Just-Add-Water Peanut Lime Rice Noodle Bowls with Crunchy Slaw
Boil water on a camp stove or grate over the fire, pour it over rice vermicelli, and let it soak 5 to 7 minutes. Drain, rinse, and toss with a peanut-lime sauce stirred together in a bowl, plus slaw mix, carrots, green onions, and peanuts. Total time is about 20 minutes with one pot and one burner.
These noodles never touch a boil. You heat water, pour it over the noodles, and put a lid on. That means one pot, no simmering, and no scorched bottoms.
The sauce is peanut butter, soy sauce, lime, and a little brown sugar. The cabbage and carrots stay crunchy for a few days without ice, so this is a good lunch for the middle or end of a trip. Make it on the tailgate and eat it right away.
Just-Add-Water Peanut Lime Rice Noodle Bowls with Crunchy Slaw
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 10 min
- Serves
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Heat
- High flame to boil water, then off
- Pack weight
- 2 lb
- Campfire
- Camp stove
- Backpacking
- Cooler optional
- One burner
- Some water
- One-pan cleanup
- Prep ahead
Ingredients
Gear you'll need
- 2- to 3-quart pot with a lid
- Camp stove or fire grate
- Large mixing bowl
- Tongs or big spoon
- Small strainer or lid with drain gaps
- Cutting board and knife
- 4 bowls and forks
Steps
-
Boil the water
Bring 6 cups of water to a full boil in your pot on the stove or over a hot grate. Turn off the heat or pull the pot off the fire.
-
Soak the noodles
Break the noodles in half so they fit, then push them under the hot water. Cover and let sit 5 to 7 minutes, until tender with no hard center.
-
Mix the sauce
While the noodles soak, stir the peanut butter, soy sauce, lime juice, brown sugar, sesame oil, and pepper flakes together in a large bowl. Whisk in 3 tablespoons of hot water from the pot until it's pourable.
-
Drain and rinse
Drain the noodles with the lid cracked, then rinse them with a splash of cool water to stop the cooking and keep them from clumping. Shake off the extra water.
-
Toss it together
Add the noodles, slaw mix, and carrots to the bowl with the sauce. Toss with tongs or a spoon until everything is coated.
-
Top and serve
Divide into four bowls. Top with green onions, chopped peanuts, and cilantro if you have it, and squeeze on a little more lime if you like.
Trail Notes
Mix the sauce at home (everything except the hot water) and carry it in a jar. At camp, just thin it with hot water. Pack the cabbage and carrots in a zip bag.
Whole carrots and cabbage keep for a couple of days without ice. Wash produce with clean water before you cut or shred it. If it's a hot day, keep the sauce jar in the shade.
Use sunflower seed butter if anyone has a peanut allergy, and skip the topping peanuts. Use tamari if you need to avoid wheat.
Strain the noodle water and food bits, and pack the scraps out. Scatter the strained water at least 200 feet from streams, lakes, and camp.
Campers ask
Can you really cook rice noodles without boiling them?
Yes. Thin rice vermicelli softens in just-boiled water in 5 to 7 minutes with a lid on. Thicker rice noodles need longer or a quick simmer.
How do I keep rice noodles from sticking together at camp?
Rinse them with cool water right after draining, then toss with the sauce right away. The oil in the sauce keeps the strands loose.
Can I add protein to these peanut noodles?
Yes. Stir in a drained can of chickpeas or a pouch of cooked tofu. If you add cooked chicken, keep it at 40°F or below until you use it and eat the leftovers within 2 hours.
Cooked it? Rate & review it.
Your rating helps the next camper pick dinner. Got an idea to make it better? Tell us below — good ones get added to the recipe with credit to you.