13 Asian Recipes Landing on the Wednesday Your Usual Rotation Gets Boring

Wednesday dinner can start feeling too familiar by the middle of the week, so this list brings in a different mix of noodles, curries, rice dishes, crisp vegetables, and shareable sides. Some recipes come together quickly, while others give you time to prep ahead before dinner. There are vegan and vegetarian choices throughout, plus enough variety to move from a light bowl to a fuller plate without repeating the same meal again.

Four cooked scallion pancakes on parchment paper, garnished with sliced green onions, with a small bowl of dipping sauce and a whole scallion beside them. — Scallion Pancakes. Photo credit: Your Perfect Recipes.

Sesame Soba Noodles

Two bowls of soba noodle salad with carrots, edamame, and radish slices, placed on a patterned cloth with wooden chopsticks beside them. — Sesame Soba Noodles. Photo credit: Two City Vegans.

Weeknight noodles take a lighter turn with Sesame Soba Noodles, where buckwheat noodles meet edamame, carrots, radishes, cilantro, and a sesame-soy dressing with a little sriracha and maple syrup. The recipe takes about 20 minutes and serves 3. Rinsing the cooked soba keeps the noodles from clumping, while the vegetables stay crisp. Serve it warm for dinner or chill the parts separately for an easy lunch the next day.
Get the Recipe: Sesame Soba Noodles

Asian Cucumber Salad Jar

A glass jar filled with sliced cucumbers, red onions, and herbs in pickling liquid, with two metal forks placed inside. — Asian Cucumber Salad Jar. Photo credit: Splash of Taste.

Cool crunch is the whole point of Asian Cucumber Salad Jar, with thin cucumber and red onion soaking in rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar, garlic, and red pepper flakes. The cucumbers are salted briefly, rinsed, and dried first so they stay crisp. After at least 2 hours in the fridge, sesame seeds and green onion finish the jar. The recipe serves 2 and works well beside rice, noodles, or grilled mains.
Get the Recipe: Asian Cucumber Salad Jar

Chickpea Curry

Bowl of chickpea stew with spinach, potatoes, tomatoes, and topped with fresh cilantro. — Chickpea Curry. Photo credit: Splash of Taste.

Midweek curry night feels more substantial with Chickpea Curry, a one-pot mix of potatoes, chickpeas, tomatoes, coconut milk, spinach, ginger, curry powder, and a little mango chutney. It takes about 1 hour and serves 4, with most of that time spent simmering. The potatoes soften into the sauce while the spinach goes in near the end. Spoon it over rice or serve it with bread when Wednesday needs a fuller dinner.
Get the Recipe: Chickpea Curry

Crispy Rice

Golden-edged bites make Crispy Rice a good change from another plain bowl of rice. Sushi rice is seasoned with rice vinegar, sugar, and salt, then pressed, chilled, cut into squares, and fried until crisp outside with a soft center. The recipe makes 24 squares and takes about 2 hours 52 minutes including chilling. Prep the rice earlier in the day, then fry the pieces closer to serving for the best texture.
Get the Recipe: Crispy Rice

Seaweed Salad

Light sides get plenty of character from Seaweed Salad, which coats wakame in a simple sesame oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, ginger, and shallot dressing. Toasted sesame seeds add a little crunch without turning it into a heavy dish. The recipe serves 2 and takes about 5 minutes once the seaweed is ready. Set it beside rice bowls, noodles, or sushi-style meals when you want something cool and quick on the plate.
Get the Recipe: Seaweed Salad

Egg Fried Rice

Oval dish filled with fried rice garnished with chopped green onions. — Egg Fried Rice. Photo credit: Splash of Taste.

