Asian flavors · Gluten Free · Pasta · Salad · Vegan

Peanut-sesame slaw with soba noodles

Sometimes you come across a recipe from a fellow food blogger, like this one from  “Cookies and Kate” that needs no adjusting and is just the perfect complete meal. This is a very flexible slaw and depending on your food restrictions, you can leave out the soba noodles, use gluten free pasta, leave out the Brussels sprouts, and even use pre-shredded slaw mix (you will need 12 cups of slaw mix, if so)
This can be vegan, gluten free, low calorie but whatever else, it is tasty and healthy!
Being an Asian food nut, this touches all the “scintilla” in my taste buds. Hope it does for you too!

Serves 4 to 8

Slaw
4 oz soba noodles
1 small purple or green cabbage, sliced into quarters and core removed
1/2 lb (about 12) Brussels sprouts, optional
4 carrots, peeled
1 bunch scallions, trimmed and sliced into thin rounds

Peanut-sesame dressing
1/2 cup peanut butter
3 tbsp white wine vinegar or rice vinegar
3 tbsp toasted sesame oil
3 tbsp reduced-sodium tamari or other soy sauce
2 tbsp honey or agave nectar
1 tbsp finely grated fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced

Garnish

Sprinkle of coarsely chopped peanuts
handful of coarsely chopped cilantro
1 lime, sliced into wedges

Cook the soba noodles;  bring a large pot of water to the boil and cook the noodles according to the package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water before returning to the pot.

Prepare the vegetables;  This is easier in a food processor than by hand. if using a food processor, shred the cabbage and sprouts with the slicing disk, then grate the carrots using the grating disk. or use a chef’s knife to chop the cabbage and sprouts into thin strips, then coarsely grate the carrots.

Prepare the dressing;  In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients until smooth.

In a large serving bowl, combine the cooked soba noodles, shredded cabbage and sprouts, grated carrots and chopped scallions.
Pour the dressing over the vegetables and toss to coat (you may or may not need all the dressing).
For best flavor, let the slaw marinate for 20 minutes before serving.

Serve the slaw with a sprinkling of chopped peanuts, torn cilantro and a lime wedge.

You can halve this recipe by using only 6 cups of pre-shredded slaw mix and roughly halving the dressing ingredients.