Quick Sesame Noodles with Green Veggies
Are you guys cooking with tahini yet? If not, I’m here to convince you of its many kitchen virtues. Tahini is made by grinding sesame seeds into a think paste. The color varies by brand from a white color to a deep, golden tan depending on whether the seeds were roasted prior to grinding. And because tahini is growing in popularity it’s popping up in most grocery stores these days, usually located in the nut butter section.
Once you are the proud owner of a jar of tahini you’ll need to give it a good stir, as the oil will have naturally separated to the top. Go ahead, get in there, and stir away. Good. Now you have a smooth paste that you can use in countless ways. Tahini is a bit bitter by itself, but when smeared on toast and drizzled with honey it becomes magical. Mmmmmmm, tahini-honey toast. Beyond toast, tahini is the magical ingredient that makes hummus so rich and creamy. Plus it makes an amazing dairy-free dressing base. And a spoonful or two is amazing in smoothies. Convinced yet?
Another of my favorite ways to use tahini is in this amazingly easy sauce drizzled over noodles and topped with crisp green veggies. All you have to do is combine a few pantry staples together along with the tahini and you have a bowl-licking worthy sauce. This recipe is super-quick, vegan, dairy-free, and gluten-free (as long as you use gluten-free noodles and tamari). If you’re serving someone who needs a little something extra, feel free to top the noodles with some grilled chicken or shrimp in addition to the veggies. Oh yeah, and you only need one pot for the entire recipe. Easy cleanup is always appreciated, right? Okay, now go grab a few simple ingredients and whip up these Quick Sesame Noodles with Green Veggies tonight. You’ll be a tahini convert in no time.
Kid-friendly notes. This dinner includes many kid-friendly flavors. The garlic and ginger flavors are subtle in the sauce and it’s not spicy, but if you have a resistant eater here are some suggestions:
- Serve the noodles tossed with the tahini sauce, raw snap peas, and cooked broccoli separately on the plate.
- Serve the noodles, raw snap peas, and cooked broccoli separately on the plate. Add the sauce on the side for dipping.
- Offer the sesame seeds as “sprinkles,” to be added by the child.
- Add or substitute an additional preferred veggie such as carrots or raw bell pepper in place of the snap peas or broccoli.
Now, onto the recipe!
Quick Sesame Noodles with Green Veggies
Ingredients
- ½ cup tahini paste
- ½ cup warm water
- ½ teaspoon granulated garlic
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 3 tablespoons rice wine or white wine vinegar
- 4 tablespoons gluten free tamari
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 12 oz gluten-free brown rice pasta (buckwheat soba or whole wheat would also
- work well)
- 12- oz broccoli florets
- 10- oz sugar snap peas, roughly chopped
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
- Hot sauce to taste
Instructions
- To a large pot of salted, boiling water add the noodles and cook according to package direction.
- While the pasta cooks, combine the tahini and warm water in a small bowl, whisking to combine. Add the garlic, ginger, vinegar, tamari, and maple syrup. Whisk until sauce is well combined.
- When the pasta is cooked, remove, leaving boiling water in the pan. Add the broccoli and cook until bright green and tender, about 3-4 minutes, then drain.
- Combine the cooked noodles, broccoli, snap peas, and green onions. Top with tahini sauce, sesame seeds, and hot sauce to taste. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- Serve the noodles tossed with the tahini sauce, raw snap peas, and cooked broccoli separately on the plate.
- Serve the noodles, raw snap peas, and cooked broccoli separately on the plate. Add the sauce on the side for dipping.
- Offer the sesame seeds as "sprinkles," to be added by the child.
- Add or substitute an additional preferred veggie such as carrots or raw bell pepper in place of the snap peas or broccoli.
So glad to have found your blog! I recently transitioned my blog to focus of real food as that is what I eat now. Just posted a recipe similar to this one with miso and soba noodles! Definitely making this with my leftover soba noodles asap!! 🙂
Kelsey, I’m so glad you found me, too! Your miso soba noodles sound delicious as well. 🙂
My hubby and I loved this dish! I had some Thai rice noodles on hand so I used those instead of regular noodles and subbed green beans for snap peas. Next time I’m going to try some sort of protein like chicken or beef. I think you converted me to be a tahini lover!
Oh and I forgot to add. We added a bit of sriracha to add a little extra kick. Yum!
Ohhh, love the idea of adding sriracha. Sounds amazing!
Yay, I’m so glad you enjoyed Ashely!