Rainbow Noodles (in Under 15 Minutes!)
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These rainbow noodles have already clocked millions of views on social, and once you make them yourself, you’ll understand exactly why. Four lunches for just £6, done in under 15 minutes, and packed with the kind of bold, tangy flavour that you will NOT get bored of. If you like to reach for something like my green goddess chicken sandwich, this one is a must to add to your weekly rotation.
Recipe Summary: Rainbow Noodles
- ✅ Recipe Name: Rainbow Noodles
- 🕦 Ready in: 15 minutes
- 🤝 Serves: 4
- 🍴 Calories: 396 kcal
- 🧑🍳 Main ingredients: chicken mince, rice noodles, red cabbage, carrots
- ✨ Summary: These rainbow noodles are 4 meal prep lunches for just £6. Chicken, quick-pickled veg and rice noodles in 15 minutes.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Super cheap: Four well balanced, delicious portions for £6 means you’re paying £1.50 a bowl. That’s the kind of value that makes this rainbow noodles recipe one of the most viewed recipes in my entire meal prep collection and dont worry, the flavour absolutely does not reflect the price.
- Ready in 15 minutes: No roasting, no marinating, no faff. I’ve had a look and it’s the quickest rainbow noodle recipe out there!
- Quick-pickled veg elevates your rainbow veg: a simple salt and rice vinegar massage brightens the cabbage and carrots, and the flavour only gets better throughout the week!
- High protein and really filling: You might think that with less than 400 calories, it might be a small portion which isn’t filling. WRONG – your bowl will be packed full! Thanks to the volume of veggies and 27g of protein per serving from chicken mince, this will keep you full until dinner time.
- Cupboard staples only: Beyond the 4 ingredients you need to buy, everything else is already in your kitchen.
Table of Contents
Ingredients For Rainbow Noodles
Here’s what makes this rainbow noodle recipe work so well:
Chicken mince: is our protein source for this budget lunch recipe. I use 5% fat mince and get it from Tesco for only £2.50 per 500g.
Red cabbage: It brings that vibrant purple colour that makes these rainbow noodles look stunning, plus it increases the serving size of this dish massively whilst keeping the calories low.
Flat rice noodles are my noodle of choice for this dish. They are naturally gluten free and lower in calories than standard wheat noodles. So I personally find them a great lunch time choice to get a nice carb source but also keep it a bit lighter than a comforting dinner option.
See the recipe card for full information on all ingredients and quantities.
Variations/ Adaptations
Swap the protein. Chicken mince works brilliantly in this rainbow noodles recipe, but could also work as a ground pork recipe or beef both take the soy and honey glaze just as well. If you wanted to go even leaner too, 2% turkey mince can work here but be wary of it drying out. For a plant-based version, crumbled firm tofu fried over high heat until golden is a shout.
Mix up the veg. The carrots and cabbage are the stars, but the formula is flexible enough to work with almost anything. Thinly sliced cucumber, grated zucchini, or a handful of edamame all slot in without changing the overall balance of the bowl. It’s a great fridge raid lunch in that respect as you can just throw any veggies in that you want to get rid of. You could also add cooked veggies like my sauteed mushrooms into this recipe.
Change the noodle. Flat rice noodles are my go-to, but vermicelli rice noodles or glass noodles both work here too.
How to make this Rainbow Noodle Recipe
Step 1: Add the rice vinegar & salt to your veggies.
Step 2: Cook your rice noodles according to packet instructions.
Step 3: Leave the chicken mince to brown.
Step 4: Once nicely browned, add the soy sauce, honey & garlic granules. Continue to cook.
Step 5: Until it looks like this!
Step 6: Coat the noodles in sesame/olive oil, salt, lime juice and chopped coriander. Divide into bowls & store in the fridge!
Tips for the best result
- Use your hands to massage the rice vinegar and salt into the cabbage and carrots properly.
- Rinse the noodles thoroughly under cold water once cooked. It stops them from clumping together in the fridge, which makes them hard to eat as we’re eating this dish cold.
- Don’t stir the chicken mince for the first 4 to 5 minutes. Let it sit over a high heat to brown.
