Dishing Up the Dirt

Sesame Noodle Bowls with Lemongrass Meatballs

This is pretty much the noodle bowl version of the famous Vietnamese sandwich the Banh Mi. Everything from the quick pickled carrots and diakon radishes, to the pork meatballs and sriracha “mayo” (which I made with cashews because I’m not a mayo kind of girl) makes this the kind of noodle bowl you’ll want to sink your teeth into! The pork and lemongrass meatballs are next level and I’ll be making them often from now on. I grabbed the pork from farmer Michael of Treebird Farm this past Saturday at the market and told him I’d make him proud with a nourishing meal. These noodle bowls are extremely flavorful and hearty yet they wont leave you feeling weighed down. Taylor said this was the best meal I’ve made this fall (which is saying a lot!) and I know I’ll need to pick up more ground pork at the farmers market this weekend to whip up another batch of these awesome meatballs.

There are quite a few different steps going on when you prepare this meal (which is not something I typically like doing to you guys) but it actually comes together fairly quickly if you stay organized! I promise it’s worth the effort (and dishes!!!) and I’ll whip up a simpler meal to make up for a more involved process! Plus, extra dishes is a good excuse to play a game of Dominos or Backgammon to see who has to do the dinner dishes. Have fun with this!

This may be a more time consuming meal but the leftovers are delicious. Also–quick pickled carrots and daikon radishes are amazing! Such a lovely condiment to have on hand at all times along with the sriracah mayo which I’m happy made leftovers! We drizzled extra “mayo” on our avocado toast this morning and it was awesome! Aside from the quick pickled veggies and cashew “mayo” prep time isn’t bad. I hope you all enjoy this meal as much as we do. And hey, if the weather is as stormy where you are as it has been for us, a long evening spent in the kitchen may just be what the doctor ordered!

Cheers from Tumbleweed Farm!

Sesame Noodle Bowls with Lemongrass Meatballs, Pickled Veggies & Sriracha “Mayo”

Prep Time: 45 minutes    Cook Time: 40 minutes    Serves: 4-6

Quick Pickled Carrots & Daikon
  • 1/2 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
  • 1/4 cup coconut sugar (or natural cane sugar)
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3 carrots, sliced into thin ribbons (a vegetable peeler works great for this)
  • 3 daikon radishes, sliced into thin ribbons
Sriracha Cashew Mayo
  • 1 cup raw cashews, soaked in warm water for 30 minutes
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon sriracha + more to taste for a spicer sauce
  • 1/8 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 2 teaspoons nutritional yeast
  • salt to taste
  • 1/2 cup water + more to thin as necessary
Lemongrass Pork Meatballs
  • 1 pound ground pork
  • 1 lemongrass stalk, smashed with a rolling pin then minced
  • 2 scallions, minced (white and pale green parts only)
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tablespoon minced cilantro
  • 2 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 2 teaspoons sriracha
  • Oil for frying the meatballs
Noodles
  • 1/2 pound soba noodles (or whole wheat noodles)
  • 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
  • one 2-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
  • 1 clove of garlic, minced
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 1/2 cup minced cilantro for serving

Preparation

  1. Prepare the quick pickled veggies. In a large bowl whisk together the rice vinegar, sugar, sesame oil and salt. Add the sliced veggies and soak in the mixture for 1 hour. (you can keep them marinating at room temperature.)
  2. Prepare the cashew mayo. Drain the soaked cashews and place them in a high speed blender (like a Vitamix) along with the remainder of the ingredients. Blend on the highest setting until completely smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides as necessary. Taste test and adjust seasonings as needed. If the mixture is too thick, add a touch more water to thin as necessary.
  3. Place the ground pork in the freezer while you prepare the lemongrass/veggie mixture. In the bowl of a food processor add the minced lemongrass,scallions, garlic, cilantro, fish sauce and sriracha. Add the chilled pork and pulse to blend. Shape into small meatballs (I got about 22) and place the meatballs on a rimmed baking sheet. Cover and place them in the freezer to chill for about 15 minutes.
  4. While the meatballs are chilling heat a large pot of lightly slated water and bring to a boil. Add the noodles and cook until al dente. Drain.
  5. In a large bowl combine the maple syrup, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, minced ginger, garlic and olive oil. Add the drained pasta to the mixture and toss to coat.
  6. Heat the oil for the meatballs in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the meatballs, brown on all sides until cooked through, about 12-15 minutes.
  7. To serve divide noodles between bowls and top with meatballs, pickled veggies, cilantro and a drizzle of the sriracha mayo.

Notes

*Use this recipe as a guide *Adjust measurements and ingredients as necessary *Taste test as you go


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One thought on “Sesame Noodle Bowls with Lemongrass Meatballs

  1. Jess Nahon says:

    Very tasty! I added red cabbage, sesame seeds, jalapeños and red pepper to the daikon. I served with rice instead of soba noodles and spooned the sauce of the veggies.

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