Cold Sesame Noodles w/ Kale & Shiitakes Recipe

I may call this a noodle salad, but secretly it's a kale salad, too. Made with sesame dressing and lots of sturdy veggies, it's perfect packed for lunch.

They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but I think Monday lunch is the most important meal of the week. If I’ve ~~destroyed myself~~ indulged a little too much over the weekend, I like to recover with a good healthy Monday lunch. Start the week off right, and it’s easier to make healthier choices throughout the week. I’m also trying to make more meals in advance (I’m hoping these kinds of recipes are helpful for you too).

This is a noodle salad, but secretly there’s a kale salad hidden in here as well. I like to go light on the noodles and pile on a rainbow of veggies of varying textures – this time I went with soft kale, thinly sliced cabbage, meaty mushrooms, and some crunchy carrots and radishes. (There’s also some tofu that’s not pictured, but feel free to sub in whatever protein you like). We ate this for dinner one night and I packed it up for lunch the next day.

A good start to the week… even if all bets might be off by Friday.

I used these King Soba brown rice noodles for the first time – I really liked them because they’re thin (which is how I like salad noodles) and they didn’t clump.

Glass to-go containers from The Container Store.

5.0 from 1 reviews

Cold Sesame Noodles with Kale & Shiitakes

I used tofu in this yummy veggie-noodle salad, but feel free to sub in your cooked protein of choice.

Author: Jeanine Donofrio

Recipe type: Main dish, salad

Serves: 4

Ingredients

4-6 ounces noodles (I used these brown rice noodles)
A few cups sliced shiitake mushrooms
2 cups chopped kale, massaged (see notes below)
1 cup thinly sliced cabbage
3 small carrots, chopped into matchsticks
A few radishes, thinly sliced
¼ chopped scallions
A few tablespoons of sesame seeds
½ package extra firm tofu, chopped into cubes

dressing:

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon lime juice
2 teaspoons grated ginger
2 teaspoons soy sauce (tamari if gluten free)
1 teaspoon sriracha (optional)

Instructions

Whisk the dressing ingredients together.
Cook your shiitakes: I baked mine in the oven - slice and toss with a good glug of olive oil and some salt. Bake in a 350 degree oven until crisp and slightly charred (about 25 minutes). Alternatively, you could cook them down in a pan with a little bit of oil & salt or soy sauce, about 10-15 minutes. Stir only occasionally.
Cook the noodles according to package directions. Drain and rinse in cold water.
Place the noodles in a large bowl and toss with the kale, cabbage, carrots, radishes, shiitakes, and toss with most of the dressing. (Let it all sit and marinate for a while while you clean up the kitchen).
Add sesame seeds, then taste and adjust. Add more dressing, soy sauce, lime and/or sriracha to your liking. Serve chilled or at room temp. Store leftovers in the fridge. Pack in to-go containers and bring to work.

Notes

Prep your kale by drizzling it with a little bit of olive oil and a few good pinches of salt. Massage it well with a your hands until it wilts down quite a bit. (If you make kale salads, you're already familiar with the method). The leaves will become softer and less raw tasting.

If you're not a fan of raw tofu you can bake it, pan sear it, or just buy the kind from the store that's already baked.