Sweet and Sour Noodles with Vegetables (Gluten-Free)

This dish is Nirvana. Slippery rice noodles and caramelized vegetables (onions, bell peppers, carrots) in the most scintillating, glossy, sweet and sour sauce. This is restaurant-quality food, and it's made with a handful of ingredients, in your own kitchen, in less than 30 minutes.

And get this, this feast is vegan and gluten-free too. I'm not gonna lie, I ate 80% of what you see in this picture, with no shame (the boys had plenty of other things, don't worry).

Think about the options you have with this dish. I used green bell pepper, carrots and red onion, but you could also use zucchini, broccoli, yellow squash, bok choy, mushrooms, spinach, and sprouts. There's really no "wrong" ingredient to add here - even corn would be awesome.

This is absolutely my favorite thing I've ever made. As in EVER. Next time, I'm doubling the batch.

Sweet and Sour Noodles with Vegetables (Gluten-Free)

14 ounces gluten-free rice noodles, such as pad thai noodles
3/4 cup gluten-free sweet and sour sauce
1/4 cup vegetable broth, chicken broth or water
2 tablespoons gluten-free soy sauce (like Bragg liquid aminos)
1 tablespoon mirin (Japanese rice wine)
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon vegetable oil or peanut oil (I like the flavor of peanut oil)
1 cup thinly sliced red onion
1 green bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
1 carrot, cut into matchsticks or shredded
Salt and ground black pepper
Fresh cilantro leaves for serving, optional

Blanch the rice noodles in a large pot of boiling water for 4 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the sweet and sour sauce, broth (or water), soy sauce, mirin, onion powder, and garlic powder. Set aside.
Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper and carrot and cook for 5 minutes, until soft and golden, stirring frequently. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper.
Add the sweet and sour sauce mixture and bring to a simmer. Add the noodles and cook for 2 minutes, until the noodles are hot and coated with the sauce, stirring frequently and using a fork or tongs to separate the noodles.
Top with cilantro leaves (if using) and serve.
Serves 4