This easy lemongrass chicken and noodle bowl is quick to throw together, top with peanut sauce and finish with lots of fresh, bright veggies.
One of the principles of Intuitive Eating is “Discover the Satisfaction Factor.” This principle is all about choosing and preparing food that is pleasurable to eat. Seems pretty simple, and I mean, who’s anti-eating tasty food?
But practically speaking, sometimes time and cooking skills can be a constraint. Our taste buds crave a wide variety of foods and flavors in a well prepared dish, but only know how to cook a few things, or don’t have time to make what you’re craving, that can be a problem. 
I encourage my clients to do is to dress up simple meals with store-bought sauces, dips, and condiments, like hummus, tzatziki, my new personal favorite – zhoug, or the peanut sauce I used in this recipe. Rotisserie chicken with rice and roasted vegetables is boring. But add a scoop of tzatziki, a side of kalamata olives and maybe a few cherry tomatoes if you’re feeling fancy, and you’ve got a Greek feast. Eggs and toast for perfect for days you get home from work late, but add a dollop of zhoug to your eggs and it makes it feel gourmet.
Unfortunately, there’s a lot of fear around processed foods, so sometimes my clients feel like they have to make every sauce homemade to avoid preservatives or eat “clean.” But in the context of your overall eating pattern, as long as you’re eating plenty of fresh, whole foods, having some convenience foods in there makes healthy easy. While homemade sauces are really tasty, they’re not always realistic, so it’s nice to have a few convenient options on hand.
Noodle bowls are one of my favorites – just search noodle bowl on my blog and you’ll get approximately 4,583 results. To simplify it for a busy week, I used a store bought peanut sauce as a dressing (I got this one from whole foods), so this time to simplify it, I used a store bought peanut sauce. Before leaving for work, I tossed the chicken with a 5 minute marinade, although you could easily skip this step and do simple salt and pepper seasoned chicken, or use a store-bought marinade. Cooking dinner was as simple as sauteeing chicken, chopping some vegetables, and cooking rice noodles for 3 minutes in boiling water.
Love noodle bowls too? Click here for more of my noodle bowl recipes.
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Lemongrass Chicken Noodle Bowl with Peanut Sauce
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4
- Diet: Omnivore
Description
Flavorful chicken thighs marinated in a vibrant lemongrass dressing are served over rice noodles with fresh veggies. A delicious peanut sauce adds the perfect finishing touch.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cups (60 ml) lime juice
- 1 shallot
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 tbsp finely chopped lemongrass
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) canola oil
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) soy sauce
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) fish sauce
- 2 tsp brown sugar
- 1 1/4 cups (296 ml) boneless (skinless chicken thighs)
- 8 ounces (227 g) thin rice noodles
- 3 small cucumbers
- 1 large carrot
- Fresh basil leaves
- Fresh cilantro leaves
- 4 scallions
- Store bought peanut sauce
Instructions
- Whisk together lime juice, shallot, garlic, lemongrass, 1 tablespoon canola oil, soy sauce, fish sauce, and brown sugar in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Add chicken and toss to combine. Refrigerate for at least 4-24 hours to marinate.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook rice noodles for 2-4 minutes until tender. Drain and rinse with cold water.
- Heat remaining oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat (approximately 350°F/177°C). Add chicken and sauté for about 4 minutes per side until cooked through and slightly charred. Remove to a cutting board and let cool for 10 minutes before slicing.
- Divide rice noodles between bowls. Top with cucumber, carrot, herbs, and chicken. Drizzle with peanut sauce before serving.
Notes
- For a more intense lemongrass flavor, lightly bruise the lemongrass stalks before chopping.
- If you don’t have fish sauce, you can substitute with an extra teaspoon of soy sauce and a pinch of salt.
- Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; the flavors will meld beautifully overnight.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stir-Frying
- Cuisine: Southeast Asian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 10
- Sodium: 700
- Fat: 20
- Saturated Fat: 5
- Unsaturated Fat: 10
- Carbohydrates: 50
- Fiber: 5
- Protein: 35
- Cholesterol: 100
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of noodles should I use for the Lemongrass Chicken Noodle Bowl?
You can use rice noodles, soba noodles, or any preferred noodles that cook quickly and can hold the peanut sauce well.
How do I prepare the lemongrass for the chicken?
To prepare lemongrass, trim the tough ends, peel away the outer layers, and finely chop the tender white part to add flavor to your chicken.
Can I use store-bought peanut sauce for this recipe?
Yes, using store-bought peanut sauce is a great time-saver, and it pairs well with the fresh veggies and lemongrass chicken.
