Beet and Mushroom Soba Noodle Bowl
During my menstrual phase I don’t often feel motivated to cook, but this recipe is worth it! It has a lot of pieces & parts, but is easy to put together and beyond delicious. And you may not think that beets, mushrooms, tofu, and kale go together - but think again! It is a surprising combination of sweet and savory.
In my recipes, you will notice that I don’t provide super explicit measurement guidance. I am a big believer in portioning based on what feels right for you, and learning to experiment with your cooking. I don’t measure out spices for example - I season and taste as I go. It has helped me build my cooking confidence, and it will for you too!
Serving Size: 2+ leftovers
Total Cook Time: 1 hour
Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: ~40-45 min
Ingredients
16 oz mushrooms, mixture of crimini and shiitake, about 3 cups thinly sliced
2 - 3 golden beets
2 - 3 red beets
1 container extra firm tofu
1 handful dino kale
1 package soba noodles
Coconut aminos
Teriyaki
Sesame seed oil
Pinch of salt & pepper
Parchment paper
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Prepare and cook the beets first. Peel the beets and chop them into small cubes. Toss the cubed beets in olive oil and the Trader Joe’s everything bagel seasoning. Cover a baking tray in parchment paper, place the beets on top, and begin to roast them in the oven. These will cook for about 40 minutes, so they need to be in the longest. Be sure to check on the beets continually and toss them so the can roast on all sides. Note: You will know the beets are ready when they are tender & soft.
While the beets are cooking, thinly slice the mushrooms. Add them to a pan with olive oil and begin to sauté. As they are cooking, add in a couple tbsp of coconut aminos and teriyaki sauce. The mushrooms will cook for 15+ minutes on a medium heat - sauté until they are fully cooked and browned. Note: Cook the mushrooms long enough that they release the water they are holding, and then cook past till all the water is gone and they are beginning to brown. I will continually add coconut aminos and teriyaki sauce to the mushrooms as they cook so that they heavily soak up that flavoring.
While both the mushrooms and beets are cooking, prepare the tofu. Press the water out of the tofu with paper towels. Then slice the tofu into small cubes and toss in a bowl with sesame seed oil, coconut aminos and teriyaki sauce. Let the tofu soak up the sauces until the beets are about half way done cooking (~20 minutes into the beets cooking).
Reminder: Check the beets continually! If they are starting to burn/brown too much, bring the heat down to 365 degrees. I will cook the beets for about 20 minutes on 400 degrees and then reduce the heat to 375/365 degrees for the last 20 minutes.
While the mushrooms and beets are finishing cooking, add the tofu to a new pan and begin to cook on medium/high heat. Be gentle as you move the tofu so they don’t break. Let the tofu sear on all sides slowly so that it will brown and crisp up, flipping every so often. The tofu will take about 8 - 10 minutes to cook.
While the vegetables and tofu cook, you have two more things to prepare. Rip the leaves of the dino kale up into small/medium pieces and set to the side. Then cook your soba noodles according to package instructions. As soon as the soba noodles are done cooking, run cold water over them briefly to stop them from cooking. Immediately add them back to the pot to re-warm them and sprinkle a little coconut aminos over top.
Add the ripped up kale to the pan with the mushrooms and warm the kale for about 3 minutes.
At this point, the beets and mushrooms should be done cooking, the tofu should be nice and crispy, and the soba noodles should be ready. Now it is time to prepare your bowl! Add the soba noodles to the bowl, then top with the mushrooms, beets, kale, and tofu. Enjoy!
Eating with your cycle is an empowering way to reclaim your health and food freedom, and I hope this recipe takes you one step farther on that journey.
