Veggies + Soba Noodles in a Spicy Peanut Sauce

Happy New Year to all of my incredible readers and hello wonderful winter weather! The weather in San Diego has been unseasonably warm this week. We’ve had temperatures in the mid-70’s every day with blue skies and a warm breeze. It feels like summer and it is so amazing! Because of the warmer weather my body has been asking for fresh, fabulous and sometimes raw dishes vs. my typical January roasted root veggies. This recipe is a fusion of Japanese and Thai foods or flavors with some barely steamed and raw vegetables. Scrumptious!

You may be asking yourself, “what in the world are soba noodles and where can I find them?” The answer is actually quite simple. Soba is the name for ‘buckwheat’ in Japanese and refers to a thin noodle. Typically soba noodles are served cold or with a hot dipping sauce. They can be found in the ethnic foods aisle in your local grocery store and the best part - they only take five minutes to make!

Soba noodles are not gluten-free as they do contain two parts wheat and eight parts buckwheat. They are chock full of amino acids; in fact they contain all eight amino acids, including lysine which is lacking in wheat products. Soba noodles also contain antioxidants, rutin and quercetin, and essential nutrients such as choline, thiamine, and riboflavin.

The next time you want noodles for dinner – think Soba! Your children will never know the difference and these noodles are quick and easy to make. Add any fresh veggies that you have on hand and some Bragg’s Liquid Amino Acids or toasted sesame oil. Voila!  You have a tasty meal. In this recipe I created a spicy peanut sauce to accompany the soba and fresh veggies. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1- 8oz. package of Soba (buckwheat) noodles

2 cups of sugar snap peas, cut in half

1 large carrot, peeled into thin ribbons (using a potato peeler)

2 green onions, sliced thinly

2 tablespoons of fresh chopped cilantro

Spicy Peanut Sauce Ingredients:

1/3 cup of vegetable broth or stock

1/3 cup of creamy organic peanut butter

2 tablespoons of tamari (or low-sodium soy sauce)

2 tablespoons of honey (or sweetener of your choice)

1 tablespoon of fresh grated ginger

1 tablespoon of sesame seeds

1 teaspoon of fresh chili paste (I used sambal oelek)

1 clove of garlic, pressed or minced

Directions:

Bring a pot of water to a rapid bowl and add the soba noodles. Cook the noodles for approximately five minutes or until al dente. Drain soba and rinse or soak with cold water.

Steam the sugar snap peas (or veggies of your choice) for two-three minutes in a vegetable steamer. I prefer my vegetables barely cooked, or under-cooked, because I like the snap and the nutrients!

Combine all ingredients for the peanut sauce and set aside. Once the soba noodles and sugar snap peas have finished cooking, add them to a large bowl with the carrot ribbons. Pour the peanut sauce over the other ingredients and mix well. Top with green onions, cilantro, sesame seeds and SERVE!