Description

Fresh, flavor-packed noodle bowls with shredded chicken, crisp vegetables, rice noodles, fresh herbs and an irresistible spicy peanut dressing. A delicious and satisfying bowl that's full of protein and healthy vegetables.

Ingredients

Units Scale

Chicken:

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs or 3 1/2 -4 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons sake or dry sherry
1 tablespoon crushed garlic (2 large cloves)
A pinch or two of dried crushed red chili flakes
1 tablespoon neutral flavored vegetable oil such as light olive oil or canola

Spicy Peanut Dressing:

1/2 cup natural smooth peanut butter at room temperature
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce (use Tamari for gluten-free)
1-2 tablespoons maple syrup, honey or brown sugar (I use 1 tablespoon but you may like it sweeter)
2 tablespoons of fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon of grated or finely minced ginger root
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon crushed garlic (1 medium clove)
a pinch or two of crushed red pepper flakes or 1/4 teaspoon sriracha (or more, to taste)
a few tablespoons of warm water to thin peanut sauce to desired consistency

Bowls:

6 ounces dried vermicelli rice noodles
1/3 of a medium, cored red cabbage, shredded (about 3 cups shredded cabbage)
1 bunch of smooth kale (dinosaur kale), thick stems removed, leaves stacked and very thinly sliced crosswise. (about 3 cups)
1 bunch of scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced crosswise
1/2 cup of cilantro leaves and tender stems, roughly chopped
1/2 cup of roughly chopped roasted salted peanuts

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Instructions

Prepare The Chicken (skip these steps if using rotisserie chicken)

Marinate The Chicken: Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Place the chicken thighs in a glass baking dish large enough to hold them in a single layer. In a small bowl whisk soy soy sauce, wine, garlic, chili flakes and oil. Pour over the chicken and toss to coat. Leave for 15-20 minutes (longer is fine too. Cover and put it in the fridge if you're marinating longer than 20 min.)
Cook The Chicken: Roast it in the middle of the oven for 20-25 minutes, until it's cooked through. When cool enough to handle, shred chicken by hand or by pulling it apart with two forks. Toss shredded chicken in the delicious juices at the bottom of the pan.

Make The Peanut Dressing:

In a medium mixing bowl whisk together all the ingredients except the water. Whisk in a tablespoon of water at a time until you get your desired consistency. I like it to be the consistency of thin honey.
Peanut dressing will keep, covered in the fridge for 3 days. Thin with water before using if it gets too thick.

Prepare the Veggies:

Shred the cabbage as thinly as possible. This can be done with a mandolin or with a sharp knife or in the food processor with the shredding blade attachment.
Sliver the kale leaves by stacking them and slicing them as thinly as possible, crosswise. Place them in a medium sized bowl (separate from the cabbage).

Cook the Noodles:

Cook the noodles according to the package directions and drain them. While they are still, immediately add the hot noodles to the bowl with the kale. Add a few tablespoons of peanut dressing and toss to coat. The heat from the noodles will soften and tenderize the kale.
Transfer noodles to a bowl, toss them with 3 or 4 tablespoons of peanut sauce, and season them with salt, to taste.

Assemble The Bowls:

Divide the noodles between bowls. Arrange veggies and chicken (or tofu) on top. Drizzle the bowls generously with peanut sauce. Sprinkle them generously with cilantro, scallions and peanuts.
Serve the bowls with extra peanut dressing on the side.

Notes

To make this recipe vegan: Use a 14-ounce package of firm or extra firm tofu. Slice the block of tofu horizontally into three large steaks. Lay them out on a double layer of paper towels with another paper towel on top, and leave them to drain for ten minutes or so. Put them in a large shallow container, pour marinade over them and leave them to soak for 10 minutes or so. Sauté them over medium-high heat in a little oil until golden on both sides. Cut into cubes.
If you can't find vermicelli rice noodles, you can use angel hair pasta or your favorite noodles. The thinner the noodles, the better for twirling with the shredded veggies.

Prep Time: 45 min
Cook Time: 25 min
Category: Main Dish, Noodle Bowl
Cuisine: Thai