One Pot Veggie Noodle Bowl

Photo of a noofle bowl with tofu, carrots and broccoli

When you think about comfort food, how many of your favorite foods have noodles in them? Mac and cheese, lasagna, and ramen are a few yummy and comforting favorites.

What do they all have in common? Noodles of course!

The possibilities really are endless with this amazingly versatile food. A good veggie stir fry or noodle bowl is certainly one of my favorite ways to eat them.

Packed with crisp vegetables, bold flavors, and soft noodles, a noodle bowl is a great way to get a variety of nutrients in one convenient and tasty meal. Hopefully you’ll love my one pot veggie noodle bowl recipe as much as I do.

This flavorful and nutritious plant-based meal will delight your taste buds, and as an added bonus you only need one pot to cook everything for quick and easy clean-up. :)

Types of Gluten-Free Noodles for a Noodle Bowl

I recommend using soba noodles for this recipe, but any gluten-free Asian-style noodle of your choice should work.

Most noodles are typically made with wheat flour or semolina flour which doesn’t work if you’re following a gluten-free diet. Noodles made with eggs won’t work for an exclusively plant-based diet. Fortunately, it’s easier than ever to find gluten-free noodles that are equally delicious and just as satisfying.

If you are vegan or gluten-free here are a few noodle options you can find easily at the grocery store or shop online at PlantX, an exclusive plant-based grocery store:

Brown rice pasta
Rice noodles
Chickpea noodles
Buckwheat noodles (naturally gluten-free)
Noodles made from other grains— including quinoa, amaranth, or millet

Even if some of our favorite noodles— like ramen noodles, vermicelli noodles, or udon noodles— are traditionally made with wheat flour, nowadays it’s easy to find gluten-free alternatives. I personally recommend them.

Is Gluten Bad?

Not exactly— gluten isn’t automatically bad unless you have a condition like Celiac Disease or gluten intolerance, where eating gluten can and likely will make you feel ill.

I mention eliminating gluten in my Beauty Detox books because so many wheat crops are sprayed with herbicides and pesticides. Many people also have undiagnosed sensitivities. For these reasons you may also want to consider the role gluten plays in your diet and think about removing it regardless of whether you’re allergic or not.

What is Gluten?

Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley and rye, which helps foods retain their shape. When most people think of gluten, they probably think about bread and baked goods, but the truth is that gluten can be found in some sneaky places! Gluten is commonly found in cereal, pasta and baked goods, but it can also be found in foods like soup or salad dressing. That can make finding gluten-free foods a real challenge for some people.

Should I Eat Gluten?

Many people who have gluten allergies or intolerance aren’t even aware they have them, and unfortunately, there is no cure for these conditions. So they just live with all the awful side-effects of these conditions, like gas, bloating, and intestinal discomfort. That’s no way to live, Beauties.

If a food is truly good for YOU and your health, it should make you feel good too. The best way to avoid the ill effects gluten can have on your body is to avoid gluten altogether.

Although I don’t advocate for it, I know sometimes it’s hard to completely remove gluten from your diet 100% of the time. So, if you do choose to eat gluten and brave the digestive discomforts, a digestive enzyme can help along with Detoxy which can support healthy elimination and help alleviate discomfort often caused by constipation (which can be a common symptom of gluten intolerance). Solluna offers both, and although I’m biased (because I formulated them), they really do help!

The Amazing Health Benefits of Cabbage

There are several delicious vegetables in our one pot veggie noodle bowl, but I just have to highlight this delightfully crunchy and wonderfully detoxing cruciferous veggie for just one moment. It’s a staple (bok choy) and a garnish (purple cabbage) added on top for color and crunch.

Did you know that there are over 400 different types of cabbage grown all over the world? That is a lot of cabbage! All these different cabbages have been grown and eaten all over the world for thousands of years in dishes like kimchi and sauerkraut.

Fresh, cooked, or fermented, cabbages are nutritional powerhouses. Of all the hundreds of types of cabbage out there, let’s take a look at just two in particular since they’re featured in my recipe.

Remarkable Red Cabbage

Red cabbage, also known as purple cabbage, is packed with vitamin C, vitamin K, and is a great source of antioxidants to protect your body from free radicals that can make you sick. It’s also low-calorie, even though I encourage you to not worry about that. :)

Red cabbage is also amazing for fighting excessive inflammation in your body and may promote heart health and bone health. This beautiful vegetable is also a wonderful source of much-needed fiber in our diets and can help improve your gut health (which is so important for your mood, skin and digestion!).

Beautiful Bok Choy

Bok choy, also called pak choi, is a type of cabbage originally native to China. Just like red cabbage, bok choy is high in vitamins, nutrients, fiber, and antioxidants.

Thanks to its high selenium content, bok choy is also great for your thyroid gland to support healthy and “normal” thyroid function. In fact, it’s reported that having low selenium levels in your blood can lead to thyroid conditions.

Too much of anything can be bad though, so moderation is key even with the healthiest of foods, like bok choy. Eating excessive amounts of this cabbage may actually lead to decreased thyroid function and iodine deficiency.

As the saying goes, “variety is the spice of life.” So spice up your life with all sorts of delicious foods and flavors— healthy doesn’t have to be boring.

Now that you’re hungry for a noodle bowl, I can’t wait to see your creative takes on this recipe. Just make sure to tag me on Instagram so I can see! If you have Pinterest, remember to share it with your noodle-loving friends and family there too. :)

All my love,