These cold sesame noodle meal prep bowls are the perfect vegan prep ahead lunch: spiralized vegetables tossed with chickpeas and whole wheat spaghetti in a spicy almond butter sauce.
Having a delicious meal prep lunch waiting for you is a great way to eat healthier and to save money. Favorites of ours include cauliflower cashew lunch bowls, as well as southwestern sweet potato lentil jar salads. These cold sesame noodle meal prep bowls are another personal and reader favorite!
With whole wheat pasta and spiralized vegetables tossed in a creamy almond butter sauce, there's a whole lot to love here. It's a great one if you don't have access to a microwave, as it tastes great served cold.
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Reasons you'll โก this recipe
- it's vegan, yet filling with 19 g protein per serving
- you can have the bowls prepped in under 30 minutes
- they keep well and taste great, even on day 4!
Recipe video
Watch the video below to see exactly how I prepped these Cold Sesame Noodle Meal Prep Bowls. Itโs so easy! You can find more of my recipe videos on my YouTube channel, or on Facebook.
Ingredient notes
- almond butter- use all natural almond butter (the only ingredients should be almonds and maybe salt). You can swap for peanut butter; alternative nut and seed butters have not been tested.
- pasta- whole wheat pasta keeps well and provides a little extra nutrition than regular pasta; gluten-free or other alternatives have not been tested and I cannot say how they will hold up for 4 days.
- chickpeas- add protein to this meal; feel free to swap for tofu or edamame
- spiralized veggies- stir into the noodles nicely; we've used a combination of zucchini and carrots. Feel free to change it up; if you use other types of veggies such as squash you may need to cook them first.
Step by step directions
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1. Cook pasta- start by cooking the pasta first, as it will take the longest to prepare. Follow package directions. When cooked through, rinse under cold water and set aside to cool completely.
2. Prepare sauce- In a jar or salad dressing shaker, stir together almond butter, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, maple syrup, lime juice and red pepper flakes.
3. Portion- Divide the almond butter sauce into condiment containers; divide chickpeas, spiralized vegetables and cooled pasta between four meal prep containers.
Cover and store in the fridge for up to 4 days.
4. Serve- Remove the sauce and let it stand at room temperature for several minutes. Pour the sauce over the noodles, stir everything up, and enjoy cold!
FAQ
You don't need to! They add a nice crunchy texture when mixed in with the noodles. If you'd prefer a softer texture, you could sautรฉ for 3-5 minutes with a little bit of olive oil.
Since nut butter varies considerably in thickness with different brands and batches, you may need to thin it out. Add water by the half tablespoon, and stir until you get the consistency you are looking for.
After refrigeration, the sauce will be thick and difficult to spread; let it stand at room temperature for several minutes- up to 1 hour before drizzling on your noodles.
You might be able to freeze it without the zucchini, but I don't recommend freezing the zucchini noodles.
Variations
- zucchini & carrots- swap for thinly sliced bell pepper, cabbage, or your favorite bagged slaw,
- chickpeas- swap for chicken or edamame
- pasta- swap for quinoa, rice, farro or extra vegetable noodles
- almond butter sauce- swap for this turmeric tahini sauce
More meal prep bowls
- Grilled Veggie & Black Bean Meal Prep Bowls
- 33 Vegan Meal Prep Recipes for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
- Healthy Greek Chicken Pasta Salad Recipe
Did you make this? Tag me on social @sweetpeasandsaffron and be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe!
Cold Sesame Noodles with Spiralized Vegetables
Ingredients
- 4 oz whole wheat spaghetti uncooked
- 1 zucchini medium-sized; spiralized
- 2 carrots spiralized or shredded
- 2 cups chickpeas 15 or 19 oz can, drained & rinsed; note 2
- green onions to garnish
- sesame seeds to garnish
Almond Butter Sauce:
- ยผ cup almond butter all natural; note 1
- 1 teaspoon ginger finely grated
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce I use reduced sodium
- 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
- 1 teaspoon lime juice
- ยฝ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional; omit for non-spicy version
Instructions
- Cook pasta-ย start by cooking the pasta first, as it will take the longest to prepare. Follow package directions. When cooked through, rinse under cold water and set aside to cool completely.
- Prepare sauce-ย In a jar orย salad dressing shaker, stir together almond butter, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, maple syrup, lime juice and red pepper flakes.
- Portion-ย Divide the almond butter sauce intoย condiment containers; divide chickpeas, spiralized vegetables and cooled pasta between four meal prep containers.
- To serve- Let sauce stand at room temperature for 10 minutes- 1 hour. Drizzle sauce over noodles, toss everything up, and enjoy cold.
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Nutrition Information
© Sweet Peas & Saffron - Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
Denise says
Hi Tara! So happy to hear you enjoyed. I bet the edamame was perfect with these flavors! Thanks for reporting back ๐
Brenna says
Mmmmmm! I made this with Ahi Tuna steaks and itnwas absolutely amazing !
