There's something incredibly comforting about a big, steaming bowl of noodles. Easy to cook – and with several varieties to choose from – they marry well with a whole host of ingredients, so there's bound to be a dish to please everyone. From noodle soups to stir-fries and salads, we've rounded up our very best noodle recipes, perfect for midweek meals.
Click or scroll through our gallery to discover our tastiest noodle recipes ever – counting down to the most irresistible of all.
Packed with the flavours of sesame, soy, ginger, chilli and garlic, this is a veggie creation everyone will love. When your vegetables are ready, add a squeeze of fresh lime juice and a handful of crunchy peanuts, and serve them on top of the noodles. Not only is this dish quick and easy to make, but it's healthy, too.
A grown-up version of a student classic, this umami-filled chicken pot noodle is bursting with shredded chicken, mushrooms, spring onion, mangetout and, of course, noodles. It's quick and easy to prepare; when you're ready to eat, all you need to do is pour some just-boiled water over the top. What could be simpler?
Here's a noodle recipe with a twist. Forget dried udon and soba – this colourful dish is made with spiralised potato noodles. Loaded with mushrooms, beansprouts, spring onions, peppers, carrots and kale, and flavoured with sesame, ginger, chilli and coriander, it's as punchy as it is pretty. Not only that, but it's on the table in next to no time.
This Japanese-inspired dish is full of soul-nourishing flavours – we're talking chewy ramen noodles, crispy, panko-coated chicken breasts and jammy soft-boiled eggs, all in a coconutty, garlicky, spicy broth. While it looks impressive, it's surprisingly simple to put together, and the ingredients are all relatively easy to get hold of.
Easy to pull together for lunch or dinner, this bright, healthy salad is the perfect combination of bold garlic and ginger, earthy buckwheat noodles and zingy dressing. To make it even more substantial, you could add marinated and baked tofu cubes or some extra steamed vegetables.
Chow mein always hits the spot when you're in the mood for something fast, tasty and incredibly satisfying – and with this straightforward recipe from legendary chef Ken Hom, you can easily rustle it up at home. A lip-smacking muddle of egg noodles, juicy prawns and crunchy vegetables, it's filling and flavoursome in equal measure. Could it be your new Friday night go-to?
Summer rolls are healthier than deep-fried spring rolls, making them perfect for a light snack. Best of all, they're very easy to make at home. Featuring a tasty mix of noodles and vegetables, this recipe's rolls are vegetarian – but feel free to experiment with your fillings if you'd prefer a meaty version. Don't forget the dipping sauce!
Filled with tongue-tingling flavours, this Vietnamese-inspired noodle soup is guaranteed to warm you up from top to toe. It's a riff on a traditional dish eaten in Vietnam for breakfast, lunch and dinner, but with one extra ingredient: fragrant, lightly spiced pork meatballs. The key to making this dish really tasty? Nuoc cham dipping sauce, a sweet and salty Vietnamese staple.
Get the recipe for Vietnamese noodle soup with pork meatballs here
This recipe takes noodles, minced lamb and vegetables, and serves them up in a flavourful broth. The stars of the show? Chilli bean paste and Sichuan peppercorns (which really pack a punch). These authentic ingredients combine perfectly with ginger, garlic and miso for to create a taste sensation you'll want to experience again and again.
A traditional Malaysian dish, laksa is a sweet and sour coconut noodle soup – and it goes down a treat when you're craving something spicy. Happily, you'll only need a few easy-to-find ingredients to make it. Our recipe calls for cooked turkey, but you could also use leftover roast chicken, if you like.
Fresh and satisfying, this salmon noodle bowl is a dish that can be thrown together very quickly – plus, you can include whatever vegetables you have in the fridge. In fact, you can tailor the recipe however you like; if the mood takes you, you could pickle carrot or cucumber instead of radishes, or add a pile of steamed broccoli to make it even more filling.
Full of Thai flavours, this aromatic broth features ginger, lemongrass, lime leaves and chilli. The recipe is vegetarian and contains tofu, which you could happily substitute with chicken or prawns (if you're so inclined). Coconut milk gives the dish a rich creaminess, and a final topping of Thai basil and coriander adds a burst of freshness.
