Ginger Pork Meatballs on Soba Noodles with Peanut Sauce
Soba noodles make this dish naturally gluten free- the lean, yet tasty pork meatballs keep it low in fat, and the peanut sauce? Well, that’s just delicious
Ingredients
- For the Meatballs
- 1 pound lean ground pork
- ⅓ cup finely chopped cilantro
- ¼ cup chopped green onion white and green parts
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh mint or if you must use dried, ½ to 1 teaspoon should do it
- 2 teaspoons finely minced fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon finely minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon minced jalapeno
- Zest of 1 lime
- ¼ cup panko or as needed
- 1 large egg beaten WITH 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- For the Peanut Sauce
- Note: if you like more sauce simply double the recipe
- 1 tablespoon smooth peanut butter at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame seed oil
- For the Noodles
- 8 ounces soba noodles
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil I like grapeseed oil
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 cup julienned red pepper
- 1 cup julienned snow peas
- 1 cup julienne carrots
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Finely sliced green onion tops for garnish
- Toasted sesame seeds for garnish
Instructions
- Heat oven to 450°F.
- Combine the meatball ingredients in a large bowl. Gently mix well. Check for flavors and adjust as needed with salt and pepper. (To test, make a small meatball, place it in the microwave for about 30 seconds, or until cooked; when done taste. The meatball should also “hold together” when cooked, if not, add a bit more panko.) Form into 20 meatballs and place on a foil lined cooking sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Cook in the hot oven for about 15 minutes, shaking the pan once or twice until cooked through.
- While the meatballs bake, Prep and cut your vegetables. A Julienne means finely sliced, usually laterally. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
- In a large bowl mix the peanut butter, soy sauce, and sesame seed oil together with a wire whisk. Set aside.
- In a saute pan, heat the vegetable and sesame seed oil; when hot add the vegetables and saute for 5 minutes or until crisp-tender.
- Add the soba to the boiling water and cook according to package directions, usually about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally (you might find they foam up more than your traditional pasta, so keep an eye on it and stir when the pot looks to overflow). Drain, reserving ½ cup of the cooking liquid.
- Add the soba to the peanut/soy sauce in the bowl; add the vegetables and toss to mix, adding some of the cooking liquid if it seems to dry. Divide the noodles and vegetables into 4 warmed shallow bowls; top with the meatballs and garnish with chopped onion and sesame seeds. Serve immediately.
Nutrition
Serving: 1gSodium: 1254mgFiber: 4gCholesterol: 127mgCalories: 468kcalPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 6gFat: 12gProtein: 37gCarbohydrates: 55g
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