Denise says
That sounds delicious!
Cass says
How long will this keep in the fridge?
Denise says
Hi Cass! 4 days!
Laura J says
This was delicious! Will definitely be adding to my lunch/dinner rotation! Can't wait to go through your recipes and try some more!!
Denise says
I'm so happy you enjoyed, Laura! Hope you find some more recipes you like ๐
Tammy Jo Kerney says
Loved! And my husband loved too!!! Definitely adding to our favorite WFPB meals! I will double the recipe next time. Thank you! โค๏ธโค๏ธ
Denise says
So happy you enjoyed, Tammy! Thank you for your review <3
Karissa Estrada says
Instead of Chickpeas, what can I substitute it for?
Denise says
Chicken, tofu, salmon, any protein you really like!
Mattie Scott says
Looking Delicious..! I'm definitely going to cook for my self. and thank you so much for sharing
Denise says
I hope you enjoy!
Kirsty Jones says
Absolutely amazing! The satay sauce is so tasty and aromatic and everything works so well together. I make this meal regularly and it is thoroughly enjoyed.
Thank you so much for this recipe.
Denise says
So happy you enjoyed, Kirsty! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review.
love says
sauce makes everything bearable, if you don't like to eat healthy lol.
i do like to eat healthy so the whole thing was great...may roast chickpeas next time but honestly was super surprised at how much flavor the sauce packs, just enough for everything.
Jinny says
Great Recipe! I love that it is vegan friendly as well howecer my son needs some meat here as he does lots of physical activities. So if you meal prep this with chicken, can you still keep it in the fridge for up to 4 days?
Denise says
Hi Jinny! Yes, cooked chicken is safe for up to 4 days in the fridge. Bet that would be great in this recipe!
Niki says
Great recipe!!
My handheld spiralizer is not the best for carrots because they tend to be thin so Iโll have to try it with a tabletop/crank version! They still came out fabulous loved everything. I roasted the chickpeas instead of leaving them raw to add some crispyness with a little cayenne pepper and threw in some avocado chunks that went great with the sauce. Perfect to meal prep and have lunch/dinner ready fast!
Denise says
So happy you enjoyed! Thanks for leaving a review, Niki!
Heather says
I'm allergic to almonds. What could I use instead? Would peanut butter work? (not allergic to that one, lol)
Nicole says
I used sunflower butter and it turned out great!
Denise says
So happy to hear this worked out for you, Nicole! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review ๐
Blayne says
This looks delicious ! Do you think you could add the dressing when you make it in the morning and not wait until you eat it in the afternoon, for example? Thanks
Denise says
Hi Blayne! I think that would work! I wouldn't do it the night before though. Hope you enjoy!
Purvi says
Do you freeze this one ?
Denise says
Unfortunately the pasta and zucchini noodles do not freeze/thaw well.
Naresh says
Do you have lower calorie substitute for dressing?
Denise says
Hi Naresh! All my vinaigrette/dressings have similar calorie counts unfortunately. You will really be missing the flavor in this recipe if you leave it out. Here's some lower calorie meal prep options for you: https://sweetpeasandsaffron.com/meal-prep-lunch-recipes-400-calories/
Makenzie says
Is the nutritional information for the entire recipe worth of ingredients (4oz noodles)? Or is it for one serving with one ounce of noodles?
Denise says
It's the entire ingredients list divided by four, so 1 oz (uncooked) pasta per serving. Not sure how much that equals in cooked pasta.
Belyn says
Good recipe. I substituted honey for maple syrup, tamari instead of soy sauce, gluten free noodles, and used 1 drop doTERRA lime essential oil, and ginger essential oil instead of grated ginger & lime juice. I'm saving this recipe. Thanks
Denise says
Oh interesting with the essential oils! I just got a diffuser and LOVE them. Thanks Belyn!
Erin says
Can I substitute peanut butter for almond butter?
Denise says
Yes! Make sure you use a natural peanut butter. Hope you enjoy!
Kate says
Can you freeze this for a meal later?
Denise says
Hi Kate! I wouldn't freeze this one, but if you're looking for freezable meal prep recipes, you could check out this round up:https://sweetpeasandsaffron.com/healthy-freezer-meal-prep-dinners-for-new-moms/ or this one: https://sweetpeasandsaffron.com/freezer-friendly-lunch-meal-prep-recipes/
paula says
what brand spiralizer do you use in the video? i need one of thisr.
Denise says
I will ask my video girl which one she used. I have the Paderno Tri-Blade and love it!
Cristi Zbella says
I'm not vegan, but this recipe is FANTASTIC. I followed the recipe exactly, using real almond butter, real maple syrup. Delicious. I've already made it twice and have shared the recipe. I wish I could post a picture! Thanks for a great recipe.
Denise says
I'm so happy to hear this! Thanks for your review, Cristi!