Quick Chick Soba Bowl

Quick Chick Soba Bowl

This is one we keep coming back to on busy weeknights when we want something that feels special but takes almost no effort. The soba noodles are silky and nutty, the vegan chicken is hearty and satisfying, and the whole thing comes together in about 20 minutes flat. It's got that brilliant combination of textures and bold Asian-inspired flavours that makes you feel like you've ordered from a really good restaurant. Honestly, once you've made this you'll wonder why you ever ordered a takeaway.

Cook: 20 min
Serves 4

Before You Start

  • Large bowl for cooling noodles
  • Wok
  • Tongs
  • Box grater

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
  • 1 tsp chilli flakes
  • 3 tbsp soy sauce - plus extra for drizzling
  • 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
  • 2 tbsp sesame seeds
  • 400g soba noodles
  • 320g plant-based 'chicken'
  • 4 spring onions
  • 5cm piece of fresh ginger
  • 25g peanuts
  • 200g sugar snap peas
  • 200g baby corn
  • 2 garlic cloves

Method

1

Prepare the noodles

  • Bring a saucepan of water to the boil over a high heat
  • Place the noodles in the saucepan, gently move them around in the water with tongs and cook for 2.5 minutes
  • Use the tongs to transfer the noodles from the saucepan to a large bowl of cold water
  • When the noodles are cool, drain the water, drizzle over a little oil, toss to coat and set the bowl to one side
2

Prepare the vegetables

  • Cut the vegan chicken pieces into 0.5 cm shreds
  • Trim and finely slice the spring onions at an angle
  • Peel and grate the ginger and garlic with the fine side of the box grater
  • Roughly chop the peanuts
  • Trim and halve the sugar snap peas lengthwise
  • Quarter the baby corn lengthwise
3

Time to cook

  • Warm the vegetable oil and toasted sesame oil in the wok over a high heat
  • Add the vegan chicken and stir for 1 minute
  • Add the spring onions (saving a few for garnish) and toss to coat
  • Add the ginger, garlic, chilli flakes and peanuts and stir for 1 minute
  • Add the soy sauce, rice wine vinegar and sugar and stir for 1 minute
  • Add the sugar snap peas and baby corn and stir for 2 minutes
  • Add the noodles and 1 tbsp sesame seeds to the wok and toss to combine
4

Time to serve

  • Use tongs to transfer the contents of the wok into serving bowls
  • Garnish with the reserved spring onions and sesame seeds, drizzle with a little soy sauce and sriracha and serve immediately

Tips & Variations

  • Nail the noodles: Don't skip the cold water bath. It's the difference between noodles that clump into a sad lump and ones that are perfectly bouncy and ready to soak up all the sauce.
  • Swap the protein: If you can't get vegan chicken, this works brilliantly with crispy tofu or even a handful of edamame. Henry actually loves it with both at the same time.
  • Prep ahead: You can cook and oil the noodles earlier in the day and keep them covered in the fridge. It makes the whole thing even quicker when you're ready to eat.

Why This Works

The trick is cooling the noodles in cold water straight away after cooking. It stops them going gluey and gives them that lovely springy bite that holds up against all the other bold flavours in the bowl. The oil toss after draining is a small move that makes a big difference too, keeping everything loose and silky rather than clumping together.