Tarry Health Fitness, Weight Loss, Workouts and Healthy Eating
I guess the more proper term for this recipe would be a kimchi noodle salad, but “toss” is more evocative of this past week and the cooking that happened within it: throwing things together, hoping for the best. I made one pot of soup (the spicy cabbage, chickpea, and rice soup from Power Plates, which I called to my defense as I battled down yet another winter cold), but the rest of my meals have been hodgepodges and attempts to use up the things I’ve batch cooked, then forgotten were there.
One of those things was a giant tray of roasted broccoli. The broccoli itself was just about to move past its prime when I roasted it, but I wasn’t really sure how I’d use it once it was out of the oven. I figured it would probably just go into bowls or get mixed up with pasta.
Pasta would have been fine, but this afternoon, I got to thinking about how much I’ve always loved broccoli in noodle dishes. I had soba, I had kimchi, and I had red cabbage that was also in need of quick use. Throwing those things together is how this recipe happened, and it was so easy and tasty that I knew pretty much as soon as I mixed it all up that it was worth sharing.
The recipe happens in about fifteen minutes if you happen to have the broccoli pre-roasted, the way I did. If you don’t, it’s still pretty fast: you can boil the noodles while the broccoli roasts, and the dressing for the salad is just a few ingredients, which are easy to whisk together. I haven’t had a chance to taste the leftovers yet, but I have a strong suspicion that I’ll be happy with them when I dig in at lunchtime tomorrow. This will be a good candidate for packable lunches, when the time comes for me to get into that habit again!
Here’s the formula.
Ingredients
- 1 medium head broccoli about 1 lb, thick stems removed and cut into florets and pieces
- 1 tablespoon neutral vegetable oil such as grapeseed or refined avocado
- 8 ounces soba noodles 100% buckwheat for a GF option
- 1 1/2 cups shredded purple cabbage
- 1 cup kimchi of choice check the label to be sure it’s vegan, chopped (if there’s brine left on your chopping board after chopping, you can tip the board and pour it into the noodle toss for extra flavor!)
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons tamari soy sauce, or coconut aminos
- 1 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds black or white
Instructions
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Preheat your oven to 400F and line a baking sheet with parchment. Toss the broccoli with the oil, then transfer the florets to the baking sheet. Roast for 22-25 minutes, or until the broccoli is browning and crispy.
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Bring a pot of water to boil and add the soba. Cook according to package instructions, then drain.
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Transfer the broccoli, noodles, purple cabbage, and kimchi to a large mixing bowl. Whisk together the sesame oil, tamari, and rice vinegar together, then add them to the noodles. Toss everything together till it’s all mixed well. Adjust the vinegar and tamari as needed, then fold in the sesame seeds. Serve.
Notes
Normally I’d have schemed about extra herbs or seasonings I could add to this dish, but the beauty of using so much kimchi is that it adds plenty of acidity, heat, garlic, and saltiness all on its own. Very little else is necessary once you’ve added it—so it’s a perfect shortcut for busy times. (There’s a kimchi fried rice in Power Plates that’s the same idea: my friend Ali shared it on her blog!)
I’ll keep rolling with the punches over here, doing my best to throw together spontaneous meals that are this tasty along the way. And I’ll be back for the weekend recipe and reading roundup. Be well, and happy almost Friday.
