Take-Out Fake-Out: Sesame Soba Zoodles with Pickled Veggies

The Secret sauce for living well is learning to balance healthy habits with personal pleasures -- and doing so in a way that feels good. Food blogger and private chef, Phoebe Lapine, set out to find that sweet spot on a year-long lifestyle experiment that she documented in her new book, The Wellness Project.

After being diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder in her twenties, Phoebe felt overwhelmed by her doctors' strict medical protocols. Through trial and error, fitness and nutrition, this balanced babe learned how to "do right by my body, without giving up my life" -- an empowering discovery, to say the least. We're sharing one of Phoebe's clean-yet-craveable recipes from The Wellness Project -- toss it into your takeout rotation and thank us later...

If cold sesame or peanut noodles are part of your usual comfort food rotation, this dish is a great take-out fake-out. Soba noodles are traditionally made from buckwheat, which, contrary to its name, is a gluten-free flour that’s rich in protein and fiber. It also has a wonderful earthy flavor that pairs well with toasted sesame oil, creamy almond butter and bright pickled vegetables from the farmer’s market. To make this noodle dish even more veg-centric, I go halvsies with spiralized zucchini. Depending on your preferences, you can, of course, use all soba or all zoodles (see market swap notes). But I think this version gives you the best of both worlds.

HEALTHY HEDONIST TIPS: Make sure to look for noodles that are 100-percent buckwheat, as many traditional soba brands now use wheat flour to create sturdier strands. Eden Foods and King Soba are my favorites. Reserve your radish leaves and use them to make a peppery puree. They’re a great addition to my asparagus stalk pesto.

MARKET SWAPS: If you don’t own a spiralizer, you can easily just use all packaged noodles. Simply double the quantity of soba and omit the zucchini. Or for a paleo version, vice versa. Use whatever veggies you find at the market for the quick-pickled topping. Carrots, fennel or sugar-snap peas would work well. To make a Thai version of this dish, swap vermicelli or flat rice noodles for the soba. Omit the sesame oil completely, and sub 2 tablespoons fish sauce for the tamari. Garnish with chopped peanuts instead of sesame seeds. [olists num=1]

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