Eating low-carb is all good and fine, but there's a reason that there are the three main nutrients: fats, carbs, and protein. And that reason is that our bodies are created to use each in their own nourishing ways. So when you need the energy that carbs give you, it's nice to take a break from the green salads and scarf down a Sesame Noodle Salad, right?
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I've seen noodle salads made from thin spaghetti, but I love buckwheat soba noodles even more, if not for the taste, but also for their nutritional benefit. They are a great source of healthy fiber, protein, and complex carbs and are rich in manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, niacin, zinc, iron, vitamin B6, folate and pantothenic acid. Buckwheat also has all the essential amino acids which your body cannot produce on its own and that must be acquired through the food that we eat. They're not your average carb!
A warning about gluten sensitivity
If you have a wheat allergy or sensitivity, have celiac's, or are otherwise gluten-intolerant, please check the ingredients list on the package of soba noodles before you purchase them. Many soba noodle brands mix buckwheat flour (which has NO wheat despite the inclusion of that syllable in its name) with wheat flour. Make sure you are buying a 100% buckwheat soba noodle.
All that's required is to cook the noodles in boiling water according to the package directions, then rinse them with cold water and allow them to drain.
To make the dressing
Start by heating the oil, adding the sesame seeds, and cook them until they are golden.
Then add rice vinegar, sesame oil, sambal oelek (a chili sauce), cilantro, fresh ginger, and coconut aminos. I use coconut aminos in place of soy sauce because soy sauce has wheat in it as well as ... soy, which I also avoid.
Add some veggies: thinly sliced red pepper, grated carrots, and thinly sliced green onions. Toss all of that goodness together and chow down.
How to serve Sesame Noodle Salad
Sesame Noodle Salad is best served at room temperature, but it's also delicious straight from the fridge. My preference is to set it out of the fridge for about a half hour before eating it.
I also love it with sauteed shrimp. I like to saute the shrimp for a couple of minutes each side, then add some chopped garlic and ginger. Delicious with this salad!
Other recipes you might enjoy:
Recipe
Sesame Noodle Salad
Ingredients
- 12 ounces dried soba noodles Japanese buckwheat noodles
- 3 Tablespoons sesame seeds
- 3 Tablespoons avocado oil
- ¼ cup coconut aminos or soy sauce
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon minced ginger
- ½ teaspoon sambal oelek chili garlic sauce
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro chopped
- 1 red bell pepper about 8 ounces stemmed, seeded, and cut into thin, short slivers
- ¾ cup shredded carrots
- ¾ cup thinly sliced green onions
- salt to season
Instructions
- In a 5- to 6-quart pot over high heat, bring 2½ or 3 quarts of water to a boil. Add noodles, stir to separate, and cook until just tender, 5-7 minutes. Drain and rinse well with cold water. Rinse and dry pot.
- In the same pot, over medium heat, stir sesame seeds in oil until golden, 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and add coconut aminos (soy sauce), rice vinegar, sesame oil, minced ginger, sambal oelek, and cilantro.
- Return the noodles to the pot, then add the prepared vegetables and mix gently. Add salt to taste.
- Mound into a serving bowl and chow down!
- Bon Appétit!
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