Spicy Garlic Shiitake Mushrooms and Glass Noodles

This spicy garlic shiitake mushrooms with glass noodles is another quick summer dish that you can whip up without too much time at the stove. It’s vegetarian (as long as you sub in vegetarian oyster sauce), easy to make, and only has 10 ingredients! 

Garlic & Glass Noodles: The Perfect Combination

Consider this recipe yet another canvas for one of our favorite combinations: garlic and glass noodles.

You may have seen us use just such a combination in any of the following recipes: 

1. King Oyster Mushrooms with Garlicky Glass Noodles
2. Steamed Scallops with Glass Noodles
3. Steamed Shrimp with Glass Noodles (Two Ways)

It really is an irresistible flavor. The garlic is just barely cooked, so it has sweetness as well as that sharp zing that only raw garlic has. 

The addition of soy sauce with a little sugar balances it all out, and the glass noodles soak it all up. This version also has chopped chili for an extra kick of spice.

Shiitake Mushrooms: Umami Flavor Bombs

This time, rather than scallops, shrimp, or diced king oyster mushrooms, the noodles are formed into little nests and placed on top of a blanched shiitake mushroom. 

This is another idea we got from the Chinese Internet. The minute we saw the hot oil sizzling over the top of tiny piles of garlic on mushrooms and noodles, we knew we had to develop a version of it!

To make sure all the flavor of the sauce gets into the mushroom itself, we score the mushrooms with a crosshatch pattern. The mushrooms also get brushed with a layer of oyster sauce (or vegetarian oyster sauce) for additional seasoning. 

This recipe is a great addition to any table of family-style dishes, or can be served as a light appetizer! 

Let’s get to the recipe. 

Recipe Instructions

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Remove the stems from the shiitake mushrooms, and rinse them to remove any dirt. 

Add the minced garlic and chopped chilies to a small heatproof bowl. Set aside. 

When the water is boiling, add the mung bean vermicelli. You’ll see them soften immediately when they hit the hot liquid. Remove the noodles with a strainer or pasta spoon, drain, and set aside. 

Add the mushrooms to the boiling water, and blanch until tender, about 2 minutes. 

Drain, and when they’re cool enough to handle, use a paring knife to score the mushrooms with a crisscross pattern, cutting deep into the mushroom without slicing all the way through.

Brush the mushrooms with oyster sauce or vegetarian oyster sauce.

Take a small amount of the glass noodles, forming it into a nest around your index and middle fingers. Place on top of each mushroom. 

Heat the oil in a small saucepan until it’s shimmering. Pour about 1 tablespoon of the oil over the garlic and chilies, and set the rest of the oil back on the stove to keep warm. 

Add the light soy sauce, hot water, and sugar to the garlic/chili mixture.

Stir until combined, and spoon over the top of the noodles on each mushroom. Drizzle any remaining sauce evenly over the mushrooms as well. 

Heat up your oil again until it’s shimmering, and carefully pour a small amount over each mushroom. Any garlic on the noodles should sizzle on contact. Sprinkle with cilantro, and serve.