Singapore Noodles are one of our go-to’s when we get a craving for Chinese takeout. With plenty of curry powder and thin rice noodles, it’s a family favorite. In fact, Singapore Noodles is one of the dishes we use to gauge how good a Chinese takeout joint is!
A Vegetarian Version of a Family Favorite
But one of the best things about this vegetarian Singapore noodles recipe is that it can be easily made for your vegetarian and vegan friends and family by omitting the standard trio of Chinese roast pork, shrimp and eggs you’ll find in the classic Singapore Noodles, or Singapore Mei Fun.
And It Happens to be Gluten-Free!
What’s more, for those of you who don’t already know it, mei fun (sometimes spelled mai fun) noodles are a thin rice noodle that can be found totally gluten-free! (Some brands can sometimes contain small amounts of wheat flour and wheat starch, so be sure to check the ingredients list.)
And since this recipe doesn’t call for any soy sauce, the entire recipe can easily be made gluten-free as well. Quite the happy accident, as we know many of our readers have trouble finding gluten-free noodle recipes that don’t rely on soy sauce.
But even if you’re not vegetarian, vegan or gluten-free, these Vegetarian Singapore Noodles are still a great option for light dinners, meatless Mondays, or when you’re looking to eat a bit healthier. You won’t be disappointed!
Vegetarian Singapore Noodles: Recipe Instructions
In a large bowl, soak the mei fun dried rice noodles in 8 cups of hot water for 30 to 45 minutes. Drain the rice noodles in a colander and set aside.
Prepare the vegetables and set them aside. The dish comes together quickly, so it helps to put them on plates ready to go by the stove. If using dried mushrooms, soak them for at least 30 minutes in hot water. (For other tips, see our Chinese Dried and Preserved Ingredients page.) When preparing the fresh leeks, they should be julienned first and then washed 2 to 3 times, as they are quite sandy.
Combine 1 teaspoon turmeric powder, 1½ tablespoons Malaysian curry powder (preferred) or a Madras curry powder, 2 teaspoons salt, 1¼ teaspoons sugar, and ⅛ teaspoon ground white pepper. Set aside.
Heat your wok to medium heat, and add ¼ cup of vegetable oil around the perimeter of the wok.
Stir the garlic into the oil…
And immediately add the Shiitake mushrooms, bell pepper, carrots, cabbage, broccoli, and ⅔ of your leeks. Turn the heat up to the highest setting.
Stir-fry everything together for 1 minute, and add the spices you prepared earlier along with 1 tablespoon of Shaoxing wine.
Next, add the mei fun dried rice noodles and stir fry everything together for another 5-6 minutes until well combined and the rice noodles are warmed through.
Cover the wok for 1 minute if you feel it’s not hot enough or if the noodles are not lightly sizzling. A quiet wok at this point means there’s not enough heat! If your stove heat is not very strong, warming the noodles may take longer, and they may start to dry out. If this happens, add 2 tablespoons of water around the perimeter of the wok.
When steam starts rising from your noodles and they’re nearly done, add the other ⅓ of the leeks to the mixture. Stir fry for another minute, incorporating the leeks. A fresh and slightly more raw onion flavor is what we’re going for!
Transfer to a dish and serve your vegetarian Singapore noodles immediately with homemade hot chili oil or chiu chow chili oil.
Vegetarian Singapore Noodles
Ingredients
- 8 ounces mei fun dried rice noodles
- 3 ounces fresh Shiitake mushrooms (or 4 to 5 reconstituted dried shiitake mushrooms, sliced)
- 1 small yellow or red bell pepper (julienned)
- 1 medium carrot (julienned)
- 6 ounces napa cabbage (julienned)
- 3 ounces broccoli florets (cut into small pieces)
- 5 ounces leeks (julienned and thoroughly washed)
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1½ tablespoons Malaysian curry powder or Madras curry powder
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1¼ teaspoons sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon white pepper
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 2 cloves garlic (chopped)
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
- 2-3 tablespoons hot water
Instructions
- In a large bowl, soak the mei fun dried rice noodles in 8 cups of hot water for 30 to 45 minutes minutes. Drain the rice noodles in a colander and set aside.
- Prepare the vegetables and set them aside. The dish comes together quickly, so it helps to put them on plates ready to go by the stove. If using dried mushrooms, soak them for at least 30 minutes in hot water. (For other tips, see our Chinese Dried and Preserved Ingredients page.) When preparing the fresh leeks, they should be julienned first and then washed 2 to 3 times, as they are quite sandy.
- Combine 1 teaspoon turmeric powder, 1½ tablespoons Malaysian curry powder (preferred) or a Madras curry powder, 2 teaspoons salt, 1¼ teaspoons sugar, and ⅛ teaspoon ground white pepper. Set aside.
- Heat your wok to medium heat, and add ¼ cup of vegetable oil around the perimeter of the wok.
- Stir the garlic into the oil, and immediately add the Shiitake mushrooms, bell pepper, carrots, cabbage, broccoli, and ⅔ of your leeks. Turn the heat up to the highest setting.
- Stir-fry everything together for 1 minute, and add the spices you prepared earlier along with 1 tablespoon of Shaoxing wine.
- Next, add the mei fun dried rice noodles and stir fry everything together for another 5-6 minutes until well combined and the rice noodles are warmed through. Cover the wok for 1 minute if you feel it’s not hot enough or if the noodles are not lightly sizzling. A quiet wok at this point means there’s not enough heat! If your stove heat is not very strong, warming the noodles may take longer, and they may start to dry out. If this happens, add 2 tablespoons of water around the perimeter of the wok.
- When steam starts rising from your noodles and they’re nearly done, add the other ⅓ of the leeks to the mixture. Stir fry for another minute, incorporating the leeks. A fresh and slightly more raw onion flavor is what we’re going for! Transfer to a dish and serve immediately
Thanks for the recipe. I’m not a fan of leeks. Difficult to prepare and when done some of the strands in the dish are stringy and inedible. Can you recommend a replacement, maybe spring onions or regular onions and an extra garlic clove or something?
Hi Blaine, you can use green onions/scallions instead of leeks. Leeks should be quite tender and not stringy at all. You have to peel any tougher outer layers and discard them, although most places that sell it have already done that.
Thanks Bill. These leeks were huge and I don’t think anything had been peeled off. I’ll keep my out out for smaller ones and will use the substitutes until then.
Hello Family Bill, I made your ‘Vegetarian Singapore Noodle’ recipe for my family, and praised your talents. Everyone loved your dish! Also, I made it again and took it to a ‘potluck’ dinner. There were no leftovers. Food is nourishment, food is love. Thank you for sharing. Blessings to you all.
That’s fabulous :-) Thank you so much.