What happens when you cross a cavolo nero and spring onion omelette with pork belly, peas, noodles and a buttery soy sauce? Simple – you get this fun, family-friendly meal! Ready in 30 minutes (and packed with flavours everyone will enjoy), it's a fantastic dish to have up your sleeve on a school night.
This light and fresh dish of chicken, shredded carrots, spring onions, cucumber and wholewheat noodles makes for a delicious dinner that's packed full of nutrients. Flavoured with garlic, ginger, crushed Sichuan peppercorns, soy sauce, sesame oil and chilli – along with crunchy peanut butter – it's tantalisingly tasty.
Get the recipe for Sichuan bang bang chicken with spicy peanut sauce here
When you're craving comfort, there's nothing better than a warming bowl of noodle soup – and this prawn laksa is ready in just 15 minutes. It has an irresistibly creamy coconut base, balancing out the heat from the chilli and red curry paste. If you want to add some vegetables, try throwing in pak choi, chard, kale or spinach after you've added the stock and coconut milk.
Also known as ohn no khauk swe, this Burmese dish is lightly spiced, rich with coconut, and sure to blow away any cobwebs after a long day. You can make the chicken curry in advance; when you're ready to eat, serve it up with crispy fried noodles, hard-boiled eggs, chilli flakes and coriander.
A satisfying blend of silky udon noodles and strips of crispy chicken katsu, this hearty recipe is sure to please a crowd. The flavoursome sauce combines nutty sesame seeds, salty soy and miso – plus a dash of mirin for a touch of acidity. You can store any leftover miso sauce in the fridge for later (it'll keep for up to five days).
A throw-it-all-together feast of a meal, this Vietnamese take on a Cantonese classic has it all: king prawns, roast pork, scrambled omelette, noodles and veggies. The ingredients list may seem long, but don't be put off; everything is fairly easy to get hold of, and the dish is wholly uncomplicated (it comes together in just 25 minutes).
Get the recipe for Vietnamese-style Singapore fried noodles here
A Southern Chinese favourite, beef in black bean sauce is always a winner. In this easy 15-minute recipe, courtesy of TV chef Ching-He Huang, it's paired with straight-to-wok noodles, making for a tasty (and substantial) meal. With just one twirl of your fork, your taste buds will be transported to the bustling streets of Hong Kong.
Get the recipe for Cantonese beef and black bean noodles here
This pretty little bowlful is the ultimate comfort dish for one – it's healthy, hearty and full of zingy Japanese-inspired flavours that are sure to get your mouth watering. It's pleasingly low effort, too; just whip up a pack of miso ramen noodles, throw in some veggies and a few taste-boosting herbs and spices, then top with pan-cooked salmon.
To make this simple yet satisfying dish, bowls of sesame seeds, crispy chilli oil, soy sauce, maple syrup, black vinegar, sesame oil, coriander and garlic chives are crowned with cooked noodles, then drenched in hot garlic and shallot oil. Mix everything together as you eat – and feel free to add any extra toppings you like.
This satay chicken dish is proof that sometimes, the simplest recipes are the most delicious of all. A palate-pleasing combo of juicy chicken, crunchy onions and peppers, and chewy udon noodles, it's all made in one wok – and it comes together in less than 20 minutes. For extra texture, you could try adding a sprinkle of crushed salted peanuts before serving.
Learn how to make this classic Japanese noodle dish, and you'll be able to wheel it out whenever you want a satisfying, umami-rich dinner. It's a speedy stir-fry of buckwheat noodles, pork and cabbage, but you can tweak it depending on what ingredients you have to hand. Why not make it even more filling by adding a tasty fried egg topping?
In the mood for something a little different? This fabulous fusion dish sees full English breakfast staples crispy bacon, fried eggs and mushrooms added to Japanese seasoned noodles. It may not be a combination that's ever occurred to you before, but trust us – once you've tried it, there's no going back!
