Here at The Happy Foodie, we’ve been brushing up on our noodle knowledge with Damian Lee’s The Noodle Cookbook. With chapters divided by region and recipes rooted in the traditional dishes of China, Vietnam, Thailand, Japan, and Korea, The Noodle Cookbook is a one-stop shop for all things noodle related. Ideal for casual midweek eating as well as for more elaborate weekend feasts, Damian Lee’s dishes are designed to be speedy, straightforward and packed with as much flavour as possible. We tried our hand at a few of the book’s standout dishes, including a warm, peanutty noodle salad and a wholesome duck soup. Scroll on to check out our finished dishes.
From the book
The Noodle Cookbook
A collection of flavour-packed noodle recipes for every occasion
From Japanese-inspired ramen to plant-based noodle stir-fries
With advice on noodle varieties and store cupboard essentials
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Who: Chloë Johnson-Hill – Creative & Communications Director, Ebury Publishing
What I made: Creamy Tom Yum Noodle Soup with Crayfish Tails
What I thought: Despite never cooking more than I have in the last year, I’ve never cooked Tom Yum soup before so welcomed the opportunity to give it a try – and I have to say it was utterly delicious. The list of ingredients may seem long but it really is incredibly simple, and takes no time at all. The recipe makes quite a lot; we had the leftovers for lunch the following day and it was just as good, if not better. I now can’t wait to get cooking from the rest of the book, and will most definitely be making this again.
Who: Lara McLeod – Brand Executive, Ebury Publishing
What I made: Healthy Duck Noodle Soup (Ped Toon)
What I thought: This was a delicious dinner, and also so simple! I love Thai food, so instantly went to the Thai section of the book and found this recipe that I hadn’t ever tried before. Being able to put pretty much all the ingredients in a dish and allow the flavours to develop and the duck to absorb those flavours made it so tasty and easy. I was unsure about how the duck would work being steamed within the broth, but it was so tender and packed with flavour. It felt much heartier than a simple soup and would be perfect to rustle up for a weekday meal, but also special enough to serve friends for dinner too.
Who: Bisma Khalid – Data and Insight Analyst, Ebury Publishing
What I made: Pad Thai
What I thought: I have really missed having Pad Thai as it’s usually my go-to meal to order whenever I eat Thai food. I never realised how easy it really was to recreate this and how delicious it would be! The sauce was super simple to make and was definitely a healthier version than usual as it uses Agave syrup instead of sugar. This is definitely going to be one of those dishes I end up making again and again as it was packed with flavour and tasted really authentic.
Who: Steph Naulls – Head of Campaigns, Ebury Publishing
What I made: Holy Shiitake Mushrooms with Fresh Noodles!
What I thought: I can tell this is going to be a regular in our household as it was super quick and easy to make. I adapted the recipe slightly (forgive me!) to use the veg I already had in the fridge (baby corn) and I also did the Sake-seared Scallops from page 128 in the book to go on top to use up some scallops that needed eating. The noodles and the sauce were delicious. The dish really made the mushrooms sing. I managed to get hold of fresh shiitake mushrooms – hunt them down if you can!
Click here to try this recipe for yourself.
Who: Morgana Chess – Campaigns Assistant, Ebury Publishing
What I made: Warm Noodle Salad with Peanut Butter
What I thought: Bold statement: I think I’ve found my new work-from-home lunch. This was so speedy to make and I already had in most of the ingredients – it was almost too easy! The peanut butter worked perfectly with the spicy kick of the chilli and the flavours of soy and sesame to create a really moreish nutty taste. This is also a meal that you can upscale with more toppings for a flavoursome main dish or have in its purest form for a quick snack. This will become a staple for me I’m sure. I topped mine with salted peanuts for a little crunch (and because there’s always room for more peanuts)!
