Description
This healthy Tuna Noodle Bowl features sesame-crusted ahi tuna, soba noodles, crisp veggies, avocado, and a citrusy ponzu dressing. Fresh, flavorful, and easy to customize! Vegan-adaptable.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 4-6 ounces dry soba noodles (or rice noodles, GF noodles, or cooked zucchini noodles)
- 6-8 ounces ahi tuna or tofu (see notes)
- 1-2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 2 radishes, sliced (watermelon radishes are pretty)
- 1 Turkish cucumber, sliced ( or carrot, shredded)
- 1 avocado, sliced
- Optional garnishes- scallions, chives, chive blossoms, sunflower sprouts or daikon
- More options: grated veggies like carrots, cabbage, kohlrabi, beets, snow or snap peas, edamame, fresh peas, daikon, baby spinach or greens.
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated onion or garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon sugar (optional, helps caramelize)
- 1/4 teaspoon chili flakes
- 1/4 cup fresh orange juice ( juice from 1/2 an orange)
- 1/8 cup soy sauce or GF Liquid Aminos or coconut aminos. ( Smoked shoyu is nice too)
- 1/4 cup mirin ( or sub a mix of 2 teaspoons honey and 3 tablespoons water)
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 1-2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- optional- 1/4 teaspoon hondashi granules ( adds a nice smoky depth, but not vegan)
- pinch of salt and pepper
Instructions
- Cook noodles according to directions, drain, and set aside.
- Tuna. While noodles are cooking, pat dry tuna. Mix the Sesame Crust ingredients together on a small plate and coat all sides of tuna, pressing it firmly into the flesh. See notes for tofu.
- Make the dressing, mixing all in a small bowl, and set aside.
- Sear. Heat the oil in a cast iron skillet until smoking hot. You want the pan to be very hot- in order to create the golden crust, without cooking the ahi all the way through. Sear all sides of the tuna for 45-60 seconds on each side, or until the crust is golden. Remove from heat and place on paper towel. Let stand 5 minutes.
- Slice. With a sharp chef’s knife, slice across the grain into 6-8 thin pieces. The goal is to have the inside nice and rare and but the outside seared and crispy. The secret is the very hot pan. 🙂
- Assemble. Divide the noodles among two bowls. Divide the ahi, cucumber, radishes, avocado and sprouts among the two bowls. Sprinkle veggies and noodles with a little salt. Top with scallions or chives or chive blossoms. Spoon a generous amount of Ponzu dressing over top and serve ( you most likely won’t need all the dressing).
Notes
If keeping this vegan, serve it up with Sesame Ginger Baked Tofu or simple pan-seared tofu, seasoned with salt and pepper.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 493
- Sugar: 12.3 g
- Sodium: 1261.6 mg
- Fat: 21.6 g
- Saturated Fat: 8.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 51.1 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 25.7 g
- Cholesterol: 26.6 mg
