Quick Kale Sesame Noodles (20-Minute Recipe)

These quick kale noodles are one of our favorite weeknight dinners! It comes together within 20 minutes and is filled with nutrient-dense kale. Plus, the tahini-sesame-garlic sauce is SO flavorful! Vegan, dairy-free and easy to make gluten-free.

For those of you who are looking for speedy lunch or dinner recipes, then you will love these kale sesame noodles!

We often make teriyaki udon or mushroom miso udon on busy weeknights and these kale noodles are another quick meal that's SO tasty done without much chopping or cooking steps.

Everything comes quickly together while the noodles are boiling, then combine the noodles with the creamy kale and that's it. Done in 20 minutes! Plus, it is healthy and definitely one of my favorite recipes to help me eat more leafy greens.

Loaded with chewy kale and tossed in a sweet and tangy garlic tahini sauce, it is surprisingly flavorful and delicious, even though done with minimal effort and in such a short time.

This meal also is nutrient-dense: kale is so rich in vitamins and antioxidants, even some plant-based protein. I used a tiny amount of sesame oil when cooking the greens for added flavor, but you can skip and make it completely oil-free too.

The creamy sauce is made using tahini and is flavored with garlic, soy sauce and maple syrup. Similarly to this tahini pasta sauce and this tahini pesto, I love using tahini for sauces for its amazing creaminess. Also made using ingredients we almost always have on hand and it worked out perfectly. Really really simple and such an amazing last minute quick meal loaded with good-for-you ingredients.

This recipe is perfectly saucy with the kale leaves that grab the sauce in each bites, yum. It is more like an Asian style noodle dish. And you can easily double the tahini mixture for a saucier style recipe!

Let me know how you liked it! ❤️

Things to love from that recipe

• Quick and easy recipe perfect for busy days
• SO healthy with lots of nutrient-dense kale
• Tasty comfort food recipe
• Highly customizable: you can use it as a base and add more veggies or protein
• Can be made ahead, perfect to meal-prep healthy lunches
• Very filling and satisfying
• Flavorful and filled with umami-rich ingredients
• Uses lots of pantry ingredients, super convenient!
• Vegan, vegetarian, nut-free and can be made gluten-free

Ingredients you'll need

• Noodles of your choice: I prefer long noodles for this recipe, such as spaghetti.
• Kale: I used a whole bunch of dinosaur kale. It might look like a large amount, but it will cook down a lot!
• Garlic: essential to flavor the noodles, so don't omit and don't swap for garlic powder.
• Tahini: makes for the base of the creamy sauce.
• Soy sauce: can swap for tamari.
• Maple syrup: just to sweeten the sauce slightly, can used agave nectar too.
• Nutritional yeast: optional, but try not to omit, it adds a subtle umami and cheesy flavor.
• Rice vinