Name: Easy Gochujang Noodles with Vegetables and Chicken (Gluten Free, Dairy Free)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Cuisine: Gluten Free
Ingredients: 3 Tablespoons gluten free tamari; 2–3 Tablespoons gochujang sauce; 2 Tablespoons tomato paste; 2 Tablespoons almond butter; 2 teaspoons coconut sugar; 1 Tablespoon sesame oil; 1 clove minced garlic; 1/2-1 1/2 cups broth or water for thinning the sauce; 7 ounces rice noodles (1/2 package) or cassava noodles; 1 Tablespoon sesame or avocado oil; 1 pound humanely raised ground chicken or 8 ounces tempeh crumbles (instructions below)*; sea salt; freshly ground black pepper; 3 cups broccoli cut into florets; 4 cups spinach, tightly packed; cilantro, scallions or whatever herbs you like for topping; sesame seeds for garnish (optional)

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These incredibly tasty gochujang noodles require just a handful of ingredients and are bursting with flavor. It’s a healthy, comforting dish with lots of vegetables and chicken in a delicious umami flavored, slightly spicy sauce. Gluten free, dairy free and a vegan option.

Back-to-school season is upon us, so whether or not you’re sending kids to the bus stop it’s a good time to make easy comfort food recipes that take under 30 minutes to prepare.

I got the inspiration to make a Korean dish from watching the Amazing Attorney Woo on Netflix. It’s a story with kindness and heart about the first autistic Korean lawyer working at a large law firm. She’s brilliant with an incredible memory. The show is delightful and will make you smile.

This Korean dish has the slightly spicy, sweet/salty and deep savory flavor of Gochujang sauce and rich creaminess of almond butter, twirled around noodles with vegetables and chicken.

The gluten free rice noodles are mixed with spinach, broccoli and chicken, topped with fresh cilantro and scallions. The recipe is versatile, use any vegetables you like, and can be made vegan with tempeh instead of chicken (recipe included).

Ingredients for Gochujang Noodles

Most of the ingredients for this dish are probably in your pantry. You can order gluten free Gochujang sauce online or get it in your supermarket or health food store.

I use stir fry rice noodles but if you’re mostly grain free, cassava noodles or zucchini noodles would also work here. It won’t be completely grain free since the gochujang sauce has a little brown rice in it.

For the Sauce

gluten free tamari
gochujang sauce (Korean chili sauce) – this brand is gluten free and not very spicy. Some brands are more spicy. If your sauce is spicy use less. The gochujang sauce is vegan.
tomato paste – I buy it in a tube so I can use 1-2 tablespoons and the rest can stay for months in the refrigerator.
almond butter – makes the sauce nice and creamy.
coconut sugar – just a little to balance the flavor.
sesame oil – expeller press, unrefined. It has a nice nutty flavor, don’t use toasted sesame oil.
garlic – grated on a microplane or minced.
broth or water for thinning.

For the Vegetables, Noodles and Chicken

humanely raised ground chicken
rice stir fry noodles – rice noodles have a sticky texture and hold the mildly spicy gochujang sauce.
fresh spinach – baby spinach is easy.
broccoli – cut into florets.
cilantro, scallions, and sesame seeds for topping, basil or mint would be good too!

What is Gochujang

Gochujang (gow·choo·jang) is a staple ingredient in Korean cooking with a deliciously strong umami flavor, slightly sweet and a bit spicy.

Gochujang paste is made with Korean red chili peppers that have been ripened on the plant until glossy and cardinal red. The peppers are sun-dried, crushed, and fermented with soybeans, red chile pepper flakes, sticky rice, and salt and it is commonly used to flavor meat dishes, soups and stews, and sauces. You can read a little more about how it’s made over at Bon Appetit.

In this recipe we use a gochujang sauce which comes mixed with other ingredients because it’s less less potent than the paste. It’s easier to use.

We add a few more ingredients (as shown above) to round out the flavor.

How to Make Easy Gochujang Noodles

This dish is very easy to make since there isn’t much chopping. It comes together in about 20 minutes and tastes so good. It’s super healthy, full of vegetables and protein.

Whisk the sauce ingredients (minus the extra broth) in a small bowl until thick.
Boil the noodles in water for 4-6 minutes until tender but firm, rinse and drain.
Brown the chicken in a little sesame or avocado oil 2-3 minutes. Stir to break it apart. Add broccoli after one minute.
Once the chicken is done, add the noodles and sauce. Mix into the sauce and toss everything over medium heat to combine.
Add add the fresh spinach, cook until wilted, 1-2 minutes.
Add extra broth as needed to get to your optimal sauciness.

Substitutions

This dish is very versatile and can be made vegan. Here are some substitutions to make it your own.

You can swap ground pork or ground turkey for the chicken.
For vegan use tempeh crumbles (recipe included).
The rice noodles can be wide or thin. You can also use zucchini noodles or cassava noodles.
Avocado or refined coconut oil can be used instead of sesame oil. It will have a slightly different flavor.
Skip the protein and make it with lots of vegetables. Mushrooms, peppers, cauliflower, baby kale would all be great.

Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The sauce gets thicker and stickier when it sits, so you may need to add some water or broth to make it saucy again. It’s great for lunch the next day!

Enjoy these quick and easy Gochujang Noodles with Vegetables often. They’re incredibly tasty, comforting, super satisfying and slightly spicy.

For vegan, skip the ground chicken and make it with tempeh or just vegetables.

Since they come together in just 20 minutes they’re easy enough to make for a fast weeknight meal. Also a fabulous dish when you have a few friends over for dinner.

This recipe was inspired by these Gochujang-Sesame Noodles by Zaynab Issa at Bon Appétit.

If you like this recipe, try these other delicious Asian recipes:

Asian Spaghetti Squash Noodle Stir Fry

Asian Meatballs with Thai ‘Peanut’ Sauce

Egg Roll In A Bowl (Vegan or Paleo)

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