In this light, savoury ramen dish, the cod is the star of the show; the only accompaniment it needs is a handful of green vegetables and some chewy noodles. Inspired by the classic Japanese dish miso black cod, the marinade is packed with delicious umami flavours – making it perfect for a nutritious, mood-boosting dinner.
This clever recipe sees noodles made from spiralised sweet potato mixed with mushrooms and spinach, then smothered in a creamy satay sauce. To make the sauce, ingredients including crunchy peanut butter, almond milk, lime, chilli and honey are simply blended and seasoned to taste. It's an easy dinner that's bound to become a favourite.
Get the recipe for sweet potato noodles with a creamy peanut satay sauce here
Ready in less than half an hour, this spicy, warming broth is crammed full of rice noodles and thinly sliced beef. Finished with tangy lime and heady coriander (both of which help to cut through the richness of the soup), it's a fabulously tasty meal to have in your roster – especially for those evenings when you need dinner in a hurry.
A popular Vietnamese dish, rice noodle bowls (or bún) are just the thing for a tasty, healthy supper or fancy lunch. The dipping sauce will keep for up to two weeks when refrigerated, so it's worth making a bigger batch to use whenever you need it. When you're ready to eat, simply boil some noodles, then pull together any vegetables and protein you'd like to add.
This Sichuan mushroom chow mein is simple to make – and it has bags of spicy flavour. Better (and quicker) than any chow mein you could get delivered, this veggie version is ready in just 10 minutes. If you want to make it meaty, simply throw in some cooked chicken strips when the dish is nearly ready.
Fiery, aromatic dan dan noodles don't tend to take long as it is – but this recipe manages to pack an epic flavour punch in a fraction of the usual time (and with fewer ingredients required). Frying the sausage and five spice until crisp is a sneaky way of emulating traditional Sichuan peppercorn–spiced pork. We won't tell if you won't!
This recipe uses chicken thighs – but if you prefer, you can use breasts (or even leftover roast chicken) instead. The broth is deliciously creamy and coconutty, with chilli, lemongrass and ginger adding plenty of moreish Thai flavour. Want to change it up a little? You could swap the mangetout for pak choi and spring onions, depending on your preference.
The Vietnamese noodle soup pho is traditionally laden with fragrant spices – star anise, five spice, black peppercorns, cinnamon and coriander – as well as garlic, ginger and fish sauce. In our recipe, meat, rice noodles, spring onions, mint and lime juice all work in harmony to create what has to be one of the tastiest and most wholesome meals ever.
When you're craving a big bowl of comfort, pad Thai is just the ticket – and it's a lot easier to make at home than you might think. A slight twist on the classic recipe, this chicken and prawn version incorporates fresh mint and coriander, as well as a sweet and salty sauce you'll want to eat by the spoonful.
A traditional Japanese recipe dedicated to the popular autumnal pastime of moon viewing, this egg and noodle bowl is full of goodness. The just-cooked egg yolk sits atop thick and chewy noodles in a luscious sauce of shiitake, mirin and soy. Finished with a pinch of shichimi-togarashi, a Japanese spice mix, this recipe is a real treat to make and eat.
The star of this simple recipe is its irresistible four-ingredient satay dressing. If you've never tried straight-to-wok noodles, give them a go – they're a massive time-saver in the kitchen (and they'll help to cut down on the washing up, too). Perfect for a veggie-packed midweek meal, this healthy vegan recipe is surprisingly quick and easy to make.
This ramen recipe is a great one to have in your repertoire – it's speedy to make, and you can add whatever vegetables are lingering in the fridge. You can buy miso ramen noodles to make it, but you could also add miso paste to the cooking water if you're using plain noodles. Complete with a touch of chilli and sesame seeds, it's a dish that's as flavoursome as it is filling.
Try this tasty chicken chow mein recipe from Chinese cooking maestro Ken Hom, and you'll never order a takeaway version again. Ready in 30 minutes, this easy dish features egg noodles, chicken, Parma ham, mangetout and spring onions – and soy sauce and Shaoxing rice wine combine to make the irresistible sauce.
Get the recipe for chicken chow mein here
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Last updated by Jessica Morris.