Chinese Longevity Noodles

This Chinese Longevity Noodles recipe is spiced with Asian flavors and filled with chicken and healthy greens. It's a hearty comfort food meal made for the Lunar New Year, that can be enjoyed year-round.

Disclosure: I do not fancy myself an expert on Chinese New Year or Chinese cuisine -- below is basic information about it I've learned through my interest in the food.

This Lunar New Year's dish is everything! Easy to make, it's subtly spicy, a little bit saucy, super hearty, nutrient-rich, ultra comforting, and it might just bring you a whole lot of happiness and a very long life.

Clearly, this is a low risk-high reward-recipe!

This Chinese Longevity Noodles recipe is totally unforgettable - whether you're celebrating the Lunar New Year or not.

Ingredient Notes

• Chinese Longevity noodles. You can use fresh or dry noodles in this recipe. I use dry. You can find them at Chinese grocery stores, which are also online. If you can't find them, though not traditional, just use the longest noodles you can find. 🙂 More about Longevity noodles below.
• onion - Always choose onions that are heavy for their size.
• ginger root - Fresh ginger roots should be firm and also feel heavy for their size.
• fresh garlic - Look for firm heads of garlic without soft spots or green shoots, which indicate it's old. (Pro tip: if there are green shoots in your garlic cloves, slice them in half, lengthwise, and remove the green root with the tip of a knife. The rest of the clove should still be good.)
• Napa cabbage (Chinese Cabbage) - Napa cabbage is mild, very slightly sweet, with mostly tender, crinkly light green leaves with white ribs. Substitution: Green cabbage.
• Gai Lan - Gai Lan is actually Chinese Kale, and is often referred to as Chinese broccoli. The dark green leaves of Gai Lan are packed with nutrients and become soft, like spinach, when cooked. You can find it in most Asian markets and in some main stream grocery stores. Substitution: Spinach.
• chicken - I use chicken breasts. If you prefer you can use darker meat (chicken thighs). Either way, fresh raw chicken should be a light pink color with white pieces of fat, little to no odor, soft and moist.
• neutral oil - Avocado oil or vegetable oil are both good choices.
• chili paste - I use Sambal Oelek. The touch of heat is excellent with the chewy noodles and hearty veggies. Substitution: Crushed red pepper (use ⅓ the amount.)
• soy sauce or Tamari - Use low-sodium soy sauce or Tamari if possible.

What are Longevity Noodles?

• Chinese Longevity Noodles, or long noodles, are eaten all over China, and are usually stir-fried.
• These noodles are never cut or broken by the cook, and if they can be eaten without biting through the strands, it’s considered even more auspicious.
• Longevity Noodles are a type of Yi Mein, which is a Cantonese egg noodle made with wheat flour and soda water, which makes them a bit chewier.

How to Make it

- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the dry noodles. Immediately stir with a fork to be sure they don't stick together. Let them cook just until they're tender, about 9 minutes (or according to package instructions). Drain, add them back to the pot, and toss them with about a tablespoon of the oil. Set aside.

- Coat the bottom of a large skillet with 2 tablespoons of the oil, and place it over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic and ginger. Cook, stirring periodically, until the onions are soft, about 7 minutes.

- Add the Gai Lan and cabbage and stir with kitchen tongs. Cook until all of the greens are completely wilted, about 5 minutes. Then add them to the pot with the noodles. Do not clean the skillet!

- In a small bowl, use a small whisk or a fork to blend the chili paste with the soy sauce (or Tamari) and the remaining oil. Drizzle about ¾ of this into the pot with the noodles and veggies, and the rest into the skillet. Turn the on to medium, add the chicken, sprinkle it with salt and pepper. Moving it around from time to time, sauté just until it's cooked through, about 5 minutes.

- Now add the cooked chicken to everything in the pot and mix gently to combine evenly. Season to taste with salt and pepper if necessary. Serve!

Variations

• Mild version vs. extra spicy. Feel free to use more or less of the chili paste to suit your own taste. (For a crowd, I tend to use less and I serve it with crushed red pepper on the side so everyone can add more if they'd like to.)
• Gluten-free version. These brown rice ramen noodles would be a good alternate for making this recipe gluten-free. And a few different brands make gluten-free soy sauce.
• Other proteins. This noodle dish is fantastic with shrimp, steak and tofu. And if you have the time and want to kick it up a notch (or 10!), omit the chicken from the recipe, and make this spiced fall-apart chicken recipe a day ahead of time, and add it in when you mix in the vegetables.
• Other vegetables. Spinach, bok choy, broccoli, grated carrots, shiitake mushrooms, bean sprouts, green beans, edamame, peas and red bell peppers would all be fun in this recipe.
• For a richer version. Swap out 3 tablespoons of the oil for 3 tablespoons of melted unsalted butter. (It should be added at the end with the chili paste and soy sauce.)

Making it Ahead

Most noodle dishes are best the day they're made. However, if kept refrigerated in an airtight container, this should keep well for up to 4 days. To reheat, add a bit of water to loosen the noodles.

What is Chinese New Year?

• Chinese New Year, also referred to as the Lunar New Year, is a Chinese festival that marks the beginning of the new year.
• It starts on the second new moon after the winter solstice and ends on the full moon fifteen days later.
• The celebration typically revolves around spending time with family and friends, gift-giving, fireworks, and of course...special meals.

Seven Lucky Foods For Chinese New Year

There are seven foods considered to be lucky to eat during Chinese New Year: fish, dumplings, spring rolls, sweet rice balls, citrus fruits, rice cakes, and longevity noodles - the star of this recipe.

More Chinese New Year Menu Ideas

I hope you enjoy this comforting and delicious noodle dish whenever you decide to make it!