I’m going through a “bowl” phase… the idea of grains, veggies and a protein all touching and mixed together may terrify my 5 year old self, but now I can’t get enough – one dish to clean? Sign me up!

Amazing Soba Bowl

• Soba Noodles
• 1 bell pepper, sliced into matchsticks
• 2 carrots, peeled into ribbons
• 1/2 a bag of edamame, cooked
• 1/4 of a head of purple cabbage
• 4 leaves of kale, de-stemmed, cut into ribbons
• 1-2 bunch of green onions, chopped
• Large handful of cilantro

Dressing

• 1 1-inch piece of fresh peeled ginger, grated
• 3 tablespoons oil
• 3 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 tablespoons agave nectar
• 1½ tablespoons white miso
• ½ teaspoon minced garlic
• ¼ teaspoon salt

1. Cook soba noodles and be sure to rinse them with cold water after draining them to stop them from cooking further.
2. Top them with prepped veggies.
3. Make dressing of your choice (I used the one above) and stir until well combined
4. Drizzle with Sriracha and lime juice if you like.

The joy is, you can mix and match to your heart’s delight… just find a dressing that fits your mood and get creative! Here are some of the “usual suspects” in my rotation (don’t forget that preparation variations make for even MORE combinations – hard-boiled/fried/poached eggs, shredded/grilled/roasted chicken, etc.):

Dressings are key to making this all come together… if your ingredients are bold enough, perhaps you can go the oil and vinegar route, but if you want to mix it up, here are some of my favorites:

• Coconut Peanut Sauce
  • 1/2 cup light coconut milk
  • 1/4 cup natural peanut butter
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • splash of agave
• Mustard Vinaigrette
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • pinch of sugar
• Shallot Dijon Vinaigrette
  • 3 tablespoons finely diced shallots
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
• Cilantro Balsamic Dressing
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1/2 cup cilantro
  • 1/4 balsamic vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 cup olive oil
  • juice of half a lemon
• Sesame Ginger Dressing
  • 2 tablespoons low sodium tamari sauce
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
  • 1/4 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes