Cold Sesame Noodles

Cold Sesame Noodles are incredibly versatile. Pair them with your favorite protein. Find the recipe on Shutterbean.com

Can’t you picture Nigella Lawson eating Cold Sesame Noodles out of the fridge late at night on her television show? Remember Nigella’s show? She is probably one of the reasons I got into the food world in the first place. I binged watched her before we even had a DVR. That means I watched Nigella marathons… commercials & all.  Nigella always drew me in because I loved watching her cook and eat with reckless abandon. A total pioneer for us domestic goddesses. Yeah I just typed domestic goddess. Settle into it. I’m closer to 40 now. Why did I type that?!!

Cold Sesame Noodles are incredible versatile. Pair them with your favorite protein. Find the recipe on Shutterbean.com

I made this dish. I stood in the kitchen eating several forks full out of the bowls you see here. One bite turned into several and I think you know the kind of bites I’m talking about. The one where you’re “just checking the balance.”  Or the one bite with a little more cucumber and then the next with more carrots.  The bite where you drizzle a little sriracha on top.  The one where you take leftover grilled shrimp from the fridge to see how that goes. The bite that’s your last bite…the perfect bite…the one you wish didn’t ever have to end.

Cold Sesame Noodles are incredible versatile. Pair them with your favorite protein. Find the recipe on Shutterbean.com

This is one of those dishes that makes you so happy to see in the fridge…waiting for you after a long day at work. Although standing in front of the fridge in a silky robe while eating these noodles dish is entirely optional, I fully encourage you to give it a try.

Let’s gather our ingredients.

I went all the way to store to buy scallions and then realized I had no spaghetti when I got home.

RAMEN IT IS.

If you want to use spaghetti, the recipe calls for 3/4 lb.

Here I used three top ramen packages (WITHOUT the flavor packets).

Do you eat uncooked ramen? I freaking love it. Reminds me of my childhood.

Cold Sesame Noodles are incredible versatile. Pair them with your favorite protein. Find the recipe on Shutterbean.com

Red pepper flakes get heated up in oil. We’re just doing a quick infusion situation.

It will bring the spice out of the red pepper flakes and into the oil!

Cold Sesame Noodles are incredible versatile. Pair them with your favorite protein. Find the recipe on Shutterbean.com

Tahini, rice vinegar, scallions, and soy sauce. If you don’t have tahini, peanut butter would be cool.

You could totally add garlic or ginger or even sriracha! But this all just works out fine.

Cold Sesame Noodles are incredible versatile. Pair them with your favorite protein. Find the recipe on Shutterbean.com

Carrots are shredded, cucumber is diced. Ramen has been cooked. You just cook like you’re making soup but you drain the noodles in cold water.

Cold Sesame Noodles are incredible versatile. Pair them with your favorite protein. Find the recipe on Shutterbean.com

STIR IT ALLLLLLLLL together. You mix in a little water to loosen it up.

Cold Sesame Noodles are incredible versatile. Pair them with your favorite protein. Find the recipe on Shutterbean.com

Serve up in plates. Drizzle with a little sesame seed oil.

Cold Sesame Noodles are incredible versatile. Pair them with your favorite protein. Find the recipe on Shutterbean.com

Peanuts would be a great addition too..

Cold Sesame Noodles are incredible versatile. Pair them with your favorite protein. Find the recipe on Shutterbean.com

I would bring this on a picnic. Fill up a mason jar and dig in.

Cold Sesame Noodles are incredible versatile. Pair them with your favorite protein. Find the recipe on Shutterbean.com

If I was a new mom, I’d probably love some of this in my fridge.

So if you have a new mom in your life, get on that.

Cold Sesame Noodles are incredible versatile. Pair them with your favorite protein. Find the recipe on Shutterbean.com

Totally versatile….so much so that it will probably be something that shows up in my weekly meal prep.

Cold Sesame Noodles

serves 4

recipe adapted from Real Simple Magazine

  • 3 packages ramen noodles (without flavor packets)
  • 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 4 scallions, chopped, plus more for serving
  • 1/4 cup tahini (peanut butter can be substituted)
  • 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • kosher salt
  • 1 persian cucumber, diced
  • 1 carrot, shredded
  • toasted sesame seeds, for serving
  • toasted sesame seed oil, for serving

Cook the ramen according to package directions; drain and rinse under cold water.

Cook the red pepper flakes in the oil in a small sauce pan over medium heat until sizzling, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in scallions, tahini, vinegar, soy sauce and 3 tablespoons water. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Toss with pasta in a large serving bowl. Serve topped with cucumber, carrot,  sesame seeds, sliced scallions and a drizzle of toasted sesame oil.

