Edamame and Bok Choy Sauté with Rice Noodles and Miso Lime Sauce is plant-based, quick (ready within 30 minutes from chopping to plating), easy, gluten-free, oil-free, nut-free, veggie-packed (with three servings of veg per person - including one cruciferous), satisfying (with a serving of beans per person), and great all year round, especially during the fall/winter seasons.

I love this recipe because it broke me out of my norm - we tend to eat frozen edamame right out of the bag and I felt it was high time to create an actual recipe with it! There are beautiful Japanese flavors and textures here that I now crave, a nice change from our usual sushi and ramen. The citrusy dressing is ponzu-like with the zing of lime instead of yuzu balanced with a touch of sweet from maple syrup and a little depth from worcestershire - I was really pleased with how it turned out after experimenting. And perhaps best of all, it comes together quickly - yes, you can have this on a weeknight!

This dish is meant to be eaten right away, as the noodles are delicate and don’t keep so well. Be careful not to over stir or over cook or they may break up into a gooey mess. Another tip: Pour most of the dressing into the veggies so that they get the flavor. If you like a lot of sauce, double the sauce part of the recipe.

Because the leaves are more tender, the bok choy stalks are separated during prep and start cooking before the chopped leaves. And by the way, the instructions in this recipe include the chopping rather than starting with pre-chopped ingredients to help you know how much time and effort is really required to prepare this weeknight dinner. I’d love to know your thoughts - do you find this helpful?

Edamame and Bok choy Sauté with Rice Noodles and Miso Lime Sauce

vegan | quick | easy | gluten-free | oil-free | nut-free | veggie-packed | 30 minutes or less | fall | winter | year-round | dinner

PREP TIME: 20 MINUTES | COOK TIME: 7 MINUTES | TOTAL TIME: 27 MINUTES

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

ingredients

• zest and juice of one lime

• 1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce

• 1 tablespoon chickpea or other mild miso

• 2 teaspoons maple syrup

• 1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce

• 1 teaspoon fermented chile paste (optional)

• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds

• one inch piece ginger

• 2 garlic cloves

• 1 bunch scallions, about two cups

• 1 medium or two baby bok choy (about two cups) - separate stalk

• 1 cup shiitake

• 1 10-oz package frozen shelled edamame

• ¼ cup padron or shishito peppers

• 8 oz dry flat rice noodles

• garnish with ½ - 1 cup cilantro, or to taste

instructions

1. In a small bowl, stir together the first six ingredients until you have a sauce. Set it aside.

2. In a deep skillet, toast the sesame seeds over medium heat until fragrant, about 3-5 minutes. Be sure to toss or stir them frequently to keep them from burning. Once they’re done, set them aside in a small bowl and wipe out the skillet quickly with a dry kitchen cloth to remove any remaining seeds. Keep the pan on low heat.

3. Meanwhile, wash and dry the fresh veggies. Get a large plate or platter out to hold the prepped veggies as you prepare them. Mince the ginger and garlic. Chop the scallions into one-inch pieces, whites and greens.

4. Start a pot of water to boil for the noodles, preferably a wide pot for the long noodles. Continue prepping veggies: Separate the bok choy stalks from the leaves by slicing a V shape in the stalk. Cut the stalks and leaves into bite-sized pieces, keeping them separate on the platter. Slice the mushrooms and thinly slice the peppers. Leave the cilantro whole for now.

5. Once the veggies are all prepped, bring the skillet heat back up to medium and add the prepped mushrooms, bok choy stalks, and scallions to the pan. Stir them a couple minutes until they soften. If the water has come to a boil, hold off on adding the noodles until the next step.

6. Add the ginger, garlic, bok choy leaves, edamame, and peppers to the skillet, then add the noodles to the boiling pot. Return to boil, reduce heat to medium, and cook about 5 minutes (go by the package instructions). Make sure not to overcook them so they don’t fall apart or get gooey. Meanwhile, stir the skillet contents to make sure it all heats through. Once the noodles are done, use tongs or a hand strainer to move the noodles from the boiling pot to the skillet. Alternatively, you can drain the noodles in a colander and then place them in the skillet.

7. Pour the sauce mostly over the sautéed vegetables and a little over the noodles to achieve the best flavor, then add the sesame seeds, stirring carefully to incorporate. Serve immediately with pieces of cilantro as garnish, if desired.