A healthful one-dish meal ready in 20 minutes
By Lanier Norville
If you’d like to sneak more veggies into your diet, make this main-course salad, which features Japanese soba noodles and protein-rich edamame in a creamy, tangy dressing. Soba noodles are made from buckwheat, which is lower in calories and higher in protein than the wheat flour in whole-wheat spaghetti. If you are on a gluten-free diet, look for soba noodles made from pure buckwheat (and not buckwheat mixed with wheat flour). Find them on the ethnic foods aisle or at an Asian market.
Soba noodles’ nutty flavor and soft texture pair well with the crunchy vegetables and bright dressing in this salad. Plus, the noodles cook in boiling water in about 5 minutes. Chop the veggies and mix the dressing while the water heats on the stove, and you can have a colorful, fresh dinner on the table in less than 20 minutes.
Ingredients:
12-ounce box soba noodles
1 cup matchstick carrots
1 cup red pepper, chopped
1 cup scallions, thinly sliced
1 cup shelled edamame
2 tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped
2 tbsp. fresh basil, chopped
Romaine or bibb lettuce leaves
For the dressing:
1/3 cup canola oil
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 tbsp. peanut butter 1 tbsp. soy sauce
2 tsp. sesame oil
2 tsp. chili-garlic sauce
or Sriracha
1 tbsp. fresh ginger, minced
Directions:
Cook soba noodles according to package directions. In a large mixing bowl, combine noodles, carrots, red pepper, scallions, edamame, cilantro and basil. In a separate bowl, combine dressing ingredients and stir with a fork until combined. Pour in the dressing and stir until well combined. Serve immediately for a room-temperature salad, or chill in the refrigerator 30 minutes for a cold salad.
Garnish with chopped peanuts and avocado, if desired.
Nutrition information:
Calories: 446
Fat: 16.8 g
Total carbohydrates: 65.8 g
Protein: 12.4 g
Fiber: 2.4 g
Vitamin a: 46%
Vitamin c: 49%