  • Vivian | stayaliveandcooking

    Ohhh yumm! When I started living on my own (4 years ago today!) I ate a loooot of those instant noodles. I wasn’t very adventurous… But if I could go back in time I would tell myself to experiment some more. And this would definitely be one of the recipes to try! I’ve never had cold noodles, but I can imagine feeling happy when opening the fridge.

    • Tracy

      I ate sooooooooo much hummus and stir fry when i was in college that it’s taken me MANY MANY years to be OK with eating both again. It’s funny how that happens.

      • Angela

        Funny thing happened making this delicious recipe today. Clever me thought to save time and make noodles at the same time as the oil mixture. Can you guess where this story is going?

        This bright lady pulled the pan from the heat and added rice vinegar. Massive splatter of oil and flame! Couldn’t find the fire extinguisher fast enough but used kitchen towels to finally starve the fire. Not my brightest moment. Our fan and microwave above didn’t survive.

        But the dish was ultimately completed and was delish!

  • Megan

    I am ON this! Well, as soon as I get some more tahini. But ramen noodles? Veggies? Silky robe? Check, check, and check. This is 40. (Um…43 – whatever!)

  • Monica B.

    Mmmmmm, delicious. I can just taste this all now…..

  • Elise

    Hi Tracy, I love your blog! It is the best. Can you tell me, are you using “seasoned rice vinegar” the sweetened kind, or regular rice vinegar? I just bought this huge bottle of rice vinegar from thrive only to realize that it was not the “seasoned” kind that I am used to.

    • Tracy

      I used regular, but I think it would actually be really good with the sweetened kind.

  • mary

    this looks amazing! And a few weeks and it’s Paleo/Keto.
    I.LOVE.YOU. (wink, wink!)

    –mary

    • Tracy

      oh! i was wondering if you were going to start doing the paleo/keto in a few weeks! i bet it would be good with zoodles!

  • mary

    Gah! Tweeks, not weeks!
    Darn auto correct!!!!

  • Ashley

    This meal is my love language. Will be making it STAT, and definitely eating it while standing in the kitchen. Yum!

  • Lori

    I love the mason jar picnic idea. Sounds super delicious!

  • Rebeca

    I *may* have sent the link to my boyfriend hoping he’d make it for dinner tonight… And he did and it was delicious and just what I was craving! (excuse the polysyndeton) Second best part? There are leftovers.

  • Stacy

    I made this tonight with zucchini noodles. Yum!

  • S

    When you said you could add garlic or ginger, could you elaborate? Do you mean fresh or powdered? How much and when to add it in? I am not good at “winging” it in the kitchen….:)

    • Tracy

      one clove minced garlic infused in the oil with the red pepper flakes, but honestly it doesn’t need it. I had the leftover today and they are banging!

  • Cait

    Looks great! I have to share… I recently picked up a package of brown rice & millet ramen noodles at Costco and to my surprise they were really good! They came in a huge bag with no seasonings, so perfect for this kind of recipe. I think this is the same product: https://www.amazon.com/Lotus-Foods-Ramen-Noodles-Millet/dp/B00HKIBKQS

  • jessie

    Oh my goodness. We just made this dressing and threw it on a kale salad for lunch and it’s DELICIOUS. Thanks!!

  • ALi

    Made this for dinner last night and it was so yummy!! Also had leftovers for lunch. I may need to keep this stocked in my fridge all the time. My hubby loved it too.

  • Kate

    I have tried and loved many of your recipes over the years. I am usually too shy to comment but this recipe is too amazing to keep quiet. So quick and easy, feels healthy, and is absolutely delicious. I will definitely be making it over and over again. Thank you!

  • Amanda

    wow! this looks delicious! I love Sesame soup noodles called tan-tan-men. I think i will love this one too!! Thanks for sharing the recipe.

  • Kath

    Perfect summer lunch to take to the office. Thanks!

  • G

    Omg the chili infused oil was gave such an unexpected depth to this. Made as is today and it was delicious!

  • Shawn

    i made this last night using half wheat noodles and half zucchini noodles and natural peanut butter (no tahini) – so really it was peanut noodles. sooooo good! we had broiled salmon on the side, but i think leftover shredded chicken would be amaze-balls in this. thank you for sharing. it’s going in rotation.

  • Emili

    I made this for my yoga teacher training class. We take turns bringing a healthy snack since our class is 4 hours long. Everyone loved it and commented that it was healthy and filling. Thank you Tracy, for sharing your talent with us. love your recipes.

  • Katie

    I have lost track of how many times I have made these at this point. They have sustained me through my final year of grad school. Thanks!

  • Elise Semonian

    Yummy!! My husband makes a version of this that is so good – I’m sending him this recipe. Love reading your blog – you are amazing!

  • Natalie

    These were delicious! Saw them listed under the Pantry Staples list and these were a hit. When we did our last minute shopping before quarantine-no tahini so we just used peanut butter. There was just enough heat and the cucumbers were a nice balance.

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