Ginger, Lime & Cilantro Shrimp Noodle Bowls

December 10, 2013 by Laura Haugen 15 Comments

This  holiday season, amidst all the shopping, the snow shoveling, the gift wrapping, and the party-going, why not sit down to a warm bowl of rice noodles with shrimp for a quick energy boost? This one contains lots of vibrant zesty flavors of fresh ginger, lime, cilantro & scallions. You can keep it basic or add in a mix of your favorite veggies (bell peppers and shiitake mushrooms would be great). Best of all, it’s ready in about 15 minutes.

Ginger, Lime & Cilantro Shrimp Noodle Bowls

• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup mirin (sweet rice wine)
• 1 1/2 tsp. hoisin sauce
• 1 2-inch piece of fresh ginger, grated
• 1 lime, juiced and zested, plus more lime wedges for garnishing
• pinch of red pepper flakes (to taste)
• 1 Tbs. canola oil or other cooking oil (not olive)
• 4 scallions, chopped, white and light green pieces separated from dark green pieces
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 large bunch cilantro, stems removed
• cellophane/rice noodles (1 8-oz. package)
• shrimp (frozen pre-cooked jumbo shrimp with shells removed except from tail tips are easiest to use here)

Directions: If using frozen shrimp, thaw the shrimp for a few minutes in a bowl of cold water, then drain in a colander and let sit. Prepare the rice noodles for cooking, according to the package directions — wash in cold water, then drain and let the noodles sit for a few minutes to soften. Meanwhile, mix the soy sauce, mirin, hoisin, ginger, lime zest, lime juice and red pepper flakes together and set this sauce aside. Note: this will yield just enough sauce, combined with a little cooking water from the rice noodles, to coat the noodles and leave a few spoonfuls at the bottom of each bowl for dipping each biteful. For a soupier bowl, increase quantities of all the sauce ingredients and add more water or broth (to taste).

Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet and add white & light green scallions and cook on low heat; after a couple minutes add the minced garlic and cook one more minute. Carefully add 1 1/2 cups of warm water to the skillet (this is according to the rice noodle package) and bring to a simmer. Add the noodles and stir with tongs to evenly soften them and let them soak up the water. As they soften, add the shrimp (if you are using uncooked shrimp, you might want to cook them in a separate pan and add once cooked through) and continue cooking until warmed through. Remove from the heat and add the sauce, mixing it all to incorporate. Transfer to bowls (spooning or pouring in the liquid from the pan) and garnish with green scallions, cilantro, and extra lime wedges. Makes 4 bowls.

Advertisement