I’m terrible about lunches.
Half the time, I end up eating some augmented instant ramen, whisking in sesame oil and fresh ginger to boiling water, plopping a few faux chicken broth cubes in with the whole mix. Poaching an egg, maybe, and leaving it at that. At least I throw out the little foil packet of God-knows-what.. aren’t you proud?
Or foraging for leftovers, wondering if it’s actually nutritionally acceptable to eat couscous as your side dish to pizza. But what else do I have?!
Enter the peanut spinach udon. Not only does the dish come together quickly, but it makes use of mostly pantry staples (at least in our house!), meaning I can keep the organization and general planning ahead to a minimum. We usually have fresh spinach or kale on hand, since we love-love-love leaves and throw reckless handfuls into our smoothies each morning. Green onions are usually around, too, since they’re cheap and make the perfectly mildly oniony garnish.
OK, so, it’s quick; it’s easy. Who cares? It’s delicious.
Something about the combination of creamy peanut butter and salty soy sauce, a touch of sweetness and the added depth of sesame oil makes this a standout lunch or light dinner. And versatile, too! You can make a big ol’ batch and nosh on the noodles cold throughout the rest of the week. You’ll fall in love with the nutty sauce, the tender baby spinach leaves, the satisfying udon noodles. It’s filling but not heavy, mostly healthy, and totally vegan. To make this gluten-free, you can replace the udon with soba noodles (make sure they’re 100% buckwheat, and don’t be deterred by the name – buckwheat is not actually wheat and is gluten-free!). Pretty useful, right?
Just one more shot, you guys. I can’t ever help myself. I know they all look basically the same.. it’s called denial.
Make this. Get it into your lunch rotation; free the leftovers!
Peanut Spinach Udon (Vegan)
Ingredients
- 1 bundle bundle udon (or 1 serving soba, about 76 grams)
- 1 1/2 cups baby spinach
- 2 green onions , sliced thin, divided
- 1/2 tablespoon peanut butter
- 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tbsp or more tablespoons soy sauce
- 1/2 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1 clove garlic , minced very fine
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger
- 1/2 tablespoon agave nectar (or honey, if not vegan)
- dollop sambal oelek (chile-garlic sauce. optional)
- black sesame seeds , for garnish
Instructions
- Cook the udon noodles according to package directions.
- Meanwhile, prep your spinach: start with 1 1/2 cups baby spinach; chop. Make your sauce. Whisk together all sauce ingredients, taste, and correct seasonings to taste.
- When pasta is finished cooking, drain and rinse out pot too cool. Place chopped spinach and all but a pinch of the green onions in the pot and place hot noodles on top. Let sit for about 3 minutes then pour sauce over noodles and toss to combine and coat. Add extra soy sauce, if desired. Garnish with remaining pinch of green onions and black sesame seeds.
Notes
Nutrition
Cheryl Malik is the recipe developer, writer, and photographer behind the healthy, flavorful, family friendly recipes at 40 Aprons. She’s been a blogger for 10+ years and is known for her delicious recipes and detailed recipe instructions. Cheryl is a mom of three who lives in Memphis, TN.
Annie @Maebells says
How delicious! Such great fresh flavors!
Cheryl Malik says
🙂
Mariana @The Candid Kitchen says
I have had udon noodles before with peanuts and enjoyed it so much. It had a squeeze of lime and tofu. This recipe brought me back good memories!
Cheryl Malik says
One of my favorites! 🙂
Kristi @ Inspiration Kitchen says
You just made my mouth water with this description –> “combination of creamy peanut butter and salty soy sauce”. I am totally wishing I had a taste of this right now, because that sounds absolutely fabulous! Pinned!
Cheryl Malik says
This reminds me of a (weird) idea I had to WRITE food porn.. maybe a collection from food bloggers or something.. with photos at the end on a separate page! Letters to Penthouse style.. right? Because sometimes just reading the ingredient list of a recipe makes me hungry and salivating. Ha! Thanks Kristi 🙂
Jessica @ Jessica in the Kitchen says
Looks beautiful and I love how easy this comes together. I have like every ingredient here and it would’ve come in hand today when I not only had oatmeal for breakfast…but I had the exact same type for lunch as well (my creativity knows no bounds, clearly). Pinning and definitely plan to try!
Cheryl Malik says
Haha! Your lunches sound like mine. I’ll make some ridiculously fancy dessert and photograph it voraciously, then settle down to a big bowl of Annie’s Mac & Cheese. 🙁
And that happened.. YESTERDAY! Intervention needed.
Nora says
This is the perfect meal: it’s lovely, simple, flavorful and healthy. Soy/peanut sauce concoctions are my favorite flavor condiment!
Cheryl Malik says
Right?! They’re so perfect together. Thanks Nora 🙂
pam (Sidewalk Shoes) says
This sounds so fresh and good!
Cheryl Malik says
Thanks Pam!
Traci | Vanilla And Bean says
Noodles! You had me at noodles. YaY for noodles! My ultimate comfort food! And putting noodles with that peanut sauce makes me crave this even more! I admit, i’ve never tried Udon, so I’ll have to put this one on my list. Easy. Delicious. Noodles. Peanut sauce!? WHAAAA? #needthisnow Awesome work, Cheryl!
Cheryl Malik says
Ooooh, you will love udon! They’re so tender and almost creamy – definitely one of my favorites. Thanks Traci!
O says
YUMMY! Amazing pics! 🙂
Cheryl Malik says
Why, thanks O!
Sam says
Haha! My lunches often look a little sad too. My staple is a big ‘ol salad with everything in it that I have. This looks delicious!! I feel it would be hard to mess up any dish that contain both udon noodles and peanut butter! Yum!
Cheryl Malik says
Thanks Sam! It’s pretty sad, really; my lunches would often make PB&J look like Michelin-grade concoctions. This is the perfect solution!
Meredith @ Unexpectedly Magnificent says
This looks delicious! I love noodles with peanut sauce. I like the inclusion of lime juice in yours! 🙂
Cheryl Malik says
Thanks Meredith! I think it adds a little extra somethin’ somethin’ 🙂