These instant kale noodles are the quickest, easiest vegan lunch. Perfect for meal prep and packed with plant-based iron, protein and fibre.
Introducing my fave working lunch ever - instant kale noodles! A quick and nutritious solution for those busy days when you crave a delicious slurpy meal with basically zero prep. Packed with the goodness of vibrant green kale and the convenience of instant noodles, this recipe is a game-changer for anyone seeking a wholesome and speedy lunch option.
One portion of these instant kale noodles contains around half of your RDA of iron, and around 15g of vegan protein! And if you're looking for a gluten free option, just use tamari in place of soy sauce and select soba or rice noodles!
So, if you've got limited time for lunch, my instant kale noodles recipe is the delicious, nutrient-rich meal for you. And what's more, you can pack it up and take it with you wherever you go! Just add boiling water! Get ready to redefine fast food baby!
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🍛 Ingredients for instant kale noodles
These ingredients are all easy to gather and involve barely any prep. As always, just jump to the recipe at the bottom of the page if you're in a lunch hurry! Otherwise, heres a visual breakdown of what you'll need to get started.
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- Vegan bouillon
- Fresh ginger, finely grated
- Soy sauce
- Rice vinegar
- Sesame oil
- Maple syrup or agave nectar
- Extra firm tofu, grilled and sliced into cubes
- Noodles (see section below for advice on noodles)
- Curly kale, washed, stems removed, and very thinly sliced
- Carrot, julienned or thinly sliced
- Spring onions, finely sliced
- Red chillis, finely sliced
- Black sesame seeds
- Dried chives
- Mild chili flakes (I use gochugaru or Aleppo pepper)
- Fresh coriander/cilantro, roughly chopped
📝 A note on noodles!
Here are some of my favourite noodles for this recipe. Not all work perfectly with these instant kale noodles, so check out my recommendations below (shown in image below from top left to bottom right):
- Wheat Ramen Noodles - These are delicious noodles designed to be served in broth, just like this recipe. You will, however, need to pre-cook these noodles before adding to your noodle pot. Just three mins in boiling water should do it!
- Rice Vermicelli Noodles - These are a great option for my instant kale noodles because they're, well, instant! Just add to the pot with the fresh ingredients and add boiling water when you're ready to serve. They're also gluten free!
- Soba Noodles - Made from buckwheat, soba noodles are almost always gluten free (just check the ingredients on your favourite brand) and are perfect for brothy sauces like this. Pre-cook for 3 mins before adding to the jar.
- Soy Bean Noodles - Perfect for a gluten free option that's higher in protein. Some varieties require pre-cooking but many just require being covered in boiling water.
- Stir fry or Udon Noodles - No need to pre-cook - just add to the jar. They soak up flavour beautifully and make for a more filling, satisfying jar of noodles.
🍛 How to make instant kale noodles
This section almost doesn't need to exist! This is the easiest recipe which basically just involves assembly! Again, full recipe is at the bottom of the page, but here's a little step-by-step illustration of the process for you!
1. Prepare the veggies: This is basically the only actual prep required for these instant kale noodles. To make life even easier, I shred my carrot using a Japanese julienne mandolin or peeler, which I'd highly recommend! You can also slice thinly or just use the coarse holes on a cheese grater though!
2. Assemble the noodles: In a large jar (minimum 750ml volume) arrange the ingredients in order. I like to put the tofu at the bottom because it gets more time to marinate in the liquid ingredients this way.
3. Add boiling water: When you're ready to serve, just add around 250-300ml of boiling water! Cover with a lid and leave to warm for 2-3 minutes.
4. Stir and enjoy: You'll need to give your instant kale noodles a good stir before you enjoy, so get your fork or chopsticks to the bottom of the jar and stir away. Now enjoy!
🤷♀️ Instant Kale Noodles FAQs
A: Absolutely! The spice level in this recipe comes from fresh chilli and 1 teaspoon of mild chilli flakes. If you prefer a milder lunch, feel free to omit either or both. If you like it hot, double up on those chillis!
A: While extra firm tofu adds a unique texture to the dish, you can substitute it with alternative protein sources like tempeh, seitan, or even beans or pulses. I use The easiest option is to use a pre-grilled variety of tofu like this one.
Don't forget if you'd like a salad to along with your noodles, my edamame crunch salad makes a perfect combo dish! Looking for more things to do with tofu? Try my Greek Marinated Tofu Bowls!
Instant Kale Noodles
Equipment
- 2 heat proof jars at least 500ml volume
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoon vegan bouillon
- 2 teaspoon fresh ginger finely grated
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup or agave nectar
- 200 g extra firm tofu grilled and sliced into cubes, see "Note 1" below
- 100 g noodles see "Note 2" below
- 50 g curly kale washed, stems removed and very thinly sliced
- 1 carrot julienned or thinly sliced
- 2 spring onions finely sliced
- 2 red chillis finely sliced
- 2 teaspoon black sesame seeds
- 2 teaspoon dried chives
- 1 teaspoon mild chilli flakes I use gochugaru
- 2 tablespoon fresh coriander/cilantro roughly chopped
- Optional extra soy sauce for serving
Instructions
- Divide all the ingredients between two large heat-proof jars (at least 750ml volume) in the order listed above.2 teaspoon vegan bouillon, 2 teaspoon fresh ginger, 2 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, 2 tablespoon sesame oil, 1 tablespoon maple syrup or agave nectar, 200 g extra firm tofu, 100 g noodles, 50 g curly kale, 1 carrot, 2 spring onions, 2 red chillis, 2 teaspoon black sesame seeds, 2 teaspoon dried chives, 1 teaspoon mild chilli flakes, 2 tablespoon fresh coriander/cilantro
- Seal with a lid and store in the fridge until ready to serve.
- When ready to serve, add 250-300ml of boiling water to each jar. Cover with a lid and leave for 3 mins then stir well and enjoy.
Jade
Going to try this immediately! Well… as soon as you tell me where your jars are from (please 🙏🏻)