Sometimes I get so excited about something, I can't even verbalize it. I just want to jump up and down and yell AHHHHH and then people stare and it's awkward. That's how excited I am about The Oh She Glows Cookbook. I've been (im)patiently waiting for it to come out for months and now it's here and AHHHHH! It's every bit as good as I thought it would be and I know it's going to get heavy use in my kitchen.
Very few bloggers are as humble, hard-working, and all-around awesome as Angela from Oh She Glows; if you read Oh She Glows, you're undoubtedly familiar with the types of recipes Angela shares. Her focus is on delicious food made with real ingredients. Although I'm vegetarian, I buy a lot of vegan cookbooks and I often find myself disappointed in their reliance on faux cheeses and meats. Oh She Glows isn't that kind of cookbook! It's real food for real people. You're a real person, right? Good. This book is for you then.
There are photos to accompany all 100+ recipes in this cookbook, so not only is it useful, it's fun to thumb through too. (Who doesn't love a big, pretty cookbook?!) Every recipe in the book is vegan and the majority of them are gluten-free as well. Angela's enthusiasm for food and cooking shines through in every single page of this cookbook and it's hard not to look at these recipes and feel excited too. Pan-Seared Garlic Tofu, Lentil-Walnut Loaf, and Taco Fiesta Potato Crisps are all on my must-make-soon list. (Sidenote: I have found that the best kinds of fiestas are Taco Fiestas.)
This Empowered Noodle Bowl recipe is from the Entree chapter of the book. Angela includes recipes for two different sauces--Thai Peanut and Orange-Maple Miso. Since I had the ingredients on hand for the Thai Peanut sauce, I went with that one. This recipe makes a great light dinner, but it's also ideal for packing up into a bento and bringing to work for lunch. We loved the tangy peanut sauce and I was happy that there were more veggies than noodles in this dish--just the way I like it!
You can buy The Oh She Glows Cookbook: Over 100 Vegan Recipes to Glow from the Inside Out on Amazon.com (note that there's a different cover for the Canadian edition--don't panic if you're in Canada and your book doesn't look like mine!) and book stores just about everywhere!
Recipe
Ingredients
For the Thai Peanut Sauce:
- 1 large clove garlic
- 2 tablespoons 30 mL toasted sesame oil
- 3 tablespoons 45 mL natural smooth peanut butter or almond butter
- 2 teaspoons 10 mL grated fresh ginger (optional)
- 3 tablespoons 45 mL fresh lime juice, plus more as needed
- 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon 37 mL low-sodium tamari
- 1 to 2 teaspoons 5 to 10 mL granulated sugar
For the Salad:
- 4 ounces 115 g gluten-free soba (buckwheat) noodles
- olive oil for the noodles
- 1 16-ounce/454-g bag frozen shelled edamame, thawed
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- ½ seedless English cucumber, diced
- 1 carrot julienned
- 4 green onions chopped, plus more for serving
- ¼ cup 60 mL fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
- Sesame seeds for serving
Instructions
Make the Thai Peanut Sauce:
- In a mini or regular food processor, combine the garlic, sesame oil, peanut butter, ginger (if using), lime juice, tamari, sugar (if using), and 2 to 3 tablespoons (30–45 mL) water. Process until combined.
Make the Salad:
- Cook the soba noodles according to the instructions on the package. Be sure not to overcook them—they should only take 5 to 9 minutes, depending on the brand. Drain the noodles and rinse them under cold water. Transfer the noodles to a large bowl and toss them with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil (this prevents the noodles from sticking together).
- Add the edamame, bell pepper, cucumber, carrot, green onions, and cilantro to the bowl with the noodles and toss until well combined.
- Pour your desired amount of the dressing over the salad and toss to coat. (Any leftover dressing will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.)
- Portion the salad into 4 bowls and garnish each serving with a sprinkle of sesame seeds and some green onions. Serve any leftover dressing on the side.
Notes
Nutrition
Disclosure: I received a review copy of The Oh She Glows Cookbook in order to write this review, although if I hadn't, I would have happily bought a copy for myself!
Cynthia says
Just found your blog. Bookmarked! Love what I've seen so far. This recipe looks amazing. I would sub the noodles for thinly sliced cabbage and make the peanut sauce with warm water. Yum! Perfect springtime dish. Going to buy this book if I don't win it.
Kiersten Frase says
Cabbage would be delicious in this recipe! Good luck with the giveaway! 🙂
Katie (The Muffin Myth) says
This looks so great! I love Angela's blog and will definitely be getting my hands on a copy of her cookbook. I agree with the real foods approach being so great. Before I get the cookbook in my hot little hands (cold little hands, as it were, it's snowing here!) I'll warm up with this noodle bowl!
Kiersten Frase says
I hope you get a copy soon because you will love it! I'm planning on making a few more recipes from it this week and I'm having trouble choosing which ones--they're all so good!
Jen says
Making this tonight!! Bought the cookbook 🙂
Your blog is awesome - just found it thru Facebook!!
Kiersten Frase says
Thank you! And I hope you enjoyed the recipe! 🙂
Mychal says
Would this work with rice noodles? or would that just be too weird?
Kiersten Frase says
Nope, not weird at all! That will definitely work too. 🙂
sarah says
I made this with the miso orange sauce and spiralized (and baked) sweet potato and butternut squash noodles and it was AMAZING!
Kiersten Frase says
I'm glad you enjoyed the recipe. I love spiralized butternut squash noodles, but I've yet to try doing that with sweet potatoes!
Nicole says
Can I use sojasauce instead of tamari? Not sure if I get it over here in Switzerland
Kara says
I love love love this recipe. We have a weekly girls night and last week was my turn to cook. I made this (doubled it so I would have leftovers) and everyone wanted the recipe. So simple, fresh, and delicious!
Amy says
This looks delicious!