Those of us who used to pass on Brussels sprouts are giving them a second look. In the past the motivation to eat them might have been more for their nutritional attributes than their flavor qualities. All that has changed. Thinly sliced and quartered, and roasted and grilled have pushed aside whole and steamed making them far more interesting to combine with unexpected ingredients and flavorful to eat. Gone are the days of putting the whole little cabbage like vegetable in your mouth and chewing quickly to get the overwhelming taste down.
In this one dish meal, thinly sliced brussels sprouts take on a delicate texture and flavor woven among Chinese chow mein noodles and bathed with the warm spicy flavor of fresh ginger and a quickly whisked together sauce. Bite size slices of chicken thigh rather than breast contribute a richer flavor and moister texture and flecks of chopped green onion and crunchy roasted peanuts assure their irresistible flavor throughout.
If your pantry and refrigerator aren’t already stocked with Hoisin sauce, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar and red chile paste needed for the sauce, it may mean a trip to the grocery store, but it’s worth it and my guess is you’ll find other ways to use them in addition to this recipe.
Slicing Brussels sprouts
Chinese chow mein noodles
- 12 oz Brussels sprouts (4 cups)
- 6 oz Chuka Soba dried chow mein noodles (available in Asian section of many grocery stores)
- 2-3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 4), sliced into bite size pieces
- 1-1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger
- 1 clove garlic, chopped (1 teaspoon)
- ⅓ cup halved or coarsely chopped roasted peanuts
- ¼ cup chopped green onion
- Kosher salt
- Fresh ground black pepper
- Noodle Bowl Sauce (recipe follows)
- Trim ends from Brussels sprouts and remove any brown outer leaves; thinly slice using a slicing attachment for a food processor or with a knife.
- Cook noodles according to package directions; drain and rinse with cold water; drain again.
- Heat oil over medium heat in a wok or large skillet; add chicken, season with salt and pepper and cook and stir until browned and cooked through, about 6 to 8 minutes minutes. Add Brussels sprouts, ginger and garlic and cook and stir just until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in noodles and Noodle Bowl Sauce and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes, Toss in peanuts and green onions.
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons Hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon brown sugar, honey or sugar
1-2 teaspoons red chile paste or ½ teaspoon red chile flakes
1 teaspoon sesame oil
Whisk together all ingredients.
What a delicious and healthy one dish meal!! I can’t wait to make this.
Thank you. I think you will love it. Heated up the next day it is good too.
OMG this looks so good. I can’t wait to try it!
Thanks, Patty! We are really enjoying this recipe at my house too.
Looks so yummy, can’t wait to try it.
Thanks Christina!
Quick question: should I add some hoisin sauce to the noodle bowl sauce? If so, what amount? Merci.
Wow – good catch there Leslie! I am not sure how but I left out the 2 tablespoons Hoisin sauce for the sauce. I will go back in and edit the recipe right now. Thank you. 🙂
I made this recipe on Thursday; our international college student from Shanghai–who is a VERY picky eater–said it was better than most Chinese restaurants in Seattle. There was a little left over and he heated it up for breakfast the next morning. Thank you!!
What a great compliment – thank you for letting me know.
I made this tonight and husband and his two friends (meat eaters) and my vegan toddler and I loved it!! I added some spicy kimchi to my dish and it was wonderful! This is also extremely low in saturated fat. (Less than 1g!) Great recipe I will be making this again when I get my hands on some Brussels sprouts.
I forgot to add that I didn’t use chicken. Lol! I marinated some sliced tempeh in the noodle sauce then cooked that in the pan before adding the Brussels sprouts. Super delicious!
Great idea. Thank you for letting me know.
-Linda
Thank you Megan I am happy everyone enjoyed this recipe. It is a regular for me to make in the winter. I love your additions.
– Linda