Leftovers Guide #1: Scallion Oil Noodles + Stir-Fried Carrots, Mushrooms & Sausage + Veggie Soup (All in One Pot!)

Opened the fridge today and saw a few leftover mushrooms from the shrimp-stuffed mushroom experiment, some cabbage, carrots, and soba noodles from this week’s veggie chicken stir-fry, half a smoked sausage, and a handful of garlic cloves.

My brilliant brain clicked into gear—yep, I knew exactly what I was eating today! A warm veggie soup, saucy noodles, and a quick stir-fry with meat and veggies. Protein, fiber, carbs—all checked. Tasty, nutritious, and satisfying. What more could I ask for?

Ingredients

• Mushrooms – 6
• Cabbage – 80g
• Carrot – half
• Smoked sausage – half a link
• Soba noodles – 100g
• Scallion oil noodle sauce – 2 tbsp
• Garlic – 5 cloves
• White pepper & salt – to taste
• Oil – as needed

Step-by-Step

Step 1: Prep the ingredients

Cut mushrooms into quarters (slice once horizontally and once vertically). Dice the carrots into small chunks—they cook faster that way. Slice the sausage into slightly bigger chunks for that satisfying bite. Shred the cabbage. Smash the garlic cloves hard with the back of your knife until they crack open (yes, it’s oddly therapeutic, haha—but no, it’s not for stress relief, it’s to help the flavor release better when cooking!).

Step 2: Make the noodles

Bring a pot of water to a boil, add the soba noodles, and cook for about 3 minutes. Rinse with cold water, drain, and toss them into a plate. Add 2 tablespoons of scallion oil noodle sauce and mix until every strand is coated. Important: Don’t dump the noodle water! Pour it into a bowl—you’ll need it for the soup.

Step 3: Stir-fry the veggies and sausage

1. Give the pot a quick rinse to get rid of the starch, then wipe it dry with a paper towel.
2. Heat the pot, add oil, and toss in the smashed garlic. Let it sizzle until fragrant.
3. Add the mushrooms and carrots, stir-fry until they start to release their juices.
4. Toss in the sausage, keep stirring until the liquid mostly evaporates.
5. Taste a carrot chunk—if it’s still too firm, add a splash of hot water and simmer a bit more (just a little at a time—you can always add more if needed).
6. Sprinkle in a bit of salt evenly (how much depends on your taste—I only added 1 small spoon since the smoked sausage is already salty, no need to go overboard). Turn off the heat and it’s done! I poured it straight over the scallion oil noodles—one less bowl to wash~

Just don’t dump it all in—leave about a quarter of the stir-fry in the pan for the soup in the next step.

Step 4: Make the soup

Remember that noodle water we saved? Time for its comeback. Pour it back into the pot with the leftover stir-fry. Bring to a boil, toss in the shredded cabbage, and cook for 20–30 seconds.

Add about 2 small spoons of salt and a dash of white pepper (adjust to your taste—keep tasting as you go. Too little? Add more. Too much? Oof… hard to fix that).

Stir gently and pour into your soup bowl. (Yep, I reused the same bowl from earlier—less dishwashing!)

Final thoughts

A balanced, wholesome meal doesn’t need to be complicated. A few simple ingredients, some smart ideas, and bam—something new and tasty every day.

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