Ho fun noodles, flat rice noodles stir-fried in a simple sauce with loads of veggies, are the perfect vegetarian Chinese-influenced fakeaway.
It also goes by the names ho fan noodles and chow fun and it’s not only delicious, but it’s quick too rocking in at a speedy 20-25 minutes, which includes preparation.
Stir-Fried Ho Fan or Chow Fun Noodles
I love noodles and cook with them all of the time in dishes that range from old favourites like chicken chow mein and dan dan noodles to less well-known dishes like yakisoba pan, a Japanese noodle “hotdog”!
My latest offering is Chinese in influence and not a dish usually seen on takeaway menus in the UK, but it’s a wonderful dish.
Stir-fried ho fun or as it’s sometimes called ho fan or even chow fun noodles starring wide flat rice noodles.
My version is vegan/vegetarian depending on what variant of vegan/vegetarian oyster sauce you buy.
It’s also loaded with vegetables, pak choi, sugar snap peas, bean sprouts, onions and the rather lovely shiitake mushrooms make an appearance. It’s all finished with a really easy and quick stir-fry sauce made with store cupboard ingredients.
And all of this lovely grub can be in your belly in around 20-25 minutes!
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the best way to prepare these noodles?
Us recipe developers love to be “absolutists” when it comes to the “best” methods to do anything. I’m far more pragmatic when it comes to cooking!
If I have plenty of time to put this recipe together I would soak my dried noodles in room temperature water for 60-90 minutes, before putting them in the wok. If you use this method they will take an extra 60 seconds to stir fry. This method produces the best results, but the cost is time!
But this is meant to be a quick recipe, as a result, I prefer to boil my noodles. They will stick together when resting but they will release quite well when you str fry them.
The final option is to soak them in boiling water, this takes a little longer 10-12 minutes and produces results very similar to the boiled noodles.
Can I make this in advance?
Unlike egg noodles, rice noodles do not reheat particularly well, they can become quite slimy and “squidgy”. I would avoid cooking and reheating this dish.
Can I use different vegetables?
Yes, knock yourself out, everything from cabbage to asparagus and mangetout to carrots works really well in this recipe.
Is vegan/vegetarian oyster sauce any good?
If you are vegetarian or vegan, yes! The flavours are not quite the same as the non-vegetarian options, but you do get a lovely salty, umami base for your sauce that is difficult to replicate in any other way.
Do I have to use the MSG?
No, feel free to omit it if you like, but you will be missing out on a punch of flavour!
Serving Suggestions
I tend to serve this stir-fried ho fun (aka ho than & chow fun) noodles recipe as a light stand-alone vegetarian or vegan main course without a side.
If I want to bulk it out I would tend to do it with a starter, some crispy egg/spring rolls or prawn toast are nice fairly light options.
A nice bowl of soup would also work really well. My vegetarian hot and sour soup would be superb and if you are a meat eater, how about a bowl of Chinese chicken and sweetcorn soup?
The vegetarian/vegan chow fun recipe also makes for a wonderful side dish for 3-4 people.
It perfectly accompanies pork dishes like my Chinese braised pork knuckle, crispy Chinese five-spice pork belly and char siu pork tenderloin.
Equipment Used
I only name-check specific brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.
- Hob/Stovetop.
- Wok.
- Stirring and serving spoons.
- Saucepan for cooking the rice noodles, or other equipment as required.
- Sieve or colander and a tray to rest the noodles if you are following my method.
- Chopping board.
- Kitchen knife.
- A combination of weighing scales, measuring cups and spoons.
Stir Fried Ho Fun Noodles Recipe
You can't beat a good stir fry for a quick and satisfying meal, ho fun noodles (aka ho fan and chow fun) are wide rice noodles from Hong Kong and Southern China, my version of this simple dish is vegan/vegetarian so long as you but some veggie/vegan oyster sauce.
Ingredients
- 200g (7oz) Dry Wide Rice Noodles
For the Sauce:
- 2 Tbsp Light Soy Sauce
- ½ Tbsp Dark Soy Sauce
- 2½ Tbsp Vegan/Vegetarian Oyster Sauce
- ½ Tsp Toasted Sesame Oil
- ¼ Tsp Sugar
- Pinch of MSG
For the Vegetables:
- 1 Small Onion
- 200g (7oz) Shiitake Mushrooms
- 2 Medium Pak Choi
- 100g (1 Cup) Sugar Snap Peas
- 2 Garlic Cloves
- 3 Spring Onions
- 100g (1 Cup) Bean Sprouts
- 2 Tbsp Cooking Oil
Instructions
- Begin by cooking the noodles in boiling water, your packet should give you a "steer", but generally speaking they take 2-3 minutes. They should be a little firm in the centre, they will continue to cook in the sauce later. Once they have been boiled drain them then transfer them to a plate or baking dish, spread them out in a single layer and allow them to cool.
- Add the ingredients for the sauce to a small mixing bowl and stir them until the MSG and sugar have dissolved.
- Top and tail the onion, cut it in half, peel it and then cut it into 5mm (¼") thick slices, cutting top to bottom and not across the onion.
- Trim the stems from the shiitake mushrooms, do not discard them, freeze them they are great in a stock, then cut the caps into 5mm (¼") thick strips.
- Cut the pak choi in half lengthways, then cut the tougher stalks into 5mm (¼") thick slices and the leafy green part into 1cm (½") thick strips. Keep the green parts and the stalk of the pak choi separate.
- Cut the sugar snap peas into bit sized pieces.
- Peel the garlic cloves and slice them as thinly as you can.
- Finely slice the spring onions at a 45° angle to the stalk.
- Heat a wok over a fiercely high heat and when the wok is shimmering add the oil and the onions, then stir fry for 1 minute.
- Add the garlic and shiitake mushrooms, then stir fry for another minute.
- Add the stalks from the pak choi and stir fry, again for 1 minute.
- Throw in the noodles, green parts of the pak choi, sugar snap peas and the bean sprouts, pour over the sauce and stir fry until the noodles are hot, this will take a minute or two. The noodles will be sticky when you add them, but they will loosen up when you add the stir fry them.
- Finally, sprinkle over the spring onions before serving.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
2Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 633Total Fat: 17gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 2184mgCarbohydrates: 105gFiber: 9gSugar: 10gProtein: 16g
Calorific details are provided by a third-party application and are to be used as indicative figures only.