Leftover rice gets an easy second life with Egg Fried Rice, a 25-minute dish made with jasmine rice, eggs, green onions, soy sauce, sesame oil, and vegetable oil. It serves 4 and keeps the ingredient list short enough for a busy night. Cooking the eggs and rice in the same pan makes cleanup simple, while the sesame oil brings a familiar finish. Serve it alone for lunch or as a side with vegetables or tofu.
Get the Recipe: Egg Fried Rice

Sticky Sesame Cauliflower

Crisp cauliflower turns into the main event in Sticky Sesame Cauliflower, where battered florets bake until golden before getting coated in a sesame-soy glaze with ginger, garlic, maple syrup, rice vinegar, and sriracha. The recipe serves 6 and takes about 55 minutes. Rice flour and cornstarch help build the coating, while sesame seeds and green onions finish the tray. Add rice on the side if you want to make it a fuller dinner.
Get the Recipe: Sticky Sesame Cauliflower

Thai Yellow Curry

Curry night gets plenty of color from Thai Yellow Curry, a 37-minute pot with sweet potato, cauliflower, red bell pepper, snow peas, chickpeas, coconut milk, basil, and yellow curry paste. It serves 4, with the vegetables simmered in broth until the sweet potato softens before the coconut milk goes in. The mix is fully vegetarian and works especially well over jasmine rice when you want something warm without making several separate dishes.
Get the Recipe: Thai Yellow Curry

Tofu Fried Rice

A bowl of fried rice with grilled tofu, diced carrots, peas, chopped green onions, and a drizzle of dark sauce, served on a red cloth. — Tofu Fried Rice. Photo credit: Two City Vegans.

One-pan dinners stay practical with Tofu Fried Rice, which combines cold jasmine rice, golden tofu, peas, carrots, green onions, garlic, soy sauce, ginger, sesame oil, and brown sugar. The vegan recipe serves 4 in about 30 minutes. Crisping the tofu first keeps it from disappearing into the rice, then everything comes back together in the skillet. It is a useful way to turn leftover rice into lunch or dinner without much extra prep.
Get the Recipe: Tofu Fried Rice

Panda Express Super Greens

A plate of stir-fried kale, broccoli, and sliced onions, served with a pair of chopsticks on the side. — Panda Express Super Greens. Photo credit: Pocket Friendly Recipes.

Steamed greens feel less plain in Panda Express Super Greens, a copycat side built from broccoli, green cabbage, kale, garlic, soy sauce, vegetable broth, and sesame oil. The recipe serves 4 and takes about 20 minutes from start to finish. The vegetables stay tender-crisp instead of cooking down too far, which gives the plate more texture. Pair them with rice, noodles, tofu, or another stir-fry when dinner needs an easy vegetable side.
Get the Recipe: Panda Express Super Greens

Udon Noodles

A close-up of stir-fried noodles with green beans, red bell peppers, and carrots, garnished with sesame seeds. — Udon Noodles. Photo credit: Hungry Cooks Kitchen.

Chewy noodles bring a little more interest to Wednesday with Udon Noodles, a 35-minute stir-fry with green onions, red bell pepper, green beans, carrots, and a sauce made from soy sauce, hoisin or oyster sauce, garlic, ginger, sugar, and cornstarch. The recipe serves 4, and the thick noodles hold onto the sauce well. Keep the vegetables slightly crisp so there is some contrast in every forkful, then finish with sesame seeds.
Get the Recipe: Udon Noodles

Thai Peanut Curry (Better Than Take-Out!)

A bowl of vegetable curry with leafy greens, chunks of squash, diced tomatoes, peanuts, and cilantro, served with a spoon. — Thai Peanut Curry (Better Than Take-Out!). Photo credit: Splash of Taste.

Rich curry sauce makes Thai Peanut Curry (Better Than Take-Out!) a strong midweek option, with peanuts, red curry paste, sweet potato, carrots, kale, coconut milk, garlic, ginger, and vegetable broth. The recipe serves 6 and takes about 45 minutes. The vegetables simmer until tender before the coconut milk and greens round out the pot. Fresh basil, mint, or cilantro can go on top just before serving, especially if you are adding rice.
Get the Recipe: Thai Peanut Curry (Better Than Take-Out!)

Scallion Pancakes

Flaky layers make Scallion Pancakes worth a little extra hands-on time, using a hot-and-cool-water dough rolled with chopped scallions and peanut oil before pan-frying. The recipe serves 4 and takes about 1 hour 10 minutes including a 30-minute rest. A soy and vinegar dipping sauce comes together alongside them. Serve the pancakes as a starter, snack, or side when a bowl of noodles or rice could use something crisp at the table.
Get the Recipe: Scallion Pancakes