Almond-Sesame Soba Zoodles With Quick Pickled Veggies
If cold sesame or peanut noodles are part of your usual comfort food rotation, this dish is a great take-out fake-out. Soba noodles are traditionally made from buckwheat, which, contrary to its name, is a gluten-free flour that’s rich in protein and fiber. It also has a wonderful earthy flavor that pairs well with toasted sesame oil, creamy almond butter, and bright pickled vegetables from the farmer’s market. To make this noodle dish even more veg-centric, I go halvsies with spiralized zucchini. Depending on your preferences, you can, of course, use all soba or all zoodles (see Market Swap notes). But I think this version gives you the best of both worlds.
HEALTHY HEDONIST TIPS
Make sure to look for noodles that are 100 percent buckwheat, as many traditional soba brands now use wheat flour to create sturdier strands. Eden Foods and King Soba are my favorites. Reserve your radish leaves and use them to make a peppery puree. They’re a great addition to my asparagus stalk pesto.
MARKET SWAPS
If you don’t own a spiralizer, you can easily just use all packaged noodles. Simply double the quantity of soba and omit the zucchini. Or for a Paleo version, vice versa. Use whatever veggies you find at the market for the quick-pickled topping. Carrots, fennel, or sugar snap peas would work well. To make a Thai version of this dish, swap vermicelli or flat rice noodles for the soba. Omit the sesame oil completely, and sub 2 tablespoons fish sauce for the tamari. Garnish with chopped peanuts instead of sesame seeds.
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Reprinted from The Wellness Project by arrangement with Pam Krauss Books, a member of Penguin Group (USA) LLC, A Penguin Random House Company. Copyright © 2017, Phoebe Lapine LLC
Originally published at Clean Plates.
