Sweet Chili Noodle Bowls

For the Pickled Carrots

1. I would recommend making a big batch of these carrots as they last for weeks in the fridge and they rock. They go on everything. For this particular recipe you'll only need about 2 carrots worth but making a bigger batch is nice to do. It also helps to prepare these the night before you make the meal so they have time to pickle but this is not absolutely necessary. 30 minutes to brine will work.
2. Wash and peel the outer layer of your carrots. Using a vegetable peeler, go down the length of the carrot to create ribbons.
3. For the brine, mix together the water, vinegar, salt, and sugar. Stir to combine and pour over top of the carrots in a glass jar. If you don't have enough to cover the carrots, you can just add more water and vinegar in equal parts.

For the Noodles

1. I have found that the sweet potato glass noodles linked above work the best for this application. They don't dry out in the fridge over the week and have a soft bite. They are my favorite noodle to use right now. Can't speak highly enough about them. I bought mine at a local Asian grocery but I have also seen them at Central Market and on Amazon.
2. To soften the noodles, I place them into a large bowl and pour boiling water over the top to soak while I prepare the rest of the ingredients. Get them started first so they will be ready when needed.

For the Chicken

1. This meal is meant to be eaten cold and because of this, chicken breast is a fine choice. I usually stick to chicken thighs when I meal prep because they reheat better in the microwave and retain moisture. Since we don't have to worry about that, chicken breast is perfect.
2. Cut or pound your chicken breasts until they are of even thickness throughout. This will help them cook faster and more evenly. Shoot for about 1/2" in thickness.
3. Season the chicken breast with salt and pepper and coat the chicken with 2 tbsp of gochujang.
4. I cook the chicken in the air fryer as it is easy and you get awesome color and flavor. You can cook the chicken however you prefer.
5. Preheat your air fryer to 400°F (204°C) and cook the chicken for 4-5 minutes on each side. Cook in batches to not overcrowd the air fryer. Adjust the cooking time if you have thicker or thinner pieces of chicken.
6. Once the chicken has finished cooking, set it aside to rest for a few minutes before cutting it into thin slices.

For the Vegetables

1. While the chicken is cooking, chop up all of your vegetables.
2. Cut up the romaine lettuce into thin pieces until you have about 2 cups worth.
3. For the red cabbage you can use the preshredded stuff in the bag or buy the smallest head of cabbage you can find. Cut the cabbage into thin slices.
4. Cut the cucumber in half length-wise and scoop out the seeds with a spoon. Cut the halves on a bias into thin slices.

For the Dressing

1. Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl or jar with a lid and shake to emulsify the fat with the vinegar and lime juice.
2. Divide evenly into 5 smaller ramekins.

Plating

1. Drain all of the water away from the noodles and cut the chicken into thin slices if you have not yet.
2. This recipe makes 5 servings so lay out 5 of your meal prep containers.
3. Divide the noodles, chicken, cucumbers, cabbage, and lettuce evenly between the containers. Each container gets a healthy pinch of the carrots and 1 of the ramekins of the vinaigrette.
4. To eat, pour the vinaigrette over the top of the dish, season lightly with salt and pepper, replace the lid on the container and shake up the ingredients to coat with the vinaigrette.