Soba Noodles with Crispy Kale & Coconut

A quick and healthy meal of roasted kale, coconut, and avocado over buckwheat noodles

I first got the idea for this kale and coconut topping from a recipe I posted a couple years ago from Heidi Swanson's Super Natural Every Day, and have been tweaking with the recipe ever since. I believe I've finally perfected it with this soba noodle version. The kale gets tossed with a soy-sesame-olive oil mixture and roasts with unsweetened coconut and sliced jalapenos until almost kale chip crispiness. It's salty and crunchy and adds texture to the soft noodles. I've really been into adding avocado on top of everything lately, too, and love how it adds a creamy texture and body to this noodle bowl. It's a super quick and healthy weeknight meal and has been showing up on our dinner table at least once a week. Try it at room temperature as the weather gets hotter.


Related Recipes:
- Kale Coconut Farro Salad
- Tofu, Brussels Sprout, & Kale Soba Noodles
- Raw Kale & Soba Noodle Bowl with Ginger-Lime Dressing


Soba Noodles with Crispy Kale, Coconut, & Avocado:

• Preheat the oven to 415F and bring a large pot of water to a boil.
• Wash, dry, and remove the center ribs from 1 large bunch of kale and chop it into bite-size pieces.
• Arrange the kale onto a large baking sheet* and add in 1 c. unsweetened coconut flakes** and 1/2 seeded and thinly sliced jalapeno pepper.
• Whisk together 1/3 c. olive oil, 3 tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce, and 1 tsp. sesame oil in a bowl.
• Pour 2/3 of the sauce over the kale mixture and toss to combine.
• Cook the kale in the oven for 15-20 minutes, turning once, or until kale is crispy and coconut is golden brown.
• Cook 5 oz. of soba noodles in boiling water according to package instructions, usually about 4 minutes.
• Drain the noodles and toss with the remaining sauce.
• To serve, divide the noodles into bowls and top with some of the kale and coconut mixture and a few slices of ripe avocado.
• Serve warm or at room temperature.

Serves two

*The kale should be in a pretty even layer on the baking sheet. You may need to divide onto two baking sheets so that the kale doesn't overcrowd.

**Sometimes called coconut chips. Do not replace with sweetened coconut or shredded coconut.