Vegan Garlicky Carrot Zucchini Soba
Today I have an awesome, deceptively vegetable-packed vegan pasta recipe to share, but first I wanted to show off my leftover Sweet Potato Bean Salad wrap. For lunch yesterday, I just tossed a heap of the cold leftovers in a soft flour tortilla with raw kale and it was amazing. That sweet potato bean concoction was born to live in a wrap. Once again, leftovers ftw.
Now, on to that fabulous soba. Of course I’m not purposely “hiding” vegetables from my family or anything like that. We’re vegan. We know we’re eating a lot of vegetables. But if you do happen to have little ones (or big ones) who claim to “not like vegetables”, this simple dish incorporates a hearty helping without screaming, “Hey kid, you’re eating your veggies.”
On a side note, I’ll never understand people who say they don’t like fruits and vegetables. None of them?? That’s a pretty blanket statement. It’s like me saying I don’t like liquids. I don’t drink a lot of flavored beverages, but I still need liquids. I mean, even people who choose to eat meat can’t possibly survive off flesh alone, can they? Anyway, sorry I got side tracked. I just hear it all the time when people find out I’m vegan. ”Oh, I could never that. I don’t like fruits and vegetables.”
Ingredients:
- 3 bundles soba noodles, cooked
- 1 medium zucchini, finely shredded
- 2 medium carrots, shredded
- 1 lb. baby portabella mushrroms, sliced
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (optional)
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large deep pan and sauté garlic over medium heat until lightly browned. Add sea salt, pepper, garlic powder, and mushrooms, sauteing until mushrooms are tender. Adjust heat to low. Add in zucchini, carrots, cooked soba noodles, lemon juice and remaining teaspoon of olive oil and toss until the noodles, zucchini, and carrots are just warm and evenly coated. Enjoy!
I love the extra flavor pop from the mushrooms since they first absorb the flavors of the garlic and seasonings, and how the zucchini and carrots are kept raw while still blending with the dish by being shredded. Yum! Whole wheat spaghetti could replace the noodles, but buckwheat soba is so delicious and a nice change in consistency from the “ordinary” pastas.
Do you know anyone who claims to not like fruits and vegetables? What do they eat??
 | |
 | |
I Eat Trees is a blog featuring my adventures in all things vegan. My favorite recipes, snack food finds, and restaurant trials are all on the menu so enjoy!
That *does* look delicious! Who doesn’t love soba, really?
Before my husband got married (and before I went vegan and he went, well, not vegan, but healthy) he referred to himself as an “if it grows, it goes” eater. He was perfectly happy with steal, potatoes, rice, burgers, etc. If a sandwich had lettuce on it – gone! Tomatoes? We are *still* fighting that battle.
I’ve faired better in disguising vegetables well, like with your soba recipe, but until about 6 months ago the man still had a hard time eating a meal heavy on the vegetable to grain ratio. I don’t get it either.
I also have several friends who will eat fruits, but unless vegetables are coated in some sort of sauce/dip thing or cooked beyond recognition, they won’t go near them. They’ve started weining themselves away 1) because I won’t cook anything else for them, 2) by adding more seasonings/marinade to help with the flavor. Crazy, crazy folk!
My husband *is* vegan and still picks out those tomatoes!
That’s true- many of the people I know do eat vegetables in some unrecognizable form.. like fried everything! “Sauce” is the transitional phase to vegetables in actual vegetable form.
This looks so delicious and healthy. I have not had soba yet. Yum!
Thank you! You must try it- it’s so good!
sweet potato bean salad?! yum! I love that it makes leftovers!
Plus it’s even better as leftovers!
I know a couple people like that (actually i used to be one of those people many many years ago!) and they like I pretty much live off of frozen pizza. ICK!
Look how awesome you eat now! That’s got to be an inspiration to your frozen-pizza-loving friends!
I looked at Dreena’s blog and sadly she did not post a recipe
. What seasonings did you use in your sweet potato salad? It sounds SO good!
I totally agree with you about the statement of not liking fruits and vegetables. On a strictly meat diet, it’s impossible to get all necessary vitamins. However, it’s completely possible to get all vital nutrients from a plant-based diet (even B-12 in nooch)! Power to the plants!
Have a lovely day!
xox
Plant power!
Yeah, since she didn’t post a recipe I just tried to recreate it. I pressure cooked the beans and then oven-roasted the sweet potatoes. I combined those, threw in the raw red pepper and cucumber (chopped small), a little lime juice (a tablespoon or two), salt, pepper, oregano, parsley, chives, and I added a touch of cilantro, but that’s only if you like cilantro. Hope this helps!
Keri, this looks SO good. My husband was just going on about how he was craving soba noodles, but I’ve been so bored of making them with peppers and cabbage. Thanks for the inspiration to spice it up a notch!!! Can’t wait to try this!
Aww, I hope you love it!
Oooh, does that look good!! As for your question.. YES, my Step Dad is total anti fruits and veggies. Drinking Koolaide is his idea of fruit. (I’m not joking and his health shows it…. very sad)
Oh my… Koolaid?! No fruits or vegetables are harmed in the making of Koolaid!