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Build-Your-Own Noodle Bowl Bar

Build-Your-Own Noodle Bowl Bar

A great customizable dinner for guests + starch substitutions, & pasta alla gricia

Jess McIntosh, Ethan Chlebowski & Keith McBrayer
October 26, 2025

Good morning…Today, we’re featuring a meal idea for hosting or feeding a large group. Reply to let us know if you want more of these in future editions, or if you have a go-to group meal!

RECIPE HOSTING IDEA 🤯

Noodle bowl bar

Need a go-to hosting meal idea that’s easy to put together and customizable? Consider a “Build-Your-Own Noodle Bowl Bar”.

Turn dinner into a customizable spread: set out noodles, proteins, veggies, and sauces, then let everyone build their own bowl. It’s interactive, flexible, and most of the prep can be done ahead of time.

Why it works: Noodles anchor the meal, proteins add substance, veggies bring freshness, sauces tie it all together, and crunchy toppings make every bite exciting. Guests (or family) assemble ingredients they like, so it works for both adventurous and picky eaters.

Noodle base options

Vermicelli rice noodles (light, neutral)
Soba or udon (chewier, heartier)

Protein ideas

Grilled chicken or steak (thinly sliced)
Shrimp (poached or grilled)
Tofu (fried or sautéed)

Veggie & topping ideas

Carrots, cucumbers, bean sprouts
Fresh herbs: mint, cilantro, basil
Leafy greens or pickled vegetables
Crunchy extras: peanuts, crispy shallots, sesame seeds

Sauce ideas

Tahini lime (or peanut sauce)
Sweet chili
Teriyaki
Chili crisp or sriracha

How to do it

Cook noodles, rinse, and toss lightly with oil.
Grill or sauté proteins, slice into bite-sized pieces.
Prep and chop fresh toppings.
Set everything out buffet-style for easy assembly.

Pro-tip: You don’t have to buy all of these ingredients! Keep the spread focused — 2 noodles, 2 proteins, a handful of veggies, and 2 sauces. It will still feel abundant without a crazy amount of prep (especially if you buy pre-made sauces!)

RECIPE RECOMMENDATIONS ✅

Cooking with rice

Like noodles, rice is also a cheap pantry staple that can feed many people economically. Instead of just noodles, you can use the same ingredient list above, but for rice bowls. Or take inspiration from this collection for other rice-based options:

READER Q&A 🧠

Starch slurry alternatives

Question: “In a lot of recipes I see they use a corn starch slurry to thicken up sauces. Living in Ireland isn't great for this as you can't get it here, or not in the grocery stores anyway. I have gotten it abroad when I'm away but I'm just wondering what substitution would work in cases where I've run out?” - Ian W.

Answer: You could use potato starch, rice flour, arrowroot flour, or tapioca starch. Those will all act fairly similarly since they are pure starch products.

However, if you’re in a situation where you’ve run out of corn starch and don’t have those on hand, here are some other options:

You could use a flour roux. Cook it on the side on it’s own, then mix it into the sauce in place of the slurry. This will yield a slightly grainer sauce, however.
Emulsifying in chunks of cold butter will thicken a sauce slightly, but not much. This works for pan sauces, but you probably don't want the butter flavor in a stir-fry sauce, for instance.
You can also just continue cooking the sauce until reduced and thickened.

Restaurants might use something like gum arabica and xanthan gum. Great thickeners, but they require precise percentage amounts to be added. Not as practical for home use, but are widely found online if you want to experiment!

Have a culinary question? Reply to send it in for a chance to be featured and get your question answered.