Soba Noodle Bowls with Chicken, Veggies & Creamy Almond Sesame & Date Sauce

I love this simple recipe for creamy, protein rich soba noodle pasta. This is one of those meals that the whole family loves and I feel so accomplished watching everyone go back for seconds. My husband is the biggest fan of this meal but my toddler is right behind him. This meal is full of flavor with so many nourishing ingredients and I think this will become a weekly staple until someone gets tired of it!! Though that seems unlikely for a while.

This is a great recipe to incorporate more veggies into your little one’s diet. We used a mix of broccoli, bell peppers and carrots. Feel free to play around with different veggies if you’d like. My daughter Pepper (ironically) isn’t fond of peppers at the moment (something she loved until a few months ago). She loves broccoli and carrots but the peppers are a new “dislike.” However, they still make an appearance on her plate often as I believe exposure is key. She did eat a few peppers dipped in the sauce before dinner but she picked around them in her pasta. Though now I’m thinking that if you want your kiddo to enjoy a certain veggie, try making this sauce as a dip. It’s hard not to like anything that’s dipped in this stuff!

This meal is a wonderful balance of protein, carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins minerals, and antioxidants. It’s jam packed with flavor and I really hope you all enjoy this as much as we do. Even if your kiddo picks around a few veggies I’d still encourage you to make this with all the veggies stirred in (or served “deconstructed” but still part of your child’s plate). Pepper continues to surprise me with the foods she’s willing to try after rejecting something for a while. And even if there were a few stray peppers left on her plate, she devoured the rest of the meal and I think it was because the sauce really made all the ingredients come to life!

Before I get to this recipe I’ll break down a few of the ingredients and why I chose certain foods. The sauce is sweetened with dates which are considered a whole food and don’t spike blood sugar the same way as maple syrup, honey or cane sugar. Dates can be given to children under the age of two (and maple syrup and honey are not recommended for children under two as they are considered an added sugar). The sauce gets its rich and creamy texture from almond butter and packs a good punch from freshly grated ginger which has anti inflammatory properties and garlic which is wonderful at keeping your immune system strong. The noodles we use are buckwheat which is a great source of fiber and contains more minerals per serving than most other grains. The chicken is a great source of protein and contains many amino acids that our bodies need to thrive. Carrots, broccoli and peppers all contain antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and fiber which help balance out this meal. Between the fat, fiber, protein, vitamins minerals, and antioxidants, this is the kind of meal I feel pretty darn great serving my family! And without further ado, here is the recipe!

Cheers from our family table to yours!

Soba Noodle Bowls with Chicken, Veggies & Creamy Almond Sesame & Date Sauce

PREP TIME: 20 MINUTES    COOK TIME: 25 MINUTES    SERVES: 6-8

Almond-Sesame Sauce

• 3 large Medjool dates, pitted and soaked in boiling water for 10 minutes and drained

• 1/2 cup almond butter (sprouted if possible- See Note)

• 1/4 cup coconut aminos (can sub low sodium-soy sauce)

• 3 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar

• 1 Tablespoon sesame oil

• 1 teaspoon fish sauce

• 2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger (+ more to taste)

• 1 large clove of garlic, minced

• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (if your child is super sensitive to heat add only a tiny pinch to start)

• water to thin as necessary

Pasta

• 8 ounces buckwheat soba noodles

• 8 ounces frozen broccoli florets (or sub fresh)

• 1 pound chicken breast, cut into 3 large pieces (for faster cooking)

• 3 carrots, finely grated (about 1 1/2 cups)

• 1 bell pepper, finely chopped

• a few tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

Preparation

1. Prepare the sauce by adding all the ingredients to a small blender, food processor or use an immersion blender and process until smooth. Add a few tablespoons of water to thin as needed. Taste for seasonings and adjust.

2. Cook the pasta according to package directions. During the last 3 minutes of cooking, add the broccoli florets to the pan. Once the pasta and broccoli are cooked, drain them and set aside. (If you’re using fresh broccoli it may take longer to become tender).

3. While the pasta and broccoli cook bring a pot of salted water (about 2 cups) to a boil. Add the chicken pieces, reduce the heat to medium, cover the pan and cook until the chicken is done. About 4-6 minutes depending on the size of your pieces. Drain the chicken and once cool enough to handle chop into small chunks or shred with a fork.

4. In a very large bowl add the cooked pasta, chicken and veggies. Drizzle with the sauce and toss until everything is evenly coated. Taste for seasonings and adjust as needed.

5. Serve warm, at room temperature or slightly chilled (if serving this chilled take it out of the fridge 30 minutes before enjoying so that the flavors have a chance to come back to life a bit and the texture becomes creamy again). Sprinkle with sesame seeds and enjoy!

Notes

*Cooking times will very from kitchen to kitchen. Taste test as you go. My favorite almond butter is the sprouted almond butter from Philosopher Foods. It’s organic and sprouted and has the best consistency!