Soba Noodles with Peanut Sauce and Shredded Vegetables

No spiciness, no sharpness, no garlic breath.  These well-balanced, easy peanut noodles taste exactly the way you want: like peanuts.  Always a crowd pleaser and better for you than most noodle dishes, this is perfect for a make ahead lunch or as a vegan main for a crowd.

Fresh and creamy, a little sweet, a little salty, this dish has just enough spices to add interest and fragrant complexity, with vibrant color and crunch from julienned raw vegetables. Lots of peanut butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sugar are your base.  Ginger and scallion give a mild sharpness for balance, while coriander and star anise give you that exotic note.

I have been making this recipe for many years and it always a hit.  This was one of the most popular dishes I made for lunches, and it has become a go to recipe when I get invited to a potluck or party.  It travels beautifully because it can be made ahead of time and sit out at room temperature. These noodles are also great if you have any vegan/vegetarian diners because they have enough protein to be an entrée.

HOW TO COOK THE PEANUT NOODLES

Cook the noodles ahead of time, slice a few veggies, then make the sauce in a blender and

toss with the noodles and veggies.  Then all you do is refrigerate.  It is worth taking a few minutes to get even, thin cuts on your vegetables.  It really makes the dish much more visually appealing, and without the vegetables you, are really just looking at some ugly brown noodles here.  Plus, it makes it easier to get everything in one bite.

JULIENNING VEGETABLES

You can grate the carrot on a box grater, but for thinner, less crunchy and prettier shreds, use a vegetable peeler. Peel thin strips from a carrot, then stack the strips, and slice into thins sticks. For the snap peas and scallions, hold a few at a time in a pile, then thinly slice on a diagonal.

WHAT MAKES IT HEALTHY

These noodles pack a hefty nutritional punch, providing healthy fats, fiber, vitamins and substantial plant-based protein. 

Soba noodles are made with wheat, buckwheat and yam.  They add fiber and protein without the graininess of whole wheat noodles. The brand I use provides 19 grams of protein per serving.

Peanut butter adds even more protein, as well as healthy fats like oleic and linoleic acids and omega-3, and loads of vitamins and minerals, such as copper, manganese,  phosphorus, niacin, and vitamin E.

Carrots are a nutrition powerhouse, with ample amounts of vitamin A, vitamin K, and potassium.

Snap peas have many vitamins and minerals, with large amount of vitamin C

SUBSTITUTIONS

Soba Noodles

These are cheap and easy to find, but if you need to sub, udon, whole wheat, or rice noodles would work well here. 

Peanut Butter

Almond butter has a similar flavor and should be easy to find.

Star Anise Powder

This may be hard to find.  I buy whole star anise and put a few in a small coffee grinder.  If you cannot find any star anise, five spice powder, allspice, or clove would be reasonable substitutes. 

Ginger

I prefer powdered to fresh ginger here because it will yield a smoother sauce, though you can of course use that if that is all you have. Stick with the dry stuff in this recipe if you can.

Sugar

White sugar, date sugar or coconut sugar would work here.  Avoid anything with a strong flavor, like maple syrup, as the flavors clash.

Peanuts

You can leave these out if you don’t have any, as they are mainly a garnish.  If making this for a get together, the peanuts have a practical function.  It quickly alerts anyone with a peanut allergy, which is a common allergy, what is in the dish so they know to avoid it. 

Vegetables

You could probably skip the carrot and snow peas if you are in a rush.  If you don’t have one of these on hand, Snow peas, cucumber, green beans, bell pepper, asparagus (lightly cooked), or radishes would all fit in here okay.

Soba Noodles with Peanut Sauce and Shredded Vegetables

4-6 servings

Prep Time 25 min

Cooking Time 5 min Total Time 30 min

INGREDIENTS

10.5oz soba noodles (I prefer the J-Basket Japanese Buckwheat noodles with yam)

2 tbsp toasted sesame oil

1-2 medium carrots

½ cup thinly sliced snap peas, cut on the diagonal

1 bunch scallion

2-3 tbsp fresh peanuts, chopped (optional)

Black sesame seeds and fresh cilantro for garnish (optional)

For the sauce:

½ a jar (8 oz.) natural unsalted smooth peanut butter

1 cup water

1/4 cup sugar

2 tbsp soy sauce, preferably tamari

1 tbsp + 2 tspn rice wine vinegar

¼ tspn star anise powder

½ tspn ground coriander

1 tspn ginger powder

 DIRECTIONS

1)  Boil soba noodles according to package directions and drain in a colander.  While noodles are still hot, drizzle with the sesame oil and toss to coat evenly.  Allow to cool completely.

2) Shred the carrots on a box grater or julienne into thin strips, about two inches long.  Thinly slice the scallion greens.

3)  Put all of the sauce ingredients in the blender and puree until smooth. Toss the sauce and veggies to the cold noodles and allow to sit in the refrigerator about 1 hour.  The sauce will be fairly thin, but will thicken up a lot as it sits in the fridge.

4) Garnish with a large pinch of sesame seeds, peanuts and a few springs of cilantro.   Bring to room temperature when ready to serve.