Spicy Peanut Soba Noodle Stir Fry

This delicious stir fry is quick to make if your mise-en-place is prepped. It is vegetarian, high in whole grains (if you make sure to use 100% buckwheat noodles), packed with veggies and a punch of protein from the edamame, full of healthy fats and can be portioned out and saved to serve cold.

What are Soba Noodles?

Soba noodles are brown and thin and made of buckwheat. Make sure you use 100% buckwheat soba noodles; I like Hakubaku, Authentic Japanese Buckwheat Organic Soba Noodles. They are easy to find in most markets and they come in pre-bundeded serving sizes. It is important to get 100% buckwheat noodles, not only for a good serving of whole grains, but because buckwheat is excellent for your health. Buckwheat has been linked to improved heart health, blood sugar, inflammation and cancer prevention.

Chef’s Tips

Stir-frys can be cooked in a little as ten minutes. This may seem like a lot of steps but remember you are cooking over high heat. Make sure your mise-en-place is prepared and ready to add. Start to boil the water for the noodles, which cook in 3-5 minutes as you complete your prep. If the noodles are finished before you are ready to add them, simply shock them in cold water to stop the cooking and set aside until ready to add to the stir fry.

The recipe is a just a guide. You can add more protein like tofu, chicken or even shrimp. You can load it up with as many veggies as you like - try broccoli, sugar snap peas, water chestnuts and bok choy. Add a tablespoon of Sriracha for an extra kick.

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 recipe Spicy Peanut Sauce, prepared

• 4 bundles/8 ounces 100% soba buckwheat noodles (check package for 1 serving size)

• 1/2 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

• ½ teaspoon minced garlic

• ½ teaspoon ground ginger

• ¼ cup chopped onion

• ¼ cup sliced bell pepper, cut to julienne slice matchsticks

• 1-2 carrots, sliced to julienne cuts or batonnets

• 1 cup cooked (steamed) edamame

• 1 onion, thinly sliced

• 1 cup mushrooms, sliced

Directions

1. Prepare your ingredients, begin by making the spicy peanut sauce.

2. Prepare your mise-en-place

• Slice onions thinly

• Cut to julienne or battonets

• Slice peppers to julienne

• Mince garlic

2. Finish your mise en place:

• Slice the mushrooms

• Measure out the ginger, set in pinch bowl

• Measure out one cup edamame, steam

• Measure out peanut oil (or Smart Balance Heart Healthy oil to your preference)

3. Set a pot of salted water to boil

4. Over high heat, add the oil. When it is shimmering, add the onions, ginger and season with salt and pepper.

5. Cook until the onion have slightly browned/caramelized

6. Multi-tasking, mindful as you add the other vegetables and cooking over high heat, cook the noodles for approximately 4 minutes or until just cooked. If the other vegetables are still cooking when the soba noodles are finished, drain, shock with cold water and set aside.

7. Keeping an eye on the timer for the soba noodles, add the mushrooms, season again with salt and pepper.

8. Cook down until liquid from mushrooms absorbs

9. Add the carrots, sauté briefly until just tender but not soft or mushy

10. Working quickly, add the pepper, sauté with the other vegetables just to combine, so peppers are tender with a slight crunch

11. Add steamed edamame to pan

12. Stir with spatula or toss with tongs just to combine

13. Add the cooked soba noodles

14. Add the peanut sauce

15. Briefly toss with tongs to combine sauce, noodles and vegetables

16. Tossing occasionally with tong, cook briefly until just glossy

16. Remove from heat, serve immediately

17. Portion out leftovers into glass containers to enjoy later cold!