Sweet and Sour Rice Noodles with Mini Peppers and Egg

Yum, Yum, Yum!!! One of my FAVE dishes ever! Slick noodles, glossy from an easy-and-compelling blend of sweet-and-sour sauce, mirin, soy sauce, herbs, and spices. That winning combination is festooned with caramelized bell peppers and moist fried eggs. About as close to perfection as you can get. Not gonna lie.

You won't believe how much flavor abounds from this dish - it's sweet, tangy, smoky from the charred vegetables, nutty from peanut and sesame oil, and rich from the fried eggs. It's also gluten-free and vegan friendly if you swap tofu for the eggs.

Also, the sauce is incredibly quick and painless because we start with store-bought sweet and sour sauce. Although those sauces can be overly sugary on their own, they truly come to life when they're balanced with salty soy sauce and tangy mirin.

Sweet and Sour Rice Noodles with Mini Peppers and Egg

8 ounces rice noodles
1 tablespoon peanut oil
2 cups sliced mini peppers or regular bell peppers
1/2 cup sliced onion
1 cup sweet and sour sauce
1/2 cup vegetable broth and water
2 tablespoons mirin (Japanese rice wine)
2 tablespoons soy sauce or liquid aminos
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon dried cilantro
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Cooking spray
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
Salt and ground black pepper
Chopped green onions for serving
Chopped fresh cilantro for serving

Blanch the rice noodles in a large pot of boiling water for 3 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Heat the peanut oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the peppers and onion and cook for 5 minutes, until soft and browned, stirring frequently.
In a small bowl, whisk together the sweet and sour sauce, broth or water, mirin, soy sauce, sesame oil, cilantro, and garlic powder. Add the mixture to the skillet and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, coat a small skillet with cooking spray and preheat to medium-high. Add the eggs and cook until the bottom is set. Flip and cook until the second side is set. Season with salt and pepper and transfer the the egg to a cutting board. Cut into bite-size pieces.
Add the noodles to the sauce and cook for 1 to 2 minutes to heat through (use tongs to separate the noodles and drench them in the sauce). Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Transfer the noodles to serving bowls and top with the cooked egg. Garnish with green onions and cilantro and serve.
Serves 4