Chinese Sesame Noodles
A pantry ingredient you can find in Asian markets is the secret to this popular warm-weather dish.
- Serves
4
- Cook
15 minutes


This popular Chinese noodle dish featuring toasted sesame paste is as deliciously nutty as it is simple to prepare. Top each bowl with thinly sliced vegetables like cucumbers and carrots for a light warm-weather main. For proper texture, be sure to toss the noodles in the sauce just before serving. Overly thick sauce can be thinned with additional water (a teaspoon at a time, incorporating well after each addition). Find Chinese egg noodles in either the refrigerator or freezer section at Asian markets; they’re sometimes labeled “yangchun.”
Featured in: "Sesame Paste Isn’t Tahini—And It Might Be Your New Favorite Condiment," by Megan Zhang.
Ingredients
- 16 oz. Chinese egg noodles (see note)
- 1 tbsp. sesame oil, plus more for drizzling
- ¼ cups toasted sesame paste
- 2 tbsp. light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp. plus 2 tsp. rice vinegar
- 2 tsp. ginger, finely chopped
- 2 tsp. sugar
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 tsp. toasted sesame seeds
- 1 medium carrot, peeled and cut into long, thin slices
- 1 scallion, thinly sliced on the bias
- ½ medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut into long, thin slices