greens and walnuts and stir-fry until greens wilt, about 1 minute. Add noodles and stock mixture. Reduce heat to medium and stir-fry 1 to 2 minutes, until noodles are just tender. Add cilantro and eggs and stir-fry another 30 seconds to a minute, until well combined. Remove from heat and serve.
- All of the ingredients can be prepared hours ahead, and the noodles can be soaked hours or even a day ahead. The stir-frying should be done just before you wish to serve but the leftovers are delicious; they will keep for about 3 days in the refrigerator.
Private Notes
Cooking Notes
I liked how easy it was to through this together, but I found this dish to be pretty underwhelming. Used golden beets, sliced on a mandoline. Threw in a little swiss chard because I was a little short on beet greens. 20-30 minutes might have been a little too long on the rice vermicelli. The sauce just didn't have enough kick to it with two Thai chiles. I added some sriacha after serving and that helped a bit, but ultimately a pretty bland meal. I will not be making this again.
Was very tasty! Used beet stems, too, chopped & added with the beets. Used 3 jalapeños, seeds & all. Used extra garlic. Used 1/2 cup of water with a bit extra tamari instead of broth. Used bit of sesame oil & rice vinegar at the end. Used thicker rice vermicelli, which needed boiling water & held up well in the stir fry.
How important are rice noodles? Could I substitute Cantonese egg noodles or ramen noodles? In boiling water for 3 minutes?
Need to amp up acidity - black vinegar or a squeezed lime; might also add more ginger/garlic/spicy peppers
I doubled the soy sauce and cooking wine and still felt it needed more flavor, and this was after using fresh wheat noodles from a Chinese grocery store. To remedy this, I topped with chili crisp which really brought it together. While not amazing, it was an easy, healthy weeknight meal and I would still consider making again when I have a fresh bunch of beets in the fridge and inspiration strikes. I must say, I love the creative vegetable uses in Martha Rose's recipes!
Follow the instructions on your package of rice vermicelli noodles. They typically require boiling only for 1-3 minutes then a rinse in cold water and draining, before cooking further. The walnuts should be optional since they did not elevate the dish and, rather, got lost in the mix of flavors. Use a whole cup of cilantro instead of half. Small squirts of sriracha at the end added a punch that the dish needed.
This was delicious. Made it using Just Egg plant-based substitute, toasted sesame oil in place of walnut, and garnished with some extra soy sauce sliced scallions. I will make this again!
To give that smokey lo mein fragrance (wok hei,) add a tbsp of dark soy sauce mixed with a few drops of water and pour it all around the sides of the hot wok at the end. Then add the cilantro and eggs for the final 30 seconds.
Not bad. I took one of the other notes into consideration and used some sesame oil, It was more spicer than I was expecting. And I needed to cook the beets a little longer because I sliced them myself
Was very tasty! Used beet stems, too, chopped & added with the beets. Used 3 jalapeños, seeds & all. Used extra garlic. Used 1/2 cup of water with a bit extra tamari instead of broth. Used bit of sesame oil & rice vinegar at the end. Used thicker rice vermicelli, which needed boiling water & held up well in the stir fry.
I had quite large golden beets 1 beet = .5 Lb, half moons were too large, next time I'll cut them in half again. Had a heck of a time tossing the noodles and getting it all incorporated, I cut my noodles in half which was quite a bit longer than 6". Did not use walnut oil, and used red pepper flakes. We liked it.
Walnut oil! Is it key? I need to know before I spend the money. Not many other recipes call for it.
I liked how easy it was to through this together, but I found this dish to be pretty underwhelming. Used golden beets, sliced on a mandoline. Threw in a little swiss chard because I was a little short on beet greens. 20-30 minutes might have been a little too long on the rice vermicelli. The sauce just didn't have enough kick to it with two Thai chiles. I added some sriacha after serving and that helped a bit, but ultimately a pretty bland meal. I will not be making this again.
You really need to slice the beets thinly--I would recommend using a mandoline. And am I missing something? Where and when are the 2 teaspoons of walnut oil added?
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