Sweet Basil & Portobello Thai Noodle Bowl with White Fish

A savory, Thai noodle bowl made with gluten-free soba noodles and topped with basil. Dressed in a slightly sweet coconut, ginger sauce that's made with only 3 ingredients!

After a long day followed by a sweaty gym session, who's ready to eat? I know I am! The dilemma between grabbing something not-so-healthy versus cooking a healthier option may seem obvious if you want something quick. But what if I told you that by keeping several ingredients stocked at home, you could make a healthy soba noodle bowl in no time!

This is where "emergency" ingredients come into play — soba noodles, coconut aminos, ground ginger and toasted sesame oil. They're the main ingredients for a Thai noodle bowl that's simple and comforting. So let's grab soba noodles, ginger and coconut aminos and make a bowl! It's fast, guilt-free and perfect for those days you work hard...like a boss. You can find lots of recipes for a tasty Asian sauce, but this sauce only has THREE-ingredients! Yep, three ingredients that you can keep stocked at home. What are these saucy stars? Coconut aminos, fresh ginger and toasted sesame oil. I'm not saying adding more ingredients like fish sauce, garlic, chili pepper, etc. won't make one heck of a sauce, but, when I get home late after a long day, a girl's gotta eat, like pronto.

Packed with hints of sweet coconut and spicy ginger, the sauce is also light enough and lets the soba noodles shine. The bowl is gluten free and soy free, loaded with bok choy, mushrooms, bell pepper, and — thanks to olive oil, fish and seeds — is swimming in healthy fats.

Choosing Soba Noodles

When shopping for soba noodles, find a brand that uses 100% buckwheat flour with no added wheat. Why buckwheat noodles? Despite having "wheat" in the name, buckwheat is completely gluten-free. It's also a seed, not a grain, so it's packed with extra protein and fiber. If that's not enough goodness, it's considered a superfood, too! The Eden Foods brand makes tasty soba noodles that you can find at Whole Foods or Thrive Market.

Pro tip: Make sure to rinse off the starchy residue after the noodles are cooked. This way they won't lump together and will be easier to toss with the vegetables. Earthy, almost nutty in flavor, these spaghetti-shaped noodles are perfect for a gluten-free Thai noodle bowl. To add even more earthy, nuttiness, add hemp seeds on top!

Because this Thai noodle bowl recipe is veggie- and pasta-based, it's easy to keep as a vegan noodle bowl. Or, you can add a side of fish or chicken. Bake hoki (one of my favorites) in the oven with cilantro and a squeeze of zesty lemon. The key is to bake the fish on lower heat and take it out when it's almost done. Then let it continue cooking covered on a plate for about 5 more minutes until perfection!

Print here: Sweet Basil & Portabello Thai Noodle Bowl

Prep time: 00:10 Cook time: 00:20 Servings: 2

Sauce

2 tsp coconut aminos, divided 2 tsp toasted sesame oil, divided 2 tsp ginger, grated or minced

Fish

3/4 - 1 lb hoki or another white fish 1 lemon 1 - 2 tbs parsley, chopped pink himalayan sea salt pepper

Soba Noodles

1 red bell pepper, small 2 - 3 portabello mushrooms, large 2 bok choy, large 2 servings of soba noodles (cooked as directed on package) 1/2 c basil, chopped coconut oil for pan toasted sesame oil pink himalayan sea salt hemp seeds (optional)

Recipe Steps

1. Pre-heat oven to 355 ºF. Chop bell pepper into strips, slice mushrooms 1/4 inch thickness, cut bok choy in diagonal strips and chop basil. Set aside.

2. Make sauce: In a small bowl, make sauce by combining coconut aminos and sesame oil. In a separate bowl, grate ginger and set aside.

3. Bake fish: Lay fish on a pan lined with foil or parchment paper. Squeeze half a lemon on fish and sprinkle with chopped parsley, salt and pepper. Bake for 10-13 min until fish starts to flake. Before it's fully cooked, take fish out of the oven (should not be rubbery and should still flake with a fork) and let it finish cooking, covered, for 5 more minutes.

4. Cook noodles: Boil water in a pot and make soba noodles as directed on the package. When cooked, drain and rinse with water at room temperature. While still in the pot, add 1/2 of the prepared sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and set aside.

5. Make veggies: While fish and pasta cook, sauté veggies in coconut oil and ginger on med-high heat. After 4-6 minutes, add remaining sauce. Sprinkle with salt to taste. Cook for 2-3 minutes more until veggies are tender and stir in basil at the very end.

6. Toss cooked veggies with soba noodles and top with hemp seeds (optional). Serve with fish and a lemon wedge.

Additional Notes

*For low FODMAP, leave out the mushrooms. You can add carrots, eggplant or green beans instead. *For vegan, leave out the fish and use tofu or seeds for extra protein.