I’m calling these good luck prosperity noodles because of the Soba – a symbol of long life in Japan. Why soba in a Thai dish? Well, it’s almost the New Year and who doesn’t want a little prosperity and long life vibes to kick off 2018? Plus, it’s super tasty and perfect for the bit in between Christmas and New Years where you don’t really feel like doing anything and don’t even know what day of the week it is!
This simple, vegan / vegetarian dinner comes together in less than 30 minutes and doesn’t even require chopping. Try spiralizing the veggies instead for a fast noodle fix. You can easily spiralize the onion and bell peppers (just remove the tops and seeds first). You can also change up the veggies to suit your tastes (try broccoli, snap peas, cabbage, boy choy or wilt in some kale or spinach at the end).
Ingredients
- 1 box Thai rice noodles (or quinoa or rice or cauliflower rice or soba or zucchini noodles)
- 1 Tbsp coconut oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced (or spiralized)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced (or grated)
- 1-inch knob fresh ginger, grated (about 1 Tbsp)
- 1 whole red bell pepper, seeded and sliced (or spiralized)
- 1 whole yellow bell pepper, seeded and sliced (or spiralized)
- 1 whole orange bell pepper, seeded and sliced (or spiralized)
- 1 eggplant, diced (optional)
- 1-2 Tbsp Thai red curry paste (depending on spice level you want)
- 1 14 oz can crushed tomatoes (or 1 pint cherry tomatoes)
- 1 13.5 oz can coconut milk
- Splash fish sauce (optional)
- Squeeze of lime, to finish
- Chopped fresh cilantro, to garnish
- Chopped cashews, to garnish
How To Make It
- Prepare the rice noodles or grains according to package directions (grains like quinoa can be prepped up to 5 days ahead of time). Set aside while you prepare the sauce.
- Heat coconut oil in a heavy skillet over high heat. When heated, add onions and a good pinch of kosher salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Next add garlic and ginger and cook until garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. Add peppers, eggplant (if using) followed by the red curry paste. Stir to coat.
- Cook over high heat for 3-5 minutes, stirring gently, until vegetables soften. Add tomatoes, entire can of coconut milk and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for an additional 5 minutes until the sauce thickens.
- Taste and add salt, pepper, a squeeze of lime and a bit of cilantro (save the rest to garnish the finished dish). With heat on low, add rice noodles or grains of choice and stir to coat in the sauce.
- Top with chopped fresh cilantro, chopped cashews and enjoy!
Slurp away! “In Japan, Soba noodles signify long life, but only if you eat them without breaking or chewing them. Slurp these long noodles in one piece for a good long life, or at the very least, a very tasty meal.” (Today.com) Click here to read more about the 5 foods that symbolize good luck in the New Year!