Kelp Noodle Stir-Fry (Printable version)

Crunchy kelp noodles with colorful vegetables in zesty ginger sauce, ready in 25 minutes.

# What You Need:

→ Noodles

01 - 12 oz kelp noodles, rinsed and drained

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
03 - 1 cup snap peas, trimmed and halved
04 - 1 medium carrot, julienned
05 - 2 cups baby spinach
06 - 2 green onions, sliced

→ Sauce

07 - 2 tablespoons tamari or low-sodium soy sauce
08 - 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
09 - 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
10 - 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, finely grated
11 - 2 teaspoons maple syrup or agave nectar
12 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
13 - 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes, optional

→ Toppings

14 - 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
15 - Fresh cilantro leaves, optional
16 - Lime wedges, optional

# Directions:

01 - In a large bowl, soak kelp noodles in warm water for 10 minutes to soften. Drain and set aside.
02 - In a small bowl, whisk together tamari, sesame oil, rice vinegar, ginger, maple syrup, garlic, and chili flakes until well combined.
03 - Heat a large nonstick skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add bell pepper, snap peas, and carrot. Sauté for 3 to 4 minutes until tender-crisp.
04 - Add spinach and green onions, stir-frying for 1 minute until spinach wilts completely.
05 - Add drained kelp noodles and pour in the prepared sauce. Toss everything together for 2 to 3 minutes, ensuring noodles and vegetables are well coated and heated through.
06 - Serve immediately in bowls, topped with toasted sesame seeds, fresh cilantro, and lime wedges if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • Kelp noodles give you that satisfying slurp without the calorie guilt that haunts you after regular pasta.
  • The entire meal comes together faster than ordering takeout, which means weeknight dinners stop feeling like a chore.
  • That ginger-sesame sauce is the kind of flavor that makes simple vegetables taste like you spent hours in the kitchen.
02 -
  • Do not oversoak your kelp noodles or they become mushy and lose the textural contrast that makes them special, which I discovered by leaving them in water while I chatted on the phone.
  • The sauce is everything here, so tasting it before you add it to the pan ensures you can adjust the ginger or chili flakes to your preference without ruining the whole batch.
03 -
  • Keep your pan hot and your movements quick because stir-frying is about momentum, not gentle persuasion, which means your vegetables stay crisp instead of steaming into softness.
  • Toast your sesame seeds in a dry pan for two minutes before using them, because this small step elevates the entire dish from nice to unforgettable.
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