Salad Roll Noodle Bowls - Vegan & Gluten Free

One of my favorite things to eat are salad rolls. Unlike deep fried spring rolls, salad rolls are wrapped in a rice wrapper and are not fried at all, but filled with noodles, carrot, mint, cilantro, and even tofu.

If you hate to soak and roll the rice wrapper this noodle bowl makes a great substitute and is quite filling on its own without a side dish.  Although it would be nice served with some fresh boiled edamame in the shell.

The dressing is quite thin, but pairs nicely and keeps it a light dish instead of a heavy peanut sauce which most salad rolls are served with. 

The inspiration for this recipe came from Vegetarian Times, but as with most of my recipes I switched up the ingredients and their amounts to suit my taste.  Feel free to do the same. Depending on how many people you are serving you may want to change up the quantities.  This makes two large dinner servings.

You can purchase already baked tofu and cube it, or you can purchase plain extra firm tofu, slice it and broil it for a few minutes on each side basting with a mixture of soy sauce and sweet chili sauce. Depending on my mood and how much time I have decides whether I purchase the pre-fab baked tofu. The pictures in this post contain home baked tofu.

SALAD ROLL NOODLE BOWL

INGREDIENTS:
6-8 oz dried Rice Noodles
2 Tbsp Dark Brown Sugar
1/4 cup Lime Juice
3 Tbsp Low Sodium Tamari or Soy Sauce
1 tsp granulated Garlic
1 Tbsp Sweet Chili Sauce
1/2 Long English Cucumber, diced
1 cup shredded Green or Red Cabbage
1 large Carrot, grated
1/4 cup fresh Mint, chopped
1/4 cup fresh Cilantro, chopped
8 oz baked Tofu, cubed
1/2 cup Dry Roasted Unsalted Peanuts

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Cook rice noodles according to package directions.  Drain and rinse with cold water and set aside.

2.  For the dressing whisk together brown sugar, lime juice, soy sauce/tamari, garlic, and sweet chili sauce.  Set aside.

3.  Chop and ready all your vegetables, herbs, and tofu.

4.  To assemble place the noodles in individual bowls.  A shallow pasta bowl/plate works well.  You want something with a side on it so the dressing doesn't spill.

5.  Drizzle a few spoons of dressing over the noodles, then top with all of the veggies and herbs.

6.  Top with tofu and peanuts.  Drizzle with remaining dressing and enjoy.

- Bon Appetit

"Don't dig your grave with your own knife and fork." - English Proverb
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Chunky Tomato Veggie Soup

While our weather has been warmer than usual for Spring in Oregon we have still made time for soup.

This is a good recipe to make when you have leftover kale from making a salad.

CHUNKY TOMATO VEGGIE SOUP

INGREDIENTS:
1 Red or Yellow Onion, peeled and diced
1-1/2 to 2 cups chopped Celery
4 cloves Garlic, minced
3 medium-large Carrots, sliced in rounds
1 small Green Pepper, diced
2 - 14.5 oz cans of no-sodium Diced Tomatoes (I use fire-roasted)
1/4 cup no sodium added Tomato Paste
6 cups Water
2 tsp No Beef Bouillon or Vegetable Bouillon
1 - 14 oz can Chickpeas, drained and rinsed
4 large handfuls of chopped Kale
2 cups uncooked Pasta such as shells or Conchiglie (I used the one in the link)
1 tsp Italian Seasoning
1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
Ground Black Pepper to taste
     * optional - Sourdough bread for dipping

DIRECTIONS:

1.  In a large soup pot add about 1/2 cup of water and the onion, celery, garlic, carrots, and green pepper.  Stir and cook until they have softened a bit.  If the water evaporates, add a little more to prevent sticking.

2.  To the pot add the cans of diced tomatoes and tomato paste.  Stir.

3.  Add the water and bouillon and stir to combine.  Bring to a boil.

4.  Add chickpeas, kale, pasta, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes.  Bring back to a boil and reduce heat to simmer. Cover and cook for 15 minutes or until pasta is done.  You don't want to overcook the pasta.

5.  Serve in large bowl with bread on the side if desired.

This makes a large batch of soup with enough for leftovers the next day depending on how many people you are serving.  I do find that when I make it I need to add a little water when reheating it the next day as the pasta can absorb quite a bit overnight.

- Bon Appetit

" If soup isn't hot enough to make a grown man wince, it's undrinkable." - Terri Guillemets

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