Thai Almond Noodle Bowl + a Cookbook Giveaway!

Words can’t even really express how excited I am about this post. I remember the first time I visited Angela Liddon’s beautiful, bountiful blog Oh She Glows – the photography, inventive recipes, and honest writing hooked me immediately. Angela has a unique way of making vegan food approachable and inviting to people of all diets, including the most enthusiastic carnivores (I should know – I live with one!).

When Angela’s publishing company offered to send me a copy of her newly-published book, and asked me to give a copy away on my blog, it took everything in me to keep my professionalism and not write back “YES!!! OMG!!!” When the book arrived in the mail, I sat in bed and flipped through each colorful, drool-worthy page. Every couple minutes I’d yell at Ryan in the other room, “Ry, I want to make ALL THE THINGS…Ry, you HAVE to come see this…Ry, do you think Whole Foods is open at 11pm?”

To give you an idea of the tastiness within this book, these are the top recipes I can hardly wait to create:

• Quick & Easy Chana Masala
• Crowd-Pleasing Tex Mex Casserole
• Soul-Soothing African Peanut Stew
• Creamy Vegetable Curry

Today, however, I’m going to share with you the very first recipe I made from the book: Empowered Noodle Bowl. Angela gives two sauce options in the book: Thai peanut and orange miso. In the recipe Angela lists peanut or almond butter in the ingredients. I only had almond butter on hand, and I was intrigued by the idea of Thai almond sauce, so I knew which one I had to try.

The carrots, red bell pepper, edamame, and fresh cilantro give the bowl a mix of colors and textures. It’s bursting with flavor even before the sauce comes into play, but I could eat that rich almond butter sauce on everything, everyday. The toasted sesame oil and almond butter give the sauce a rich base, while the lime and tamari (aka gluten-free soy sauce) add some zing.

I’ll be giving away one copy of The Oh She Glows Cookbook to one of you very lucky people! To enter the giveaway, simply leave a comment on this post before 5:00pm CST on Monday, April 7th.

**The contest is now closed. Thank you for commenting!**

Print Recipe

empowered noodle bowl, two ways: thai peanut & orange-maple miso

[From [i]The Oh She Glows Cookbook[/i]] Choosing between my Thai Peanut and Miso Ginger sauces felt like choosing a favorite child, so of course I had to include both of them in the book. It’s always fun to have options, don’t you think? The miso dressing is a great option if you’re looking for a nut-free noodle dressing, and the Thai peanut dressing is perfect if you are a big fan of creamy peanut or almond butter.

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 9 minutes

Total Time: 34 minutes

Ingredients:

FOR THE THAI PEANUT SAUCE:

• 1 large clove garlic
• 2 tablespoons (30 mL) toasted sesame oil
• 3 tablespoons (45 mL) natural smooth peanut butter or almond butter
• 2 teaspoons (10 mL) grated fresh ginger (optional)
• 3 tablespoons (45 mL) fresh lime juice, plus more as needed
• 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon (37 mL) low-sodium tamari
• 1 to 2 teaspoons (5 to 10 mL) granulated sugar

FOR THE ORANGE-MAPLE MISO DRESSING:

• 3 tablespoons (45 mL) light miso
• 2 tablespoons (30 mL) rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon (15 mL) toasted sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon (15 mL) tahini
• 1⁄4 cup (60 mL) fresh orange juice
• 1 teaspoon (5 mL) maple syrup

FOR THE SALAD:

• 4 ounces (115 g) gluten-free soba (buckwheat) noodles
• Extra-virgin olive oil, for the noodles
• 1 (16-ounce/454-g) bag frozen shelled edamame, thawed
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1⁄2 seedless (English) cucumber, diced
• 1 carrot, julienned
• 4 green onions, chopped, plus more for serving
• 1⁄4 cup (60 mL) fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
• Sesame seeds, for serving

Directions:

1. Make the Thai Peanut Sauce: In a mini or regular food processor, combine the garlic, sesame oil, peanut butter, ginger (if using), lime juice, tamari, sugar (if using), and 2 to 3 tablespoons (30–45 mL) water. Process until combined.
2. OR, Make the Orange-Maple Miso Dressing: In a mini or regular food processor, combine the miso, vinegar, sesame oil, tahini, orange juice, water, and maple syrup and process until well combined.
3. Make the Salad: Cook the soba noodles according to the instructions on the package. Be sure not to overcook them—they should only take 5 to 9 minutes, depending on the brand. Drain the noodles and rinse them under cold water. Transfer the noodles to a large bowl and toss them with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil (this prevents the noodles from sticking together).
4. Add the edamame, bell pepper, cucumber, carrot, green onions, and cilantro to the bowl with the noodles and toss until well combined.
5. Pour your desired amount of the dressing over the salad and toss to coat. (Any leftover dressing will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.)
6. Portion the salad into 4 bowls and garnish each serving with a sprinkle of sesame seeds and some green onions. Serve any leftover dressing on the side.

The Oh She Glows Cookbook by Angela Liddon