Soba Noodles with Portobello Mushrooms and Kale

Portobello mushrooms are packed with umami flavour, there’s substance to their bite, and they’re as cheap as chips. Also, if that weren’t enough, this recipe is super easy to make. Granted, the kale takes a little time to wash and prep, but even still, you can whip this dish up in about 30 minutes. Plus, it comes in at just over $2 per portion. Compare that to the cost of a Chinese takeaway!

Ingredients, serves 4:

• 8 portobello mushrooms cut into 1cm slices
• 3 cups of kale
• 1 large white onion, halved and sliced
• 4 cloves of garlic, grated (grating garlic and ginger is my new thing)
• 12.7oz (360g) Soba noodles (some packs come in 3 x 90g measures)
• 1/4 cup Tamari Sauce
• 2 tablespoons of Chinese rice wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons of sesame oil (I’ve used the pure stuff here but you can use toasted sesame oil too)
• 2 teaspoons of palm sugar
• 2 tablespoons of lightly toasts sesame seeds

Method:

1. Bring the noodles to the boil and cook to the packet instructions. My packet advised that they should take five minutes to cook, but they were ready in three. Keep an eye on this. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process. Set aside.
2. Heat a little oil in a wok and fry the onions.
3. While the onions are cooking, prepare your kale.
4. When the onions are done, remove and set to one side. Add some more oil to the pan, and then add the mushrooms. Toss to make sure they are well coated in oil. Add the garlic and cover with a lid. If your wok or pan is not big enough, you’ll need to cook the mushrooms in two batches. If the pan starts to dry out, add a little splash of water.
5. Add the sugar, vinegar and tamari to a bowl and whisk together to dissolve the sugar.
6. When the mushroom are ready, add the kale and toss well. You don’t want to cook the kale, just soften it a little.
7. Add the onions, followed by the noodles, and then the sauce. Toss to heat through.
8. Sprinkle with the toasted sesame seeds.

If you try this dish at home, please take a photo of it and tag @thetinyvegankitchen on Instagram or @thetinyVK on Twitter. I’d love to see them! 

Tanya x