Soba Noodle, Turkey & Spinach Salad Recipe

This soba noodle salad recipe is packed with protein and vegetables, which makes it a wonderful option for a satisfying dinner.

Someone asked me recently what I would make if I had only 5 minutes. It took about one second for me respond because the answer has been the same for about ten years. A bowl of soba noodles, tossed with soy sauce and cayenne pepper. Carbs + salt = comfort food.

Clearly my love of soba noodles crosses generational lines, which becomes obvious every time my boys BEG me to make a pot of soba noodle soup. Really, very little begging is actually required. My arm is easily twisted when soba noodles are involved.

With this salad, I started with the basic ingredients of my favorite midnight snack and kept adding until I achieved a dinner salad that my family loved. Cayenne pepper was replaced with sriracha sauce, and the salad was bulked up with ground turkey, zucchini, spinach and red bell pepper. As for the dressing, soy sauce is mixed with sesame oil, agave nectar, ginger and a few other ingredients for a balance of sweet and savory flavors.

When choosing the noodles, be aware that not all soba noodles are created equally. If you follow a gluten free diet, look for noodles made exclusively with buckwheat flour (and replace the soy sauce in the dressing with tamari). Also, look for noodles with a low sodium count. I’ve seen soba noodles with everything from 5mg to 451mg of sodium per 2 ounce (dry) serving. The nutritional data for this recipe was calculated using these soba noodles.

If your family isn’t a fan of zucchini or bell peppers, substitute other vegetables that appeal to them. Mushrooms, broccoli, celery or carrots would work well here.

Other healthy soba noodles recipes:

Cookin’ Canuck’s Soba Noodle Bowl with Vegetables & Peanut Sauce
Cookin’ Canuck’s Easy Shrimp, Mushroom & Soba Noodle Soup
The Goodness Exchange’s Sesame Tofu with Green Tea Broth & Noodles
Pür Body Nutrition’s Soba Noodle Salad Bowl with Almond Lime Vinaigrette
Miss Hangry Pants’ Avocado Coconut Miso Soba Noodles

If you make this recipe, I’d love to see it on Instagram! Just use the hashtag #COOKINCANUCK and I’ll be sure to find it.

Soba Noodle, Turkey & Spinach Salad Recipe

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Nutrition Facts
Serving Size	1½ cups |
Amount Per Serving	As Served
Calories 288kcal Calories from fat 98
% Daily Value
Total Fat 11g	17%
Saturated Fat 2g	10%
Transfat 0g
Cholesterol 56mg	19%
Sodium 790mg	33%
Carbohydrate 30g	10%
Dietary Fiber 1g	4%
Sugars 3g
Protein 21g

Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs:

	Calories	2000
Total Fat	Less than	65g
Sat Fat	Less than	25g
Cholesterol	Less than	300mg
Sodium	Less than	2,400mg
Total Carbohydrate		300g
Dietary Fiber		25g

Preparation 15 mins

Cook Time 15 mins

Total Time 30 mins

Soba Noodle, Turkey and Spinach Salad Recipe…You might not be able to stop at just one serving of this delicious dinner salad! 286 calories and 7 Weight Watchers SmartPoints

Serves Serves 6     adjust servings

Ingredients

The salad

• 7 oz. soba noodles
• 1 lb. lean ground turkey
• 1 1/2 tsp olive oil
• 1 1/2 cup sliced (half-circles) zucchini
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
• 3 cups (packed) torn spinach leaves

The dressing

• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp grated ginger
• 2 tsp rice vinegar
• 2 tsp agave nectar (or honey)
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp sriracha sauce

Instructions

The salad:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the soba noodles, turn down the heat slightly so the water does boil over and cook until the soba noodles are just tender, about 5 minutes.
2. Drain and rinse the soba noodles under cold water. Transfer to a large bowl.
3. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Lightly coat with cooking spray. Add the turkey and cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon, until cooked through. Add the turkey to the soba noodles.
4. Wipe out the skillet, then heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the zucchini and cook until just tender, about 2 minutes. Transfer to the bowl with the soba noodles and turkey.
5. Allow the mixture to cool, then toss with the red pepper strips and spinach.
6. Gently toss with the dressing. Serve.

The dressing:

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, olive oil, ginger, rice vinegar, agave nectar, sesame oil and sriracha sauce.

by From the kitchen of cookincanuck.com

Recipe Notes

Weight Watchers Points: 7 (SmartPoints), 7 (Points+), 6 (Old Points)

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