This post is made in paid partnership with Annie Chun’s. Find Annie Chun’s Organic Udon Noodles HERE.
I often crave this Cashew-Coconut Curry Udon with Fresh Herbs & Bell Pepper Salad for lunch. The Thai-inspired Cashew Curry Simmer Sauce is creamy and fragrant thanks to the coconut milk, cashew butter, toasted sesame oil, lime, madras curry powder, garlic, ginger, maple syrup and chili paste. This rich sauce coats Annie Chun’s chewy udon noodles perfectly and is topped off with a minty, peppery and tangy salad. The textures and flavors make this dish in constant rotation in my household, and I have a strong suspicion it will be in yours too!
A FEW THINGS TO NOTE:
Rinse the udon noodles after draining so they don’t stick together. Toss well into the Cashewy-Coconut Simmer Sauce till they’re fully coated, but don’t thicken the sauce too much or over-stir and end up with sticky noodles.
You can alter the sauce to your tastes; i.e., omit the Sambal Oelek if spice-averse, use Madras or Japanese Curry Powder (I wouldn’t recommend any other kind for this flavor profile), switch out maple syrup with the sweetener of your choice, to taste
I use cubed chicken breast as the protein for this dish, but you can easily serve it with tofu for a vegetarian option. I wouldn’t recommend using any sort of red meat because it won’t take to the flavors as well as white meat (and alternatives) do. I season my protein with salt, pepper, and more curry powder to taste before pan-frying with the scallion whites.
If you make these, tag @cleaneatsfactory on Instagram!
Find Annie Chun’s Organic Udon Noodles HERE.
Cashew-Coconut Curry Udon with Fresh Herbs & Bell Pepper Salad
Ingredients
- 1 red bell pepper, cored, de-seeded & sliced into ½ inch strips
- 4 or 5 sprigs fresh Thai basil
- 4 or 5 sprigs fresh mint
- 1 lime
- 1 tsp olive oil
- ½ cup shredded carrots
- 1 package Annie Chun’s Udon Noodles
- 3 scallions, thinly sliced with white & green parts separate
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Cubed chicken or tofu, seasoned with Japanese Curry Powder (optional)
- ¼ cup coconut milk
- 2 tbsp cashew butter
- 1 tbsp tamari or coconut aminos
- 1 tbsp water
- ½ tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 tsp sambal oelek, or to taste if spice-averse
- 1 tsp Madras Curry Powder or Japanese Curry Powder
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
- 1 tsp minced ginger
Instructions
- Combine sliced red bell pepper, leaves of Thai Basil, mint, 1 tsp lime juice, olive oil, and shredded carrots. Toss and season to taste with salt & pepper. Set aside.
- Blend together all the ingredients for the Cashew Curry Udon sauce and set aside.
- Boil Annie Chun’s Udon Noodles for two minutes, drain and rinse, then set aside.
- In a heated saucepan with a drizzle of oil, add the white parts of the scallions and cook protein, if using. Once the protein is cooked and scallions have softened, add the Udon Noodles and Cashew Curry Sauce and toss to combine. Simmer for a few minutes, until the sauce is slightly thickened.
- Serve with the herb salad and garnish with green parts of scallions.
