Sargent Choice Test Kitchen : Vegetarian Sunbutter Noodle Salad

Close Up Picture that depicts the colorfulness of the Noodle Salad with green and orange from the diced vegetables.

Ashly Estrada, Nutrition Student
October 16, 2023

Why We Chose This Recipe

  • This recipe is very versatile – the vegetables used in this recipe can be substituted based on the vegetables you like or have available.
  • Making this type of salad is a great option for those students looking for ways to meal prep.

Adapted from Delicious Living
Yield 4 servings

Ingredients

Sunbutter Sauce:

  • ½ cup sunflower seed butter (SunButter), at room temperature
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic, grated
  • ½-inch piece fresh ginger, grated
  • ⅔ cup water
  • ½ teaspoon salt

Salad:

  • 8 ounces brown rice noodles
  • 1 medium cucumber, cubed or sliced into matchsticks (approx. 1 cup)
  • 1 bell pepper (any color), diced
  • 2 medium carrots, cubed or sliced into matchsticks (approx. 1 cup)
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 1 block tofu, cubed (optional)

Directions

  1. In a small bowl, combine all ingredients for the SunButter sauce. Stir with a fork until well combined and set aside.
  2. Prepare soba noodles according to package directions.
  3. Place noodles, tofu, vegetables, sauce, and lime juice in a large bowl. Toss until well combined.
  4. Serve immediately or store in the fridge up to 5 days.

 

To show students who took a break from chopping vegetables to pose for a picture.
Two students help get the vegetables cut and ready to incorporate into the salad.

What We Liked

  • Many of the students shared that the buckwheat soba noodles were very tasty. The original recipe called for brown rice noodles, which weren’t available at the store. Swapping out for different types of noodles is easy with this recipe.
  • This salad includes noodles, vegetables, sun butter, and tofu, which makes it easy to enjoy a nutritious and satiating meal with all 3 components in Sargent Choice’s Meal Planning 1+2+3.

Suggestions

  • Many students enjoyed drizzling a bit more soy sauce over their salad for a stronger soy sauce flavor. We suggest opting for low-sodium soy sauce for those who would like to include more.
  • Make this salad ahead of time to enjoy throughout the week!

Nutritional Value

  • This recipe calls for a variety of vegetables, which help to fill us up, and incorporate a variety of vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants.
  • Tofu and SunButter are great sources of protein, which help us meet our protein needs and help the energy from the meal last longer.
  • The buckwheat noodles provide whole grain carbohydrates, which not only provide us with energy, but also contain fiber, vitamins and minerals, to help our body function.