Shrimp Noodle Bowls

Sure, it’s tempting to order from your local ramen or Thai restaurant when nothing but a bowl of saucy, slurp-worthy noodles will do. But thanks to a few store-bought shortcut ingredients, these shrimp noodle bowls come together in less time than it takes to wait for takeout! We love easy weeknight recipes with shrimp as the primary protein because it cooks quickly, and precooked frozen shrimp is easy to thaw.

With a bag of broccoli slaw mix, a bag of precooked shrimp and some store-bought sesame ginger dressing, you can transform a box of pasta into a flavorful and filling meal. This dish is tasty served warm or cold, works as a main or side dish and is easy to customize, whether you’re craving a different protein, lots of veggies or a spicy sauce.

Ingredients for Shrimp Noodle Bowls

• Angel hair pasta: The base of our bowls, long skinny noodles soak up the savory dressing. This recipe calls for angel hair pasta because it’s quick-cooking, but you can also use spaghetti, or ramen or soba noodles.
• Shrimp: You’ll need 1 pound of small (41-50 per pound) shrimp for the main protein in this dish. We like smaller shrimp for this recipe because they’re bite-sized and easier to pick up on a fork with the noodles and veggies. To save time, you can use fresh or frozen precooked shrimp (just thaw them first). Of course, you can boil, broil or grill fresh shrimp if you prefer.
  
• Broccoli coleslaw: This mix of shredded broccoli stalks, cabbage and carrots adds a crunchy texture to the noodle bowls—no chopping required. Find broccoli slaw mix near the salad kits at your local supermarket. If some veggie shreds are super long, chop them into smaller, bite-sized pieces.
• Green onion: Sliced green onions add freshness and a touch of onion flavor without overpowering the dish.
• Cilantro: Fresh minced cilantro adds bright, herby flavor and a pop of color. If you’re not a fan, skip it or substitute it with parsley or basil.
• Sesame ginger salad dressing: This recipe calls for convenient store-bought dressing, but you can whip up a sweet and savory ginger salad dressing with fresh ginger root and a few pantry staples.

Directions

Step 1: Cook the pasta

Cook the angel hair pasta according to the package directions. Drain the noodles and rinse them in cold water, then transfer them to a large bowl.

Editor’s Tip: If you’re serving these shrimp noodle bowls warm, you can skip the cold water rinse.

Step 2: Mix the noodle bowls

Add the cooked shrimp, broccoli coleslaw mix, green onions and cilantro to the noodles. Drizzle with 2/3 cup of sesame ginger dressing, then toss everything together. Serve the bowls immediately or cover and refrigerate them until you’re ready to eat.

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Shrimp Noodle Bowl Variations

• Add more veggies: Toss colorful sliced bell peppers, diced cucumber, shredded carrots or cubes of avocado into the noodle mixture for extra nutrition, color, texture and flavor (is there anything veggies can’t do?).
• Change the noodles: Any long, skinny pasta shape, like ramen noodles, spaghetti or buckwheat soba noodles, can be the base of a delicious noodle bowl. Use whole wheat pasta for added fiber or substitute zucchini noodles to make it a low-carb noodle bowl.
• Make it spicy: Satisfy the heat lovers with a pinch of red chili pepper flakes or a drizzle of Sriracha.
• Add nuts and seeds: I don’t know about you, but I love the texture of nuts in noodle bowls and stir-fries. Try this shrimp noodle bowl with chopped peanuts, slivered almonds or halved cashews for extra crunch. A sprinkle of sesame or sunflower seeds also makes a pretty finish.
• Vegetarian noodle bowls: Make these noodles entirely plant-based by swapping cubes of firm tofu and shelled edamame for the shrimp.
• Mix a flavor booster into the dressing: Transform the dressing into a creamy, nutty sauce by whisking in a couple tablespoons of creamy peanut butter, or pour the dressing into an old peanut butter jar and give it a shake. For a little kick, stir in minced garlic.

How to Store Shrimp Noodle Bowls

Store leftover shrimp and noodles in an airtight container in the fridge for three to four days. The broccoli slaw and green onion will become softer the longer it sits. Enjoy the leftovers chilled or warm them in the microwave—just avoid heating them for too long, or you’ll end up with tough shrimp.

Can you make shrimp noodle bowls ahead of time?

Shrimp noodle bowls are a great make-ahead recipe, especially if you want to serve them chilled. Since shrimp have a short shelf life, we don’t recommend making the dish more than two or three days in advance. Toss everything together, cover, and refrigerate until ready to serve. The extra chill time will allow the flavors to meld.

Shrimp Noodle Bowl Tips

JOSH RINK FOR TASTE OF HOME

How do you cook shrimp for this recipe?

If you’re starting with raw shrimp, we recommend sauteing or boiling them on the stovetop for this recipe. To saute shrimp, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a skillet and add the shrimp in a single layer. Cook them for one to two minutes per side until they turn pink. To boil shrimp, add them to a pot of salted boiling water and cook them for two to three minutes until they’re pink and loosely curled. You could also grill, broil or air-fry shrimp.

Can you make these noodle bowls with a different protein?

Yes! You can swap the shrimp for cubes of cooked chicken breast or thinly sliced strips of cooked flank steak. For a plant-based protein, try cubed tofu or edamame. You could also add any of these proteins along with the shrimp for an extra-filling meal.

Do you serve shrimp noodle bowls warm or cold?

You can serve them warm or cold, depending on your preference. For a warm noodle bowl, don’t rinse the pasta with cold water and toss everything together while it’s still warm. For a chilled noodle dish, cover and refrigerate the mixture for a few hours or transfer it to an airtight container to enjoy the next day.