These simple bowls are all about the sauce. Noodles (or rice), chicken (or any protein), and crunchy veggies get slathered in a buttery spicy miso sesame dressing that is to die for. The miso adds that salty umami punch, butter makes the sauce silky smooth, maple syrup adds a touch of sweetness, and gochujang (or any chili paste) adds that spicy kick.
Ingredient highlight
Miso paste! Miso means “fermented beans” in Japanese and is typically made using fermented soy beans and/or grains. It packs in lots of umami-rich flavor, making it great for dressings, sauces, soups, and marinades. It’s also rich in probiotics, B vitamins, vitamin E, vitamin K, and folate.
You can find mellow white miso paste at most grocery stores in the refrigerated section near other fermented foods (kimchi, sauerkraut, etc…).
Servings 4
Prep Time 10 minutes 
Cook Time 10 minutes Ingredients
- 10-12 oz noodles (or use 2 cups rice)*
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb ground chicken
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 4-6 cups thinly sliced or grated raw veggies (snap peas, carrot, cucumber, radish, napa cabbage, etc…)**
- ½ bunch scallions, thinly sliced
- 1 avocado, sliced or chopped (optional)
- Toasted sesame seeds, for topping
For the dressing:
- ¼ cup lime juice
- ¼ cup mellow white miso paste
- 3 tbsp butter, melted
- 2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 2 tbsp water
- 1 tbsp gochujang (or use sriracha)
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- *I love this with thick and chewy udon noodles (I used Sanukiya udon – find them at any Asian grocery store), but you could also use any noodle variety like rice noodles or even buckwheat. It’s also delicious as a rice bowl.
- **If you want to add some cooked veggies instead of or in addition to the raw veggies, transfer the cooked chicken to a plate, cook the veggies in the same pan, and then combine them together (mushrooms and/or broccoli would be delicious).
- Protein bump! ~ Put an egg on it for an extra 6g of protein, plus that luscious runny yolk will make it even saucier.
Instructions
- Cook your noodles or rice (rice cooking instructions).
- To make the dressing, in a high speed blender, add the lime, miso, melted butter, sesame, water, gochujang, garlic, and maple syrup. Blend on high until totally smooth. The mixture will seem thick, but once you microwave it, it will thin out.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. Once the oil is hot and shimmering, add the chicken and salt. Break into chunks and let it cook, undisturbed for 2-3 minutes. Continue to break into smaller crumbles and cook until the chicken is cooked through, about 2-3 more minutes.
- Warm up the sauce in the microwave in 10 second intervals, until just warm (or warm gently on the stove). The texture should become thinner.
- Add your noodles or rice to your bowl and top with veggies and chicken. Drizzle the sauce generously all over. Top with scallions, avocado (if using), and sesame seeds.
Items you can prep ahead (optional)
- Cook 10-12 oz noodles (or 2 cups rice)
- Cook the chicken
- Thinly slice or grate 4-6 cups raw veggies
- Thinly slice 1 bunch scallions
- Make the dressing
Substitutions:
- To make vegetarian, substitute chicken with pan-fried or roasted tofu or tempeh.
- To make vegan, see above + replace butter with 2 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp tahini.
- You can replace the sauce with any of your favorite Asian-style sauces (like a peanut sauce, citrus ginger dressing, etc…).
Storage:
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer:
- Chicken: up to 4 days in the fridge or freeze for up to 2 months.
- Veggies: up to 6 days in the fridge
- Rice/noodles: up to 4 days in the fridge or freeze for up to 2 months.
- Sauce: up to 3 days in the fridge or freezer for up to 2 months.
Leftovers + Repurposing:
- Leftover sauce will thicken up a lot in the fridge, so make sure to pop it in the microwave in 10 second intervals, stirring after each time, until it’s drizzle-able.
- Drizzle the sauce over any rice or noodle bowl.
- Make a stir-fry with leftovers by reheating them in a skillet together, remove from heat, and pour the sauce all over.
- Top with a fried egg or two.
