Soba Slaw with Thai Peanut Sauce
Allow me to introduce you to my little friend…aka one of my oldest, most favorite recipes ever. I make this ALLLLL the time but realized it doesn’t even live on my website! I originally made this recipe years ago and shared it on my friend (who happens to be a pretty amazing lady!) Jessica’s website before I even had a blog. Talk about blast from the past! I would say it’s a top 3 most requested recipe from Scott and it’s definitely something I crave often.
My favorite thing about this recipe (besides the freaking amazing peanut sauce) is that it’s literally half vegetables. Actually probably more than half. But you don’t really know it! Soba noodles are a Japanese noodle that are traditionally made from buckwheat which means they are a great gluten-free option for people who need or choose to go that route. We aren’t gluten-free, but we love ALL noodles and enjoy switching up our pasta choices. Soba noodles cook super quick which I seriously appreciate and they feel somewhat light and delicate, which I also love. They are a mild tasting noodle and pair excellently with the other ingredients we’ve got going on here. As I mentioned, it’s also a great way to eat a ton of sh*t ton of veggies - WIN!
Here are some more deets on soba noodles:
They are a great prebiotic! Prebiotic compounds essentially become “fuel” for the probiotics (“good” bacteria) that live within your gut. More fuel for our good bacteria means better gut flora, which means overall better health. It’s all connected!
They are rich in protein. Just two ounces of buckwheat soba noodles contain over 8 grams of protein!
They can be better for blood sugar. Even though soba noodles contain a significant amount of carbohydrates per serving (like all grain-based noodles), their high fiber and protein content help slow down the digestion of the carbohydrates, which is great for maintaining healthy blood sugar levels.
Buckwheat is a great source of nutrients like fiber, iron, manganese, and thiamine.
I mean what’s not to love?!
Scott and I do have a debate every time we eat this dish though.
Hot or cold?
He prefers this dish hot/warm and I actually prefer it cold! To me it totally feels like a dish that should be eaten cold, but I guess the beauty is that it is delicious and can be enjoyed both ways. This recipe makes a large amount (hello, veggies galore!) so it’s another great recipe that can be made ahead of time and eaten for lunches or dinner(s) throughout the week. When I worked in a traditional office setting, I made this all the time and ate it for lunch at work. No microwave, no problem! Just eat it chilled like me :)
In other completely unrelated news, I tweaked my back earlier this week and it has been ROUGH. I haven’t hurt my back like this since college and it’s super annoying! The most frustrating thing is that I hurt my back literally doing nothing. It was one of those things where I just moved the wrong way and that was it. Ouch. Taking care of a busy toddler has made it really tough! Especially because I haven’t been able to really pick him up the last few days. There were several times where he came over to me asked me to hold him and I couldn’t….ugh, it broke my heart! But I think things are starting to improve so I’m keeping my fingers crossed for a quick recovery.
Thank goodness for this huge batch of soba noodle slaw in the fridge that’s already made. Soba slaw saves the day!
Soba Slaw with Thai Peanut Sauce
| Serves ~6 people |
Ingredients:
1 (9.5 oz) package dried soba noodles
1/2 red cabbage, shredded (about 2 cups)
1 (12 oz) bag of broccoli slaw
1 large carrot, shredded
For the sauce:
4 Tbsp natural, creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup Braggs Liquid Aminos (or Tamari, or soy sauce)
1 Tbsp sesame OR olive oil
2 cloves garlic
2 tsp red Thai chili paste *see notes
2-3 Tbsp unsweetened almond milk
Garnish with:
fresh scallions, chopped
2-3 Tbsp roasted peanuts
Instructions:
Cook the soba noodles according to directions on package. They cook quickly, so be careful not to overcook!
While the noodles are cooking, make the sauce by combining all the sauce ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. I find that a smaller blender works better for this sauce, however if you only have a large blender, I might suggest doubling the sauce recipe and using it for others veggies/foods throughout the week!
Transfer cooked and drained noodles to a mixing bowl. Mix in cabbage, broccoli slaw, and shredded carrots. Pour sauce onto the noodle and veggie mixture and gently mix together until sauce is well incorporated.
Sprinkle with scallions and peanuts.
Enjoy!!
Notes:
*If you cannot find red Thai Chili paste, add an extra 1-2 cloves of garlic and add some sriracha sauce to your desired taste.
*To make this gluten-free, be sure to use 100% buckwheat soba noodles.
*If you have a food processor, use the shredder attachment for the carrot and cabbage. It’s SO much easier than doing it by hand!
xoxo,
Lauren