Spicy Peanut Noodle Bowls with Edamame and Shredded Chicken

From the roundup: 12 Protein Packed Meal Prep Lunches for the Week

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Cook soba or rice noodles, rinse them cold, and toss with a peanut-soy-sriracha sauce. Add shredded rotisserie chicken and shelled edamame, then divide into four containers. These are served cold, so no reheating needed, which makes them the easiest desk lunch on the list. Prep takes about 20 minutes if you use rotisserie chicken.

Where this recipe came from

I started making these on weeks when I grabbed a rotisserie chicken on the way home and needed something to do with the second half of it. I had soba noodles, frozen edamame, and peanut butter, and it came together faster than I expected. Now I make a double batch when I know the week is going to be scattered, and everyone in the house eats it, which is not something I can say about most meal-prep lunches.

Why you will love this

• No reheating needed, which makes it genuinely easy to eat at a desk or away from a kitchen
• Rotisserie chicken cuts the active prep down to about 20 minutes from start to containers
• Edamame and chicken together give you serious protein without any extra cooking steps
• The sauce keeps the noodles from drying out in the fridge, so these actually taste good on day three
• Works at room temperature, cold from the fridge, or after a quick minute in the microwave if you prefer it warm

Tips for success

Meal-prep tip: Toss the noodles in a small amount of sesame oil right after rinsing so they do not clump in the fridge.

Picky-eater notes

• If someone in your house does not like spice, pull their portion out before adding sriracha and mix in a small spoonful of extra peanut butter with a splash of soy sauce instead.
• Edamame is the one ingredient that tends to get picked out by younger kids. You can swap it for thawed frozen peas, which have a milder flavor and blend in more quietly.
• The peanut-soy flavor is usually a good entry point for kids who say they do not like noodles. It tastes closer to something familiar than most cold noodle dishes.

Substitutions

Rice noodles work if you cannot find soba, and both cook quickly. Almond butter or sunflower butter can replace peanut butter for nut-free households. Tamari instead of soy sauce makes this gluten-free when combined with rice noodles. Shredded tofu or canned chickpeas can stand in for chicken if you need a vegetarian version. Frozen shelled edamame thawed under warm water works fine if you cannot find refrigerated edamame.

Make-ahead and storage

Cook and sauce everything in one session, divide into containers, and refrigerate. The flavors actually develop a little more on day two. Divide into airtight containers and refrigerate for up to four days. The noodles absorb sauce as they sit, so stir in a tablespoon of warm water before eating if they look dry. These are designed to be eaten cold but can be microwaved for 60 to 90 seconds if preferred. Not recommended for freezing since noodle texture suffers.

Brittany Stage

Spicy Peanut Noodle Bowls with Edamame and Shredded Chicken

Soba or rice noodles tossed in a peanut-soy-sriracha sauce with shredded rotisserie chicken and edamame, divided into containers and served cold. About 20 minutes of prep, no reheating at lunch.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Servings: 4 servings

Course: Lunch

Cuisine: Asian-inspired

Calories: 460

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 8 oz soba noodles or rice noodles
• 1 tsp sesame oil for tossing noodles after rinsing
• 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken skin removed
• 1 1/2 cups shelled edamame thawed if frozen
• 3 tbsp peanut butter creamy, natural or regular both work
• 3 tbsp soy sauce low-sodium preferred
• 1 tbsp sriracha adjust to heat preference
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp sesame oil for the sauce
• 1 tbsp honey or maple syrup
• 1 clove garlic minced or grated
• 2 tbsp warm water to thin the sauce
• 3 stalks green onions thinly sliced, for topping
• 2 tbsp sesame seeds optional, for topping

Equipment

• large pot
• colander
• large mixing bowl
• small bowl for sauce
• 4 meal-prep containers

Method

 

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the soba noodles according to package directions, usually 4 to 5 minutes. Do not overcook them; soba gets mushy fast. Drain immediately into a colander and rinse thoroughly under cold running water for about 30 seconds until the noodles are completely cooled.
2. Shake off as much water as possible, then transfer the noodles to a large mixing bowl. Drizzle the 1 teaspoon of sesame oil over them and toss to coat. This keeps them from sticking together while you make the sauce.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, soy sauce, sriracha, rice vinegar, sesame oil, honey, and garlic. Add the warm water one tablespoon at a time and whisk until the sauce is pourable but not watery. Taste it and adjust sriracha or soy sauce if needed.
4. Pour the peanut sauce over the noodles and toss until every noodle is coated. The sauce should look glossy and generous.
5. Add the shredded chicken and thawed edamame to the bowl and fold everything together until evenly distributed.
6. Divide the noodle mixture evenly among four containers. Top each with sliced green onions and sesame seeds if using.
7. Seal and refrigerate. Eat cold straight from the container, or stir in a tablespoon of warm water before eating if the noodles have absorbed most of the sauce overnight.

Notes

If the noodles seem dry after sitting in the fridge, stir in a small splash of warm water or a tiny drizzle of soy sauce to loosen them before eating.

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