Dan Dan Noodles with Edamame
Thirteen ingredients and fifteen minutes. That ratio should not work, but it does because the sauce does all the heavy lifting cold.
Peanut butter, soy sauce, vinegar, honey, and fresh ginger get whisked into a smooth paste while the noodles boil. Garlic and chili hit a hot pan for 30 seconds of sizzling oil, then fold straight into the sauce. Edamame, corn, and spinach steam in the same window the noodles cook. Everything meets in one bowl, dressed and ready.
The result is 809 kcal of warm, nutty, slightly spicy noodles with 34g of plant protein from the edamame and whole wheat base. Works hot off the stove. Works cold from the fridge the next day.
Thirteen ingredients and fifteen minutes. That ratio should not work, but it does because the sauce does all the heavy lifting cold.
Peanut butter, soy sauce, vinegar, honey, and fresh ginger get whisked into a smooth paste while the noodles boil. Garlic and chili hit a hot pan for 30 seconds of sizzling oil, then fold straight into the sauce. Edamame, corn, and spinach steam in the same window the noodles cook. Everything meets in one bowl, dressed and ready.
The result is 809 kcal of warm, nutty, slightly spicy noodles with 34g of plant protein from the edamame and whole wheat base. Works hot off the stove. Works cold from the fridge the next day.
Ingredients
- noodles, whole wheat 3 ounces
- corn 3 ounces
- cherry tomatoes 8
- garlic 1 clove
- edamame 4 ounces
- spinach 1 handful
- soy sauce 1 tablespoon
- peanut butter 1 tablespoon
- vinegar 0.5 tablespoon
- honey 0.5 teaspoon
- ginger 1 slice
- olive oil 1 tablespoon
- chili powder 1 pinch
Method
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Cook the noodles according to the package instructions, then drain and set aside.
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Rinse the corn in a colander and let it drain. Halve the cherry tomatoes, mince the garlic, and grate the ginger.
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Steam or boil the edamame and corn for 5–7 minutes, until tender. In the final minute, add the spinach.
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In a bowl, mix the soy sauce, peanut butter, vinegar, honey, and ginger until smooth. Add a splash of water if needed.
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Heat the oil in a small pan and sauté the garlic and chili powder for 30 seconds. Add this garlic mixture to the sauce and stir well.
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In a large bowl, combine the noodles and vegetables. Add the sauce and mix thoroughly.
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Serve immediately and enjoy warm or cold.
If your peanut butter is cold from the fridge, it clumps instead of blending into the sauce. Ten seconds in the microwave or a few minutes at room temperature makes it smooth enough to whisk into the soy sauce and vinegar without any lumps.
Two ingredients in the dan dan sauce play a quiet role beyond flavor. Garlic contains sulfur compounds that research has linked to improved absorption of non-heme iron from plant sources like whole wheat and edamame. Fermented soy sauce adds organic acids that do the same thing through a different pathway. This recipe pairs both enhancers with two non-heme iron sources in the same bowl.
Why This Works
Behind this recipe
Is edamame a complete protein?
Yes. Soy is one of the few plant proteins that contains all nine essential amino acids in meaningful amounts. The 112 grams of edamame in this bowl supplies a substantial portion of the meal's 34g total protein, and the whole wheat noodles add additional amino acids on top.
Can I eat this cold the next day?
Absolutely. The recipe works warm or cold by design. The peanut-soy sauce actually benefits from sitting overnight as the flavors meld. If the noodles absorb too much sauce in the fridge, stir in a small splash of water or soy sauce before eating.
What happens if I use regular noodles instead of whole wheat?
The recipe works with any noodle. The difference is fiber: whole wheat noodles contribute to this meal's 17g of fiber. Regular noodles drop that number significantly. If you swap, consider adding a handful of extra vegetables to the steam step to recover some of the fiber.
