Szechuan Spicy Noodles with Carrot-Cucumber Relish

5 Reviews
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4 servings (serving size: 1 cup noodle mixture and 6 tablespoons relish)
By Mark Scarbrough
May 2007
RECIPE BY Cooking Light

This Chinese-style pork ragout is tossed with noodles and topped with a sweet-sour relish that balances the heat.

Ingredients

  • Relish:
  • 1 cup shredded seeded peeled cucumber
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup shredded carrot
  • 1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon dark sesame oil
  • Noodles:
  • 8 ounces udon noodles (thick, round fresh Japanese wheat noodles)
  • 1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
  • 1/4 cup natural-style peanut butter (such as Smucker's)
  • 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon chile paste with garlic (such as sambal oelek)
  • Cooking spray
  • 1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions
  • 1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
  • 6 ounces ground pork
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced

Nutritional Information

  • Calories 246
  • Caloriesfromfat 37%
  • Fat 10.1g
  • Satfat 2.1g
  • Monofat 4.4g
  • Polyfat 2.7g
  • Protein 16.5g
  • Carbohydrate 23.2g
  • Fiber 2.4g
  • Cholesterol 23mg
  • Iron 1.2mg
  • Sodium 624mg
  • Calcium 38mg

How to Make It

Step 1

To prepare relish, place cucumber in a colander; sprinkle with salt. Toss well. Drain 1 hour. Place cucumber on several layers of paper towels; cover with additional paper towels. Let stand 5 minutes, pressing down occasionally. Combine cucumber, carrot, vinegar, sugar, and oil in a medium bowl; stir until well blended. Cover and chill 1 hour.

Step 2

To prepare noodles, cook noodles according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain and set aside.

Step 3

Combine broth, peanut butter, soy sauce, and chile paste in a small bowl; stir well with a whisk. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; coat pan with cooking spray. Add onions, ginger, and pork to pan; sauté 5 minutes or until pork loses its pink color. Add garlic to pan; sauté 30 seconds. Pour broth mixture into pan; bring to a simmer, and cook 1 minute or until slightly thickened. Pour pork mixture over noodles; toss well. Serve with relish.

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Ratings & Reviews

nwilker's Review

nwilker
February 08, 2015
I found this recipe to be ok without any extra relish, instead i added asian slow and tomatoes and oh my goodness! It needs the extra but then flourishes! I updated the garlic chili (double) and added a serrano to the pork Pretty quick and easy, i used crunchy peanut butter, and mixed the noodles into the pan instead of pouring over, so i could control the amount of noodle to sauce!

yolocat's Review

Diplocook
June 29, 2011
I love this recipe, but I make it with thin rice noodles, double most everything, and add red bell pepper and what ever other crunchy veggies you like..sugar snaps, snow peas, green beans, asparagus etc. I served it at a party and it was a hit.

jelibeann's Review

yolocat
May 25, 2010
I made this recipe with one adjustment...I couldn't find the correct noodles, so I just used dried lo mein rice noodles. We really enjoyed it...especially with the slaw. All of the flavors came together beautifully. I will definitely keep this on hand.

AndreaBW's Review

AndreaBW
August 04, 2009
I cannot rave enough about this recipe. I tasted it first without the relish and thought maybe the sauce and pasta were too creamy and heavy. (I added some pasta water to thin it out.) But that relish! It adds the perfect note of brightness to harmonize the whole dish. I'd like to add bean sprouts next time to add some textural contrast, but this is totally going on my greatest-hits list. Leftovers were just as good.

Diplocook's Review

jelibeann
February 10, 2009
I live overseas, so had to make some substititions - but overall, this was a terrific recipe! Subbed fettucine for the udon, and reduced the chili paste by half. Next time I'll add snow peas and water chestnuts for a little crunch. Flavor was wonderful - and an easy dish to put together on a weeknight. Served with eggrolls or soup, this is an easy informal meal for guests, too. Agree with the other raters that the relish added a delicious dimension to the flavors.