Chilled Noodle Lunch Cups (Printer-friendly)

Delight in cold noodles mixed with sesame oil, soy sauce, crisp cucumber, and chili for a fresh meal.

# Ingredient List:

→ Noodles

01 - 7 oz dried soba noodles or rice noodles

→ Sauce

02 - 3 tbsp soy sauce (low sodium preferred)
03 - 2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
04 - 1 tbsp rice vinegar
05 - 1 tsp honey or maple syrup
06 - 1 to 2 tsp chili garlic sauce, adjusted to taste

→ Vegetables & Garnishes

07 - 1 cup julienned cucumber
08 - 2 medium carrots, julienned
09 - 2 green onions, thinly sliced
10 - 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
11 - 1 tbsp fresh chopped cilantro (optional)

# How-To Steps:

01 - Boil noodles according to package directions, then drain and rinse thoroughly under cold water until fully chilled. Drain again.
02 - Combine soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, rice vinegar, honey (or maple syrup), and chili garlic sauce in a small bowl and whisk until smooth.
03 - Divide cooled noodles equally among four containers designated for meal prep.
04 - Top each portion with julienned cucumber, carrot, and sliced green onions.
05 - Drizzle sauce evenly over each cup and toss gently to combine all ingredients.
06 - Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and optional cilantro. Seal containers and refrigerate until ready to serve.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • They're ready to grab-and-go, which means no more 2 p.m. hunger spiral while you're stuck in meetings.
  • The sesame oil and chili balance keeps you coming back for bite after bite, never boring.
  • Everything can be prepped on Sunday and forgotten about until Wednesday, which feels like having a secret advantage.
02 -
  • Cold noodles clump together if you don't rinse them thoroughly under running water, which I learned the hard way by opening a container to find a solid noodle brick.
  • The sauce and vegetables should go in separately from the noodles if you're making these more than two days ahead; mix them just before eating so the vegetables stay crisp instead of turning into sad mush.
03 -
  • If your soy sauce tastes too salty, a tiny squeeze of honey helps balance it without making the sauce sweet—this saved me more than once when using a brand I wasn't familiar with.
  • Toasted sesame oil can turn bitter if it gets too warm, so store it away from the stove and add it to the sauce only when everything else is cool or at room temperature.
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