Soba Slaw with Peanut Butter Dressing
Posted: | Categories: Recipes | Tags:chicken gluten-free lunch salad
Soba Slaw with Peanut Butter Dressing
Melissa Ben-Ishay
My kids love soba noodles and I love serving them. They’re packed with protein and fiber, and since they’re made with buckwheat flour you can find gluten-free certified options. (My kids eat them plain.) This is the perfect base slaw that you could pair with your favorite dressing, but for this one I was really craving a peanut butter-tamari combo. Use soy sauce if that’s what you have! The flavors come together so well, and with grains, veggies, and protein you have a complete meal that will make you feel great.
The chicken is totally optional—for a vegetarian crowd you could add tofu or just leave it out. The noodles add protein!
Ingredients
For the chicken
- 2 chicken breasts
- Juice of ½ lemon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Black pepper
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil (avocado or algae)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon tamari
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
For the slaw
- 4 oz. dry soba noodles
- ½ savoy cabbage (green or purple cabbage is fine)
- 1 red bell pepper
- 2 mini cucumbers
- 1 bunch scallions
- 1 large handful cilantro
- 1 large carrot, peeled & grated
- Sesame seeds, to garnish
- Chopped peanuts, to garnish
For the dressing
- 2 1/2 tablespoons peanut butter
- 3 garlic cloves, grated
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons tamari
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon honey
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1/4 cup olive oil
Directions
In a gallon Ziploc bag, pound the chicken into a flat ¾” layer.
- Add the lemon juice, salt, a few turns of black pepper, oil, garlic powder, tamari, mustard, and sesame oil to the bag and use your hands to coat the chicken fully.
- Heat a medium frying pan over medium heat and add the chicken. Cook the chicken for 5 minutes on each side, until golden brown and 165F inside (if you’re using a thermometer). Set the chicken aside while you prep the salad.
- Cook the soba noodles according to package instructions and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking. Leave the noodles in the colander while you prepare the slaw.
- Finely chop the cabbage, red bell pepper, cucumbers, scallions, and cilantro and add to a large bowl. Grate the carrots using the wide holes of a box grater and add those to the bowl as well.
- In a jar or small bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, grated garlic, ginger, rice vinegar, tamari, sesame oil, honey, lemon juice, and olive oil. Taste and adjust seasonings to your preference.
- Add the soba noodles to the slaw and toss to combine. Pour the dressing over the slaw and mix well to get everything coated.
- Slice the chicken against the grain and serve on top of the slaw. Garnish with sesame seeds (and chopped peanuts if you have them).
