Traditional soba noodles are made from 100% milled buckwheat which means they are naturally gluten-free, low in FODMAPs and high in protein.
Low FODMAP diets can often rely heavily on gluten-free substitutes for gluten or wheat containing foods however, it is important to check your product labels as many of these foods can be filled with additives and preservatives which may disturb your digestive system and ultimately are unnecessary in the diet.
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By choosing a food that is naturally gluten-free, like buckwheat noodles or even brown rice noodles, you get a much less processed food that is higher in nutrition and better for you.
The vegetables used in the bowls can be switched to match what is in season or your preference and you can also try switching the tofu for tempeh, a similar soybean-based protein-rich food which uses the whole soybean instead.
Make these bowls on a lazy weeknight when time is short and energy is low. You only need 30 minutes, a handful of key ingredients and a nutritious, healthy dinner will be yours.
Serves 4
Ingredients
Soba bowls
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp tamari
- 1 tbsp brown rice syrup or maple syrup
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp chilli flakes
- 1kg pumpkin, peeled and de-seeded then cut into 1 cm cubes
- 1 large eggplant, cut into 1cm cubes
- 250g hard tofu
- 1 packet buckwheat soba noodles or brown rice noodles
- 4 handfuls mixed salad leaves
- Black or white sesame seeds
Tahini dressing
- 2 tbsp water
- ¼ cup hulled tahini
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- ½ tbsp tamari
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp garlic-infused olive oil
- 1 tsp brown rice syrup or maple syrup
- ½ tsp salt
How to make
- Heat your oven to 180°C and line a baking tray with baking paper. In a large bowl, roughly whisk together the olive oil, sesame oil, tamari, sweetener, cinnamon and chilli flakes and then add the pumpkin, eggplant and tofu before tossing everything together so the vegetables and tofu are well coated. Spread these vegetables and tofu out onto the prepared baking tray and then place into the oven to bake for 20 minutes
- Cook your noodles according to the directions on the packet. Once cooked, drain and rinse them under cold water and then toss them with a small amount of olive oil to stop them from completely sticking together. You can then divide the noodles evenly across the four bowls by twirling them around themselves to make to a small round of noodles in each bowl. You can add a handful of salad leaves to the bowl now too
- Whisk together the tahini dressing ingredients and taste it to see if you want to adjust it slightly to suit your preference. You may enjoy adding more tamari or slightly more tahini
- Once the vegetables are roasted and the tofu is golden brown, divide everything evenly between the four bowls and then drizzle everything with the tahini dressing as well a sprinkle of sesame seeds before enjoying
Roberta's tips
- Store the soba bowls and dressing separately in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3 days. Dress each serve at the time of eating
- Alternatively, you can serve the dressing in a dipping pot on each plate so you can dip each mouthful in it as you go
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