I had the opportunity to meet Phoebe Lapine of Feed Me Phoebe a year ago at a wellness gathering and have been enamored ever since. Not only are we both native New Yorkers navigating the wellness world, we both have a firm belief in living a life of balance without tipping the scales of the extreme. Phoebe coined the term healthy hedonist, which is all about taking small steps to live your best life while also properly nourishing your body. I am so excited to share a recipe from Phoebe's memoir, The Wellness Project, which comes out this week!
Phoebe's wellness journey began after being diagnosed with Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, an autoimmune disease that causes the body's immune cells to attack the thyroid gland. After being given a strict protocol of changes from her doctor, Phoebe decided to embark on her own experimentation of what worked best for her overall health and mental wellbeing. In The Wellness Project, Phoebe humorously and poignantly writes about her self discovery of which lifestyle modifications were worth her time, energy, and money. She covers everything from limiting sugar, exercise, spirituality, and all-natural beauty products.
Peppered throughout the book are 22 healthy recipes including this one for almond-sesame soba zoodles with quick pickled veggies. This recipe is a much healthier rendition of take-out staple, cold noddles. Phoebe calls for buckwheat soba, which is gluten-free and full of fiber and protein. I was out of almond butter, so I used tahini when making this recipe and topped it with cilantro - it tasted amazing. You can also choose to go all zoodle or all soba. It is completely adaptable. Lose the take-out and make these healthified noodles ASAP!
Almond-Sesame Soba Zoodles With Quick Pickled Veggies
Recipe reprinted from Phoebe Lapine's The Wellness Project
Makes 2 main courses or 4 sides
- 8 ounces buckwheat soba noodles
- 1 bunch of radishes (about 6 medium), cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1 pound cucumber, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar (I used brown rice vinegar)
- 2 teaspoons sea salt, divided
- 1/2 cup unsalted almond butter (I used tahini, you could also use organic unsalted peanut butter)
- 1 small garlic clove
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (from two limes)
- 2 tablespoons gluten-free tamari
- 2 teaspoons raw honey
- 2 teaspoons dark toasted sesame oil
- 2 large zucchini (about 1 pound), spiralized into thin noodles
- 1 tablespoon black sesame seeds, for garnish
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the soba noodles according to package directions until al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water until room temperature, shaking out all the excess. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and set aside.
- While the noodles are cooking, combine the radishes, cucumber, vinegar, and 1 teaspoon salt in a medium mixing bowl. Allow the veggies to marinate for 10 minutes, tossing occasionally.
- Puree the almond butter, garlic, lime juice, tamari, honey, sesame oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 cup water in the bowl of a small food processor. Add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until you reach the consistency of peanut sauce.
- Transfer almond-sesame sauce to the mixing bowl with the soba noodles. Add the zucchini and toss until everything is well coated. Divide among serving bowls, top with the quick pickled veggies, and garnish with the sesame seeds.
- Serve at room temperature or cold, alongside your favorite Asian hot sauce.
Congrats Phoebe! What an incredible accomplishment. If you are looking for help making mindful tweaks in your diet and lifestyle without losing your social life, I highly recommend picking up a copy of The Wellness Project!
