Sesame Orange Noodle Bowl Recipe

I love bowl food, and I’m pretty sure most of you do, too. “Bowl food” always has a mix of delicious veggie-heavy ingredients with varying tastes, textures, and flavors – I like to break it down into these components:

• Something crunchy
• Something soft
• Something sweet
• Something salty
• And a delicious sauce to pull it all together

Bowl food is fun to eat because you get something a little different in each bite (that is, unless you’re Jack and you stir your whole bowl together, but I digress…). The inconvenient thing about component bowls is that all those components can take time to prepare – chopping and cooking raw plant-based ingredients is time-consuming. This Sesame Orange Noodle Bowl is the exception, though. You’ll be surprised how quickly and easily it comes together!

Want to make this noodle bowl? Here’s how:

1. Whisk together the simple 5-ingredient sauce.
2. Dress the cabbage right in the serving bowls!
3. Sauté the snap peas and mushrooms one after another, using the same skillet.
4. Cook the soba noodles.
5. Assemble your bowls with the noodles & veggies and generously top them with orange segments, sesame seeds, tofu (or a protein of your choice), and extra sauce.

Then, enjoy…

This noodle bowl is a perfect weeknight meal that’s packed with flavor and full of fresh vegetables. While the noodles are cooking, I like to clean up the dishes and pour myself a glass of wine. I highly recommend you do the same. This recipe makes two large bowls of food, or 3 medium-sized bowls. If there’s any left over, pack it up for lunch the next day.

 For more “bowl food” ideas, check out this buddha bowl, this ginger rice bowl, or this watermelon poke bowl!

Sesame Orange Noodle Bowl

 

Author: Jeanine Donofrio

Recipe type: Main dish

• 2 tablespoons white miso paste
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons tamari
• ½ tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• (plus excess juice from the orange below)

• 1 medium orange
• 2 cups shredded red cabbage
• 3 ounces soba noodles, cooked, drained, & rinsed* (see note)
• Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
• ⅓ cup chopped scallions (about 3)
• 1 cup snap peas, de-stringed and chopped
• 8 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
• 7 ounces baked tofu, sliced or cooked protein of choice**
• Sesame seeds
• Handful of fresh herbs, cilantro or mint, optional
• Sea salt

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the miso, rice vinegar, tamari, and sesame oil until combined. Slice the segments from the orange, set aside, and squeeze the excess juice from the orange into the sauce.
2. Divide the red cabbage among two to three bowls. Drizzle with some of the dressing and toss gently to coat. Place the cooked soba beside the cabbage in the bowls.
3. In a skillet, heat a drizzle of olive oil and add the scallions and snap peas and cook, tossing until lightly blistered but still vibrant green, for about 2 minutes. Remove and add to the bowls.
4. Add more olive oil to the pan and add the mushrooms and a pinch of salt and cook until the mushrooms are tender, about 8 minutes. Divide the mushrooms among the bowls and top with the orange segments, tofu, sesame seeds, and herbs if using. Drizzle with a little of the remaining dressing and serve the rest on the side. (Note: the dressing is slightly on the salty side so a little bit goes a long way – add it to taste and save any extra for salads/bowls later in the week).

*Cook your soba noodles according to the package directions. Drain and rinse them to remove excess starches. This helps them from clumping. If they start to stick together, toss them with a little bit of sesame oil.

**To save a step in this recipe, I buy pre-baked tofu (I like the Wildwood brand). Alternatively, you can bake your own tofu. Start with extra-firm tofu, patted dry and cut into cubes. Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Toss the tofu with the tamari and spread evenly onto the baking sheet. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown around the edges.

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