These Soba Noodle Vegetable Bowls are so versatile and can be served hot or cold, with your preference of vegetables, nuts and toppings. This particular preparation has lots of crunch, healthy fats and proteins. The tahini dressing is highly addictive, so feel free to double the recipe for leftovers!
Soba noodles, made from buckwheat flour, have become a favorite in the house, even with the kids. Not only do they taste great, but they cook in 4-5 minutes and resemble the texture and flavor or typical pasta — which can be key for those picky eaters in the house! Additionally, the noodles are delicious served cold or hot, which helps provide greater flexibility in your dishes. This preparation was a cold one, but it can certainly be modified to be served hot; for example, substitute the cold raw vegetables here, with cooked vegetables of your choice.
The idea with this preparation was to have lots of texture, nutrition, and heartiness that includes several protein sources to nourish the body and keep us satisfied. As always, feel free to add different or additional proteins such as tofu, tempeh, chicken or beef.
The tahini dressing is very quick and simple, with ingredients that will hopefully become staples in your pantry, like they are in ours. Rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, and sesame oil are common flavors to combine together, and they add richness and tang to this dressing.
Whether eating a plant-based diet or just incorporating more vegetables into your life, this type of dish can be a quick way to get in many of your healthy ingredients. You can prep many of them in advance, as most of the components are heartier vegetables that will hold up several days in the refrigerator. However, you may want to prepare the avocado and cucumbers the day that you’ll be eating this, although it can be done in advance (the avocado may darken in color but will still taste fine, and the cucumber may release water).
Another plus about this type of dish is that each person can customize his/her toppings, which can be especially helpful if you have a lot of differing tastebuds in your home, like we do! To add to the fun in preparation, you can cut each ingredient and arrange in bowls around the counter, and have each person prepare their own plate or bowl, with the ingredients of their choice.
Soba Noodle Vegetable Bowl with Tahini Dressing (Vegan)
INGREDIENTS (2-3 servings):
Soba Noodle Vegetable Bowl:
- 1/2 package soba noodles
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1/4 english cucumber, diced or cut into matchsticks
- 1/2 carrot, diced or cut into matchsticks
- 1 red bell pepper, diced or cut into matchsticks
- 1/2 cup edamame
- 1/2 cup walnuts or cashews
- 1/2 or 1 whole avocado (amount depends on preference)
- 2 T chopped cilantro
- 1 teaspoon regular or black sesame seeds
Tahini Dressing:
- 1/4 cup tahini
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce (regular or low sodium)
- 2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/3 cup water (plus additional water if desiring thinner consistency)
- 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes or sriracha (optional)
DIRECTIONS:
Soba Noodle Vegetable Bowl:
- Cook soba noodles according to package directions.
- Drain and add the 1 teaspoon sesame oil, and gently mix through.
- Divide the soba noodles onto your plates.
- Arrange the cucumber, carrot, red bell pepper, edamame, avocado and nuts around the soba noodles.
- Garnish with cilantro and sesame seeds.
Tahini Dressing:
- Whisk all ingredients together, or use a small food processor or blender to combine ingredients.
- Drizzle over the Soba Noodle Vegetable Bowl, or serve on the side.