Plant-based Spicy Korean Meatball Noodles

This dish comes together easily for weeknight dinners. The meatballs can be made ahead of time by freezing the formed, uncooked meatballs and keeping them stocked in the freezer for an even faster dinner option. Just boil the noodles while the meatballs are cooking and whisk the sauce together, then toss the noodles and the sauce together right into the pan when the meatballs are done cooking. Dinner sorted.

I used buckwheat soba noodles for this dish as it’s what I had on hand, but you can mix it up and use any type of noodles or pasta you like. Try rice noodles for a gluten free option.

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Plant-Based Spicy Korean Meatball Noodles are

Spicy
Flavorful
Saucy
Meaty
Savory
Cozy & Comforting
Satisfying

Plant-Based Spicy Korean Meatball Noodles

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• Author: kaity farrell
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 12 minutes
• Total Time: 32 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings 1x

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Ingredients

For Meatballs:

• 4 plant-based burger patties (1 lb or 454 g)
• 1 tablespoon NAKANO Toasted Sesame Rice Vinegar (15g or 0.5 oz.)
• 1 teaspoon grated ginger (8g or 0.3 oz.)
• 1 teaspoon grated garlic clove (9g or 0.3 oz)
• 1/4 cup chopped scallions (36g or 1.3 oz)
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil (5g or 0.2 oz)
• 2 teaspoons low sodium tamari or soy sauce (12g or 0.4 oz.)
• 1 tablespoon Korean gochujang chili paste (18g or 0.6 oz.)
• 1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs (28g or 1 oz)

For Sauce:

• 2 tablespoons NAKANO Toasted Sesame Rice Vinegar (30g or 1 oz.)
• 2 tablespoons Korean gochujang chili paste (36g or 1.2 oz.)
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil (5g or 0.2 oz)
• 2 teaspoons low sodium tamari or soy sauce (12g or 0.4 oz.)
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup or sweetener of choice (20g or 0.7 oz.)
• 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch (1 g or 0.03 oz)
• 1/4 cup water (60 mL or 2 fl. oz.)
• 304 g or 11 oz. buckwheat soba noodles
• 1 medium carrot
• 2–3 scallions, chopped for garnish (42g or 1.5 oz.)

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Instructions

1. Add all of the meatball ingredients in a mixing bowl and squish everything together with your hands or a rubber spatula until evenly incorporated.
2. Form meatball mixture into small round balls by scooping up about 2 tablespoons of the mixture and rounding it into a ball between your palms. Set aside.
3. Bring a large pot of water to boil.
4. Whisk sauce ingredients together.
5. While water is coming to a boil heat a seasoned cast iron or non-stick skillet on medium heat and add meatballs to the pan once it is hot. Cook meatballs for about 10 minutes, turning them to brown evenly on all sides.
6. When water has come to a boil, add noodles and cook according to the package instructions. When noodles are done cooking rinse them under cold water and drain.
7. Use a vegetable peeler to shave the carrot into thin ribbons, then add them to the pan with the meatballs.
8. When meatballs are evenly browned pour the sauce over them and let it bubble and thicken for about 1-2 minutes. Turn off the heat.
9. Add the cooked noodles to pan and toss everything together so noodles are evenly coated in the sauce.Top with chopped scallions and serve immediately.

Notes

• I used Beyond Meat burger patties for this recipe
• Check the sodium level of the plant-based burger patties and adjust the amount of tamari if needed. The burger patties I used contained salt as an ingredient (390mg of sodium per serving) so I went light on the tamari in the meatball mix: only 2 teaspoons.

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This post was in collaboration with and sponsored by NAKANO Rice Vinegar. All content and opinions expressed here are my own. Read more about my sponsored post and affiliate policy here.