Healthy Soba Noodle Bowl: Boost Your Blood Sugar Control & Enjoy Lunch

Looking for a new recipe to spice up your lunchtime routine? Look no further than this tasty and satisfying dish full of fiber and nutrients to fuel you through your day. With a mouthwatering sauce containing ingredients like miso, ginger, and tahini, say goodbye to flavorless meal prep and hello to an umami-packed healthy lunch. Healthy fats and fiber from buckwheat and sesame help keep blood sugar stable, giving you sustained energy through your workday. This noodle bowl can be eaten cold or hot — making it a perfect make-ahead lunch to grab from the fridge.

Soba Noodles: A Gluten-Free, Nutrient-Dense Food

Soba noodles are traditional Japanese noodles made either partially or wholly from buckwheat flour. If you're looking for gluten-free soba noodles, make sure you buy the kind that are 100% buckwheat. Buckwheat is actually gluten-free despite having "wheat" in its name, but soba noodles are often made from a mixture of buckwheat and wheat flour — so check the ingredients before purchasing.

Buckwheat is a whole grain that's high in fiber, which feeds the gut and keeps the digestive system moving regularly, as well as helping to eliminate harmful cholesterol from the body. Buckwheat is naturally cholesterol-free and when combined with tahini, these two heart-healthy ingredients may help lower cholesterol. It also provides a dose of essential amino acids and is rich in minerals — magnesium, manganese, copper, iron, and phosphorus — all essential nutrients that are well absorbed because buckwheat is low in phytic acid.

Stabilizing Blood Sugar Through Food Combining

Pairing carbohydrates like soba noodles with healthy fats has been shown to lessen blood sugar spikes after a meal. Buckwheat is already a complex carbohydrate — digested slower than simple carbs like white rice — and the tahini sauce amplifies this effect, helping to keep blood sugar levels stable and providing a sense of fullness. Listening to your body and understanding its cues is a great part of mindful eating.

Let's Make the Recipe!

Healthy Soba Noodle Bowl Recipe

What You'll Need:

Sauce:

• ¼ cup tahini
• 1 Tbsp miso paste (we like this chickpea miso because it's soy-free)
• Juice from ½ lemon
• 1 Tbsp finely grated/minced ginger
• 2 Tbsps warm water
• 1 tsp ume plum vinegar, or rice vinegar
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp honey

Bowl:

• 8oz gluten-free buckwheat noodles
• 1 large head broccoli cut into florets
• 1 Tbsp avocado oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 small carrots shredded/grated
• 2 green onions chopped
• Few sprigs cilantro, chopped
• 1 avocado sliced
• Sesame seeds for garnish

Amp up the protein: Add cooked tofu, tempeh, or any nuts and seeds you'd like.

How to Make It:

1. Roast the broccoli — Toss broccoli in oil, salt and pepper and roast at 400°F for 18 minutes or until crispy and cooked through.
2. Boil the noodles — Cook soba noodles according to package directions. Do not salt the cooking water. Once cooked, drain and rinse to prevent sticking.
3. Make the sauce — Combine tahini, miso paste, lemon juice, ginger, water, vinegar, salt, and honey in a small bowl. Whisk until smooth.
4. Combine and plate — Add the noodles, carrots, broccoli, onion, and cilantro to a large bowl with the sauce and toss to combine. Serve with sliced avocado and garnish with cilantro and sesame seeds.

This recipe makes 4 servings.

With soba noodles and this flavorful sauce as your base, this recipe is easily customizable. Swap cauliflower or zucchini for broccoli, or change the cilantro for mint or Thai basil for a slightly different taste.

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About the Author

Stephanie is the fulfillment director and kitchen supervisor for Organic Pharmer. She studied Neuroscience at University of California, Irvine before studying Naturopathic Medicine for 2 years at National University of Natural Medicine in Portland, Oregon. She also spent 3 years studying East Asian Medicine at the same university.

Important Disclaimer

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. This content is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Consult your healthcare provider before making changes to your diet or supplement routine.