- Divide all of the elements into your meal prep containers so that they’re portioned out and ready to go!
Serving Suggestions
These rainbow noodles are completely satisfying on their own, but if you’re building out a bigger spread for the week, a few easy sides work really nicely here. My sautéed mushrooms are nice to add as a cooked veg which is loaded with umami & flavor.
If you’ve got the oven on for a Sunday batch cook, roasted leeks come out sweet and slightly caramelised, which is a genuinely gorgeous match for the soy and honey chicken. And for anyone feeding a crowd, a tray of baked chicken wings adds protein and a lot of happiness for a crowd.
Leftover Storage and Reheat Instructions
Refrigerator: Store in sealed airtight containers for up to 3 days. Everything keeps well together as this has been designed to be a meal prep recipe. The noodles, chicken, and quick-pickled veg all hold their texture without going soggy, I got you!
Freezer: You can freeze this but I think that as it only takes 15 minutes to make, you might as well make it fresh as the texture of the noodles once they’re frozen is slightly different
Reheat: This recipe is meant to be eaten cold but if you want to change it up on one of the days then you can add the chicken and noodles into a pan with 2 tbsp of water. Heat on low or around 5 minutes, or alternatively heat in the microwave for 2 minutes. Keep the carrot and cabbage cold though!
Rainbow Noodles FAQs
Absolutely! And this rainbow noodle recipe was built with exactly that in mind. Make the full batch on Sunday, divide into four containers, and they’ll keep well in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. The quick-pickled veg actually improves overnight as it absorbs more of the rice vinegar, so day two is arguably even better than day one.
Flat rice noodles are my top pick for this rainbow noodles recipe because they hold their texture well after rinsing and don’t go stodgy in the fridge. Vermicelli rice noodles are a great swap if that’s what you have. They also keep the cals low!
Yes! Minced pork or beef work with the same glaze, or for a vegetarian version, crumbled firm tofu fried until crispy is a brilliant swap.
Rinse the noodles really well under cold water as soon as they’re cooked, then toss them with sesame oil and lime juice immediately to keep them from sticking.
These come in at 396 calories per bowl with 27g of protein, 40g of carbs, and 13g of fat. The quick-pickled red cabbage and carrots add fibre and a good range of vitamins, and the whole recipe is made entirely from whole, unprocessed ingredients.
If you tried this Rainbow Noodles, it would mean so much to me if you could leave a review & a star rating to let me know how you found it! I love hearing about your experiences – it motivates me to keep creating more and more recipes for you guys 💛 Let’s get cooking! – Mimi x
Watch how to make this recipe
Rainbow Noodles
Ingredients
- 500 g chicken mince £2.50
- 500 g carrots peeled into strips (£0.55)
- 1 lime £0.24
- 1 red Cabbage shredded (£0.79)
- Fresh coriander half roughly chopped (£0.52)
- 200 g flat rice noodles £1.60
Cupboard Essentials
- 2 tbsp olive oil or sesame oil if you have it
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp garlic granules
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
Method
- To two containers, add the shredded cabbage and carrot. Add a pinch of salt and 1 tbsp of rice vinegar to each of them. I also like to add a splash of water to the carrots as well. Use your hands to massage the vinegar into the veg and set aside.
- Place a pan over high heat and add 1 tbsp oil. Add the chicken mince and season with salt and pepper. Leave to brown for 4-5 minutes.
- Add the soy sauce, garlic granules and honey and continue to fry until cooked, approx 3 more minutes. Set aside and allow to cool.
- Cook the rice noodles according to packet instructions, then rinse in cold water. Add sesame oil, juice of half a lime, salt, pepper and half of the coriander. Stir to combine.
- Assemble the bowls by adding the quick-pickled cabbage, carrots, chicken, rice noodles, lime wedges and coriander. Eat one straight away and store the rest in the fridge for up to 3 days!
Notes
- Rinse the noodles thoroughly under cold water once cooked. It stops them clumping together in the fridge.
- Don’t stir the chicken mince for the first 4 to 5 minutes. Let it sit over a high heat and get proper colour.
Nutrition
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