15 Noodle Bowls You Can’t Live Without

15 Noodle Bowls You Can’t Live Without ~ that’s right, these are game changing meals inspired by the iconic bowls of Japan, China, Thailand, Korea, and Vietnam.  Rich flavorful broth, amazing noodles, and piles of colorful, healthy toppings make these the 15 Asian noodle bowls you really do need in your life.

Noodle bowls are everything, they’re appropriate for every season of the year, and I’ve got recipes for vegans and meat lovers alike.  If you haven’t made one in your own kitchen you are seriously missing out on one of the great taste and textural experiences.

Maybe what’s holding you back is noodle confusion ~ I’ve been there myself.

Here’s a quick rundown of the different types of noodles you’re likely to see in your supermarket~ they can be fresh, or dried, but you’re much more likely to come across the dried ~ and don’t stress over this, you can use any of them in your noodle bowl, just follow the package instructions for cooking.

photo: Steamy Kitchen

• Ramen ~ a Japanese wheat noodle you know from the little packets.  It’s sold fresh and dried, the fresh are long and smooth, but the dried have a curly, kinky texture.
• Soba ~ Thin Japanese buckwheat noodles.  Pale grey or very light brown and straight, they can be used hot or cold.
• Udon ~ Japanese wheat noodles with a hearty texture, perfect for hot dishes.
• Somen ~ very thin wheat noodles often used cold in the summer, and also in Vietnamese pho.
• Chow mein ~ ‘mein’ means noodle in Chinese, and there are lots of variations on these classic wheat noodles.
• Rice noodles (vermicelli) ~ a translucent white, and made from rice flour, a great choice for gluten free noodle lovers.
• Glass noodles (bean threads, cellophane noodles) ~ made from bean starch, they’re translucent and have a slightly gelatinous texture.
• Homemade!  You can make Asian noodles from scratch…here are recipes for Udon, Ramen, and Squid Ink Noodles.
• Spiralized veggies ~ why not?

Tieghan from Half Baked Harvest gives this bowl of ramen a healthy makeover with collagen rich bone broth, lots of veggies, and fresh kale.  The noodles are made with brown rice, too.   If you’re used to bland ramen that comes in a cellophane bag, you’re going to love this colorful noodle bowl.  She shares the recipe over on The Chriselle Factor.

This Thai Green Curry Noodle Soup is a symphony of vibrant greens from lemongrass and basil, to broccolini.  Sylvia from Feasting at Home makes this stunning bowl in about 20 minutes with the help of store bought green curry paste.

Bev from Bev Cooks uses the noddles from regular grocery store ramen but tosses the seasoning pack in favor of a rich miso broth (complete with fish sauce) and some serious roasted and shredded pork.  She gilds the lily with a fat dollop of spicy Sambal Oelek.  Get the recipe here.

Are you all about the noodles?  No prob, here’s a bowl of HONEY GARLIC GINGER NOODLES.  Dennis from @dennistheprescott sauces these chow mein noodles with tons of classic flavor and a good bit of spice.

This gorgeous rainbow bowl of ramen is ingeniously made with sweet potato and zucchini noodles.  Anneka from @ANNEKAEATS uses radishes, green onions, and purple carrot ribbons to complete the color scheme.

My Easy Slow Cooker Vietnamese Pho Recipe makes use of the crock pot to do all the heavy lifting, and after the broth is cooked to perfection, all you have to do is assemble this aromatic noodle bowl.

Lindsay from Pinch of Yum makes this unique Bangkok Coconut Curry Noodle Bowl with a fresh flavor profile and pad Thai style noodles.  Love that crunchy red cabbage garnish.

This Chilled Cucumber and Sesame Soup with Trio of Noodles is proof that a noodle bowl doesn’t have to be steaming hot to be irresistible.  Ash Hays of @formysenses uses vermicelli, hokkien, and soba noodles in this refreshing bowl.

I made these Beef and Broccoli Noodle Bowls with Japanese udon noodles that just require a quick soak to soften them.   Quick cooking thin slices of sirloin steak and lots of crunchy broccoli and water chestnuts makes this our favorite 30 minute meal.

When noodles are this good, it pays to make a whole pot of them, like this Kombu Ramen from Judy Kim.  Dried kombu (seaweed) gives this quick broth great umami flavor.

A Tofu packed soba noodle bowl with a surprise topping of sunflower sprouts and fried shallots from Sun Basket.  The soba (buckwheat) noodles cook in 5 minutes making this a quick and easy meatless meal.

Vermicelli noodles star in this pretty green curry noodle bowl from Taylor, the Girl on Bloor.  I love that she uses peanut butter and coconut milk to boost the flavor, and she makes her own homemade green curry paste.

These simple Teriyaki Salmon Noodle Bowls from The Cozy Apron rely on big chunks of caramelized salmon and brown rice spaghetti style noodles.  If you marinate the salmon overnight, the meal comes together in a flash.

This vibrant Shrimp & Zoodle Thai Curry Bowl from Vodka & Biscuits is an aromatic Whole 30 meal guaranteed to chase away any chill.