When you want a nourishing and uplifting lunchtime meal with added crunch, this salad delivers. It works particularly well as a nutrient-dense packed lunch.
SERVES 2
Ingredients
2 tsp sesame seeds
100g (31/2oz) buckwheat soba noodles
2 medium carrots
125g (41/2oz) edamame, defrosted if frozen
2.5cm (1in) fresh root ginger, peeled
2 tbsp sesame oil
120g (41/4oz) fresh tuna steak
1 small red onion, finely diced
1/2 green pepper, finely chopped
2 tbsp coriander leaves, roughly chopped
lime wedges, to serve
1 Heat a small frying pan over a medium heat and add the sesame seeds. Toast for 1–2 minutes until they start to turn pale golden brown. Remove from the heat and leave them to cool.
2 Put a small pan of water over a high heat and, when the water is boiling, add the soba noodles. Cook the noodles for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, then drain them and rinse with cold water. Set the noodles aside to continue to drain.
3 While the noodles are boiling, peel and grate the carrots and place them in a medium bowl with the edamame. Then grate the ginger and add the sesame oil. Mix well to coat all of the grated carrot and edamame in the oil.
4 Cook the tuna on a griddle or in the oven so it’s cooked to your liking. Once cooked, let it rest and flake it into largish pieces.
5 Stir the now well-drained noodles into the carrot along with the red onion, green pepper, and coriander leaves. Divide the salad between two bowls or plates, and top with the tuna. Add a squeeze of lime juice and a sprinkle of the toasted sesame seeds.
NUTRITION PER SERVING Calories 504 Total fat 20.3g Saturated fat 4g Carbohydrates 48.3g Dietary fibre 12g Sugars 11.7g Protein 31.8g Salt 0.2g
Smart swaps
• Swap the carrots for courgettes to get an extra boost of zeaxanthin and lutein. Both of these micronutrients protect against age-related macular degeneration.
• Using a red pepper in place of the green will boost the amounts of brain-friendly folate and heart-friendly potassium.
• Use canned salmon (instead of the tuna) to bump up levels of omega-3 fats.
NUTRIENT KNOW-HOW
Tossing the carrots with sesame oil helps your body to absorb their source of beta-carotene – a nutrient that benefits both your skin and your eyesight.