Test Kitchen: Sesame Garlic Noodles with Broccoli, Basil, and Crispy Tempeh

Easy, healthy recipes tested for you weekly at the Sargent Choice Test Kitchen

Caila Yates, Graduate Dietetics Student, SAR ’20

About the Sargent Choice Test Kitchen: We’re all about making healthy taste delicious here at Sargent Choice.  That’s why we’ve teamed up with faculty-in-residence Dr. Karen Jacobs to offer students a one-of-a-kind opportunity to trial and taste-test new Sargent Choice healthy recipes each week at the Sargent Choice Test Kitchen.  Dr. Karen Jacobs invites students of all majors (not just nutrition) into her home on Boston University’s campus to cook up a recipe developed by Sargent Choice Registered Dietitian, Jennifer Culbert.  Feedback from the weekly Test Kitchen gets incorporated into future Sargent Choice recipes and helps shape the face of healthy dining at BU.

This week, we made a protein packed stir fry dish with a sweet and savory sauce.  This is a dish that can be made any time of the year by using whatever vegetables are in season.  It’s hearty, filling, and easy to make!

What is tempeh?

  • A high protein meat alternative (31 grams per cup!)
  • Made from cooked soybeans that are formed into a solid block
  • Has a chewy texture, similar to meat
  • Contains 10% of your daily value of calcium and iron

What we liked:

  • Tempeh had great texture and absorbed the sauce like a sponge!
  • The basil on top was a surprising, but great addition and it added a bit of freshness to the dish.
  • The sauce was the perfect amount of savory and sweet.
  • It would be easy and delicious to add different veggies to this dish! Try red peppers, carrots, or snow peas.

What we would change:

  • Use a little bit of red chili flake or Sriracha to add a kick to the sauce
  • Blanch the noodles in cool water after cooking to prevent them from sticking together and making them easier to mix with the sauce

Nutrients that you’re getting from this recipe:

  • Fiber and B vitamins from whole wheat noodles
  • Vitamins C and K from broccoli
  • Manganese from broccoli, garlic
  • Protein from tempeh and broccoli

How to make this a soy-free recipe:

  • Skip the tempeh. Substitute chickpeas to maintain the protein value!
  • Swap the soy sauce for coconut amino acids.

Sargent Choice Garlic Noodles with Broccoli, Basil, and Crispy Tempeh

Recipe modified from: http://thefirstmess.com/2016/08/10/vegan-sesame-garlic-noodles-recipe/
Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

Sesame garlic sauce:
¼ cup gluten-free tamari soy sauce
2 ½ tablespoons maple syrup
2 ½ tablespoons fresh lime juice, plus extra to top with
1 ½ teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped or grated
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, plus extra for garnish

Noodles and veggies:
¾ lb whole wheat soba noodles
4 cups small broccoli florets, from roughly 1 bunch of broccoli
2 tablespoons coconut oil or olive oil
8 oz tempeh, sliced ½ inch thick
1 handful of Thai basil leaves, sliced (or regular basil, whichever you prefer!)
2 green onions, thinly sliced

Directions:

  1. In a small bowl, whisk together the tamari, maple syrup, lime juice, sesame oil, garlic, and sesame seeds. Set aside.
  2. Fill a large pot with water and bring it to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, add the noodles. Cook the noodles according to package directions, dropping the broccoli florets into the pot when there’s 3 minutes left. Drain the noodles and broccoli.
  3. While the noodles and broccoli are cooking, heat the coconut oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Place the tempeh slices in the pan in a single layer. Let the first side brown thoroughly. Flip the slices over and let the other side brown. Season the tempeh with salt and pepper and finish with a squeeze of lime juice.
  4. In a large bowl, toss the noodles, broccoli, tempeh, Thai basil, green onions, and sesame garlic sauce together until everything is evenly mixed. Garnish the sesame garlic noodles with some extra sesame seeds and serve!