I love food. I love it a lot. I love pretty much any style of food. That’s right–I’m a “polyepicure”. Not a word (yet), but it fits. When people ask me what my favorite cuisine is, I just say “yes”. I could never choose between all of the styles, flavors, ingredients, and experiences and have only ONE favorite.
However, I admit to missing some of my favorite dishes from the various places we’ve lived. And that’s not to say that we’ve lived in that many countries, but that some of the locales we’ve lived have had access to great variety in styles and cuisines. One of my favorites is Vietnamese food. A hot, bubbling bowl of Phở in the winter is a thing of beauty. In the summer, a simple and filling rice noodle bowl is refreshing and oh-so-craveable.
Here in Texas, some areas of the state have easy access to great Vietnamese food. I’m not living near a hot bed of obvious options at this time, so I’m always on the lookout for ways to get my fix. And when I can’t find it in a nearby restaurant, my other option is to just make it myself.
Flipping through a recent cooking magazine (if I could only remember which one!), I found a recipe for a brown rice noodle and mushroom bowl. I wanted to lick the picture. But I didn’t. I immediately went out and bought rice noodles so that I could make it at home. Of course, when it came time to actually make the dish, the recipe was no where to be found. Ugh. Luckily, I’m a creative gal and I figured I’d take a stab at it with the ingredients I could remember, and play around with it from there.
It worked! This was a super easy, fresh, healthy, and REALLY delicious meal. This version is actually vegan, but my husband added some leftover grilled chicken to his bowl for a shot of protein. Once again, ingenuity–and a deep craving for the flavors found in so many Vietnamese noodle bowls that I love–saved the day, and the meal.
If you, too, are a “polyepicure” like me, and you crave the flavors of rice noodles, sesame, and meaty mushrooms, this version of Brown Rice Noodles with Mushrooms and Spinach is for you!
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 2 people | 10 minutes |
| Cook Time |
| 15 minutes |
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The warm, rich flavors of the sesame oil really complete this simple dish. And rice noodles, while not really all that different from traditional pasta, is made purely from rice and rice product, so the texture is a little different. The variety of vegetables is really endless, but this simple approach with mushrooms, spinach and some garlic will really hit the spot.
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- 1/2 package brown rice noodles (see note below)
- 1 tsp. olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 8 oz. cremini mushrooms, sliced
- 8 oz. baby spinach
- 1/2 tsp. sesame oil
- 1/2 tsp. toasted sesame seeds (see note below)
- Boil the rice noodles per package instructions. Drain, rinse, and set aside.
- In a large skillet, lightly saute the garlic in 1 tsp. olive oil. Stir constantly to prevent burning. Add mushrooms to skillet, and stir until softened and coated with garlic.
- Add spinach and stir until it begins to wilt, but remains bright green.
- Stir in sesame oil to incorporate into mixture.
- Add rice pasta and stir in the mushrooms & spinach.
- Stir in the sesame seeds. Salt & pepper to taste.
- Serve immediately, or chill and serve as a light meal at lunch.
Rice noodles. They are a great alternative to traditional pasta noodles. Never seen them in your grocery store? More and more, they are popping up on shelves as alternatives for many different types of diet needs. And of course, it's a great change up to what may be your go-to noodle for various dishes.
The sesame oil used here is also key. That "umami" flavor is unmistakeable, and gives the dish the punch found in so many Asian dishes. A little goes a long way, but can be adjusted to your personal taste.
And of course, I urge you to play with the veggies you could add. Bell peppers, Asian basil, cilantro, bean sprouts--whatever you have on hand could be in your belly tonight!
This looks delicious!! My daughter would love this heated up in her thermos at school. 🙂
Ummmm heck yes! This noodle bowl looks amazing!
From one polyepicure and midlife cook to another – Happy Thursday and great simple dinner idea!
Yep! right there with you – love this bowl of goodness, it’s right up my alley. Pinned for later, YUM!
My husband loves Asian noodle bowls! Thanks for the recipe!
There are so many good things going on in this noodle bowl how could one not love it?! And the mention of Pho now makes me long for cool fall days so I can enjoy a bowl. Soon!
This looks wonderful and I am a polyepicure as well.
I love how simple yet flavorful this dish is! All of my favorite flavors happening!
Those mushrooms look fabulous!!