Heidi Swanson, the vegetarian cookbook author and blogger behind 101 Cookbooks, is behind this hearty weeknight noodle bowl. The nutritional yeast acts like a vegan version of parm, adding a hit of umami flavor that plays well with bitter kale and earthy buckwheat noodles. We suggest using curly kale, which roasts into light, crispy chips, instead of Tuscan.
Ingredients
4 servings
1
1¼
⅓
½
2
8
3
2
1
2
½
1
Preparation
Step 1
Place racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat to 375°. Toss kale, coconut, nutritional yeast, ½ tsp. salt, and 2 Tbsp. olive oil in a large bowl to coat. Divide mixture evenly between 2 rimmed baking sheets and roast, tossing and rotating baking sheets halfway through, until kale is crisp and coconut is golden brown, 15–20 minutes.
Step 2
While kale is roasting, cook noodles in a large pot of boiling water according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold running water. Shake off any residual water and place noodles in a clean large bowl.
Step 3
Combine tahini, soy sauce, honey, 2 tsp. sesame oil, ½ tsp. red pepper flakes, and remaining ½ cup olive oil in a small bowl. Finely grate zest from lime directly into bowl; halve lime and squeeze in juice (about 2 Tbsp.). Whisk dressing until smooth, then pour about half of it over noodles; toss to coat.
Step 4
Add half of kale mixture to noodles and toss to incorporate. Drizzle in more dressing as needed, tossing until noodles are creamy; season with salt. Pile remaining kale on top. Drizzle with additional sesame oil and sprinkle with more red pepper flakes.
Leave a Review
Reviews (83)
Back to TopI used less oil as others have said but I love this recipe. I like to portion it out for lunches. So yummy
Anonymous
3/13/2023
Used less oil and added some rice noodles since I didn’t have enough soba on hand - turned out amazing. Quick and minimal mess too which is always a plus!
Anonymous
Toronto
7/4/2022
i make this almost once a week- it's one of my favorite dinners. i use shredded coconut instead of flakes, only 1/4 cup oil for the sauce, and generously sprinkle the finished plate with gochugaru flakes. once full, i dunk my colander in ice water, gently separating the noodles, and that keeps them from getting slimy. crispy curly kale is heaven but dino works in a pinch.
moonbeam
santa cruz, ca
1/9/2022
This was a winner. Followed the recipe. Shortened the time in the oven to 10 minutes, but everybody loved it.
Adelbert
Chicago IL
9/19/2021
After making this the first time, I immediately ordered more soba noodles and tahini, to be sure I can make this wherever the craving hits. It's unlike anything else I've ever tasted, and I just love it. That said, I do make the dressing with only 1/4 c oil, which is plenty for me.
Halle
Seattle
4/12/2021
All the people talking about slimy noodles - why are almost all soba noodle instructions on the package so wrong? You should never cook soba noodles for more than three minutes, some say that you should boil the water and turn it off before putting the noodles in the pot. Then they should be at the very least rinsed in cold water, or better yet - drain and submerge in ice water for a minute. You will never have slimy noodles again! Otherwise, delicious recipe - definitely will enter my regular rotation.
Lisa G
Alexandria, VA
3/3/2021
I get that some people find this combination odd - the noodles are slightly slimy with really crispy and sort of cheesy tasting kale and coconut - but I really like it. So long as I remember to keep stocked up on coconut flakes all the ingredients are things I normally have around so its an easy addition to the repertoire. My experiments to substitute the type of noodles have been unsuccessful though - far too slimy with rice noodles.
Anonymous
London, UK
1/4/2021
Yum! This soba noodle salad was an excellent lunch and seems as though it will keep for at least a couple of days as leftovers. I omitted coconut flakes, purely based on the fact that I didn't have any on hand, but threw in some crispy onions to keep a good crunch. Very creative way to enjoy soba noodles and get your greens in.
Kristy
Washington, DC
11/16/2020
This SUPER tasty! Highly recommended, and of course is great with crispy tofu. I've made it with and without the coconut depending on whether or not I have some handy, and I definitely recommend with—if you don't have coconut, consider subbing it for something else crunchy. The texture is fantastic! Definitely putting this in my regular meal rotation. One thing I will say is that the noodle sauce can turn out really oily. I made it once and felt it was perfect, but the second time it was especially greasy and I had a hard time keeping the sauce from splitting (I would have to re-whisk it a bunch to get it to recombine). Not sure what the deal with that was, but in the future I would maybe even halve the olive oil, or even just add a little at a time to get it the right volume and consistency.
wizardling
Berkeley, CA
10/8/2020
This recipe was SO good! I didn't have coconut flakes, but used about 3/4 cups of unsweetened shredded coconut. I toasted the shredded coconut separately, as I was worried about it burning. I also reduced the oil in the dressing from 1/2 cup to 6 tablespoons (2 tbsp shy of 1/2 cup). Next time I'll add some crispy baked tofu as well. I loved the brightness the lime adds to the dressing. I'll definitely be making this again!
Anonymous
Ontario, Canada
8/9/2020
Amazing. One of the best things I've ever made and a something different to add to the dinner rotation. Highly recommend!!!
Anonymous
Los Angeles
7/29/2020
The sauce was too oily for me and the kale + soba was an odd combo. Overall, not into it.
Anonymous
7/18/2020
AMAZING ! !!!! I learned a soba noodle recipe just like this in my middle school cooking class years ago and haven't found a better one since. Had basically all the same ingredients plus rice vineager in the sauce and ginger. Highly recommend
Anonymous
Berkeley, Ca
5/27/2020
Great for a packed lunch or midweek meal
Anonymous
Miami, FL
5/24/2020
I love this recipe, my boyfriend loves this recipe and asks for it all the time. I’m planning on making the kale tonight as a side for our veggie burgers. My main problem is I have a hard time getting my coconut to turn out right. It usually gets a little too done, but I don’t really mind it.
Anonymous
Portland, OR
5/21/2020