I’m nothing if not susceptible to compliments. One of you wrote to me and told me you loved my recipes, then asked if I could create a healthy version of Drunken Noodles. Well, flattery will get you everywhere, friends. I was in.
There are a variety of origin stories for Drunken Noodles floating around the internet. Some say that the name is because they’re a standard “drunk” food, while others say you have to be drunk to deal with all of that spice. In general, most recipes contain a lot of basil, chiles, rice noodles, and ample amounts of sticky-sweet sauce, which had the most room to be healthified.
My version of the sauce contains just a hint of sweetness from honey. I also added in chopped raw garlic, which contributes a ton of antiviral, antifungal and antibacterial benefits (like a mini-cleanse for your system). Finally, I threw in some miso, which adds a funky, umami note that’s similar to fish sauce, but also has microbiome-nourishing healthy bacteria.
For the dish itself, you can use any veggies you have on hand. Honestly, most of the time when I make this, I just use a bag of frozen mixed veggies or frozen broccoli—it’s cheap, easy, and (as you’ve likely heard me say time and again) frozen veggies often contain more nutrients than their fresh counterparts, since they’re flash-frozen just after being picked, and the nutrients don’t thus degrade in transit. While all Drunken Noodles don’t contain egg (some do, some don’t), I included it for extra protein to make the result more blood sugar friendly. Add in tons of polyphenol-rich basil and you’ve got yourself a delicious dish—and the whole thing comes together in about 15 minutes of active time, making this is a perfect weeknight dinner!
Have any more recipe makeover requests? DM me on Instagram—I’m @lizmoody—and I’ll get on it!
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Healthy Drunken Noodles
Ingredients
Main dish
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 2 – 3 jalapeños, seeded and diced
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil, divided
- 1 cup chopped veggies of choice (fresh or frozen)
- 1/2 pack of wide rice noodles (this is the brand I used)
- 3 pastured eggs, beaten
- Fine grain sea salt
- 4 cups fresh basil leaves
Sauce
- 3 tablespoons tamari
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon white miso
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 4 – 5 cloves minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
Instructions
- Soak noodles according to package instructions—test them occasionally to make sure they’re very al dente. Whisk together sauce ingredients; set aside.
- In a large frying pan, saute 1 tablespoon of avocado oil over medium heat. Add onion and jalapeno; cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add 1 more tablespoon of avocado oil, veggies, and a pinch of salt, and cook until veggies are brightly colored and cooked through. Push to the side of the pan and add the beaten eggs, cooking without touching the veggies too much until the eggs are set.
- Remove the pan from heat.
- Toss the veggies with eggs, and add in the noodles and the basil, reserving a few leaves for garnish. Toss entire dish with sauce until everything is well-coated. Serves 2.
