Sesame-Miso Soba Noodles with Kale & Red Pepper

Eating through my pantry has some benefits. I find foods I had forgotten.

My Mom remembers. My Mom is like an elephant: she never forgets.
(She will probably never forget me calling her an elephant… HAHAHAHA!)

What about all your soba noodles, Janet?

Oh yeah…. all those noodles I bought after I came back from Japan. Just like when I drank my way through a library of non-dairy milks to figure out which I liked the most, I bought a wide variety of soba noodles to pinpoint the perfect pasta.  However, I shortly became disillusioned when I figured out that most soba noodles actually contain very little buckwheat. The noodles are still mostly made from white flour. Lesson: Read the package before you buy them.

I eventually found 100% buckwheat noodles but scoffed at the price. So I put them back.

I eventually found them again, but this time it was a different brand. And they were a much better price. So I bought some and then proceded to forget I had them.

Definitely great for a change, the buckwheat noodles are slightly nutty and cook in 4 minutes.

Here, I paired them with kale and red pepper and a simple sesame-miso sauce. A simple sauce, not due to a limited ingredient list. Rather because the ratio is almost all 1:1:1:1:1:2 (the original recipe was 1:1 for all ingredients but I thought it needed a bigger dose of lemon juice). The sauce is creamy, salty and tangy and coated the noodles and veggies well. I used some of the pasta water to thin the sauce but use as much as you like.

Instead of massaging the kale, I let the heat of the noodles wilt them. Easy, peasy. Because as much as I love raw kale salads, I am usually able to trick convince others into doing the massaging. I hate getting my hands too dirty. 😉

(PS. This post was pre-approved. My Mom thought it was in good taste. Both the elephant and noodles. And a great post for Mother’s Day. I think she was just happy I was eating through my soba noodles.)

Other tahini sauces you may enjoy (because tahini is so much more versatile than hummus):

Macro Veggie and Tempeh Bowl with a Miso-Tahini Sauce

Crunchy Cabbage Salad with Orange-Tahini Dressing

Quinoa and Chickpea Salad with a Balsamic Tahini Dressing

Curried Chickpea Salad with Carrots and Currants

Tahini-Dressed Zucchini and Green Bean Salad with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Warm Lentil, Bulgur and Vegetable Skillet with a Lemon-Tahini Sauce

Braised Tempeh with Green Beans in a Sesame Sauce

Yam, Zucchini and Chickpea Salad with a Tahini-Lemon Dressing

Quinoa Wraps with Sweet Potato, Tofu Feta and a Sweet Tahini Dipping Sauce

Bok Choy and Sesame Ginger Udon Noodles from 1000 Vegan Recipes (we’ve made these with red pepper added and enjoyed them)

This is my submission to this week’s Weekend Wellness.

Simple Sesame-Miso Soba Noodles with Kale & Red Pepper

1 bundle soba noodles (King Soba has 100% buckwheat soba noodles that don’t cost a fortune) – or your favourite noodle
1-2 cups thinly sliced/chopped kale leaves (destemmed)
1/2 cup finely chopped red pepper
2 tbsp simple sesame miso sauce (see below)

1. Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Make your dressing (see below). When boiling, add noodles. Cook as per directions. I usually don’t cook soba noodles more than 4 minutes. When ready, drain and reserve some of the cooking liquid.

2. Put the cooked noodles into a bowl along with the kale. Stir to allow the heat to wilt the kale. Cover and let sit for a moment or two.

3. Stir in as much dressing as you like and stir in the red pepper. Thin with some of the reserved cooking liquid if desired (I added a few tablespoons worth).

Serves 1-2.

Simple Sesame Miso Sauce
Adapted from ExtraVeganZa (original recipe here)

2 tbsp white miso
2 tbsp tahini
2 tbsp low-sodium tamari
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
2 tbsp water
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced

1. Mix all ingredients together in a small cup. Thin to desired consistency. Store in fridge.

Makes 1/2 cup (serves ~4).