Noodle Salad with Rainbow Veggies

• servings: 4 servings
• total time: 50 minutes

Ingredients

6 oz (170g) frozen shelled edamame (½ of a 12-oz bag)

3 to 4 bundles of thin rice noodles (5 to 6.5 oz / 140 to 185g, see Note 1)

¼ cup (56g) creamy peanut butter (preferably unsalted, see Note 2)

1 fat garlic clove, (grated or crushed with a press)

1 tablespoon (20g) tamarind paste or tamarind concentrate (see Note 3)

1 large lime, (zested)

1 ½ tablespoons (25g) tamari or soy sauce

1 tablespoon (15g) sambal oelek or chili-garlic sauce (see Note 4)

1 tablespoon (8g) coconut sugar (or organic cane/brown sugar, see Note 5)

½ teaspoon ground coriander

⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 to 4 cups (225 to 300g) thinly sliced or shredded red cabbage (see Note 6)

4 medium carrots, (grated or shredded, see Note 6)

1 cup (16g) cilantro leaves and tender stems, (chopped)

1 8-oz/227g block of tempeh

2 tablespoons high-heat neutral oil

Kosher salt

¼ cup + 2 tablespoons ~85 mL freshly squeezed lime juice

3 tablespoons (51g) tamari or soy sauce

2 tablespoons (42g) agave nectar (or maple syrup)

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil (plus a drizzle for the noodles)

3 tablespoons roasted sesame seeds

Directions

Fill a pot of water to cook the noodles and/or edamame.

Make the Peanut Sauce. In a bowl, combine the peanut butter, garlic, tamarind, lime zest, tamari or soy sauce, chili sauce, sugar, coriander, and cinnamon. Whisk well to combine, then add a tablespoon of water and whisk until the sauce is pourable.Taste, adding more tamari for savory saltiness, more sugar for sweetness, more tamarind or lime juice for tang, or more chili sauce for heat. Set aside (or make a few days in advance).

Prep the tempeh and veggies. Use your hands to crumble the tempeh into very small pieces, about the size of a pine nut. Slice or shred the cabbage and carrots using your preferred method. Chop the cilantro.

Edamame: Cook using the package instructions, or simply defrost: add to a bowl of warm water and rest until no longer frozen. Drain in a colander and shake to dry.

Noodles: Cook the noodles according to the package. Drain very well, shaking off water. Add a drizzle of toasted sesame oil. Toss, and set aside.

Make the Crispy Tempeh. Heat a wok over medium-high heat until it just starts to smoke, then add the 2 tablespoons of high-heat oil (or heat a large nonstick frying pan with the oil over medium-high heat until it shimmers).Add the tempeh and cook in a single layer for 2 minutes undisturbed. Toss, then cook for a total of 10 to 12 minutes, stirring only every 1 ½ to 2 minutes, until golden brown and crisp.Transfer fried tempeh to a paper-towel lined surface to absorb excess oil. Season it with a couple pinches of salt.

While the tempeh cooks, make the Noodle Sauce. In a jar, combine the lime juice, 3 tablespoons tamari, and 2 tablespoons agave. Shake well to combine.Set aside 1 ½ tablespoon sauce in a medium bowl. To the remaining sauce, stir in the 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil and 3 tablespoon sesame seeds. If you like things sweeter, add a bit more agave.

Finish the tempeh. Once the tempeh has cooled off a bit, transfer it to the bowl with the 1 ½ tablespoons reserved Noodle Sauce.

Assemble: Add the cooked noodles to a large bowl. Add in the shredded cabbage, carrots, and chopped cilantro. Pour the Noodle Sauce on top and toss well with tongs. Add in the seasoned tempeh nuggets and edamame and toss again.Divide the noodle salad between four bowls and spoon some Peanut Sauce on each serving. Top with chili sauce for extra heat, if desired.

Nutrition

• Calories: 582 kcal
• Total Fat: 26 g
• Saturated Fat: 4 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 20 g
• Sodium: 1214 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 70 g
• Dietary Fiber: 12 g
• Total Sugars: 19 g
• Protein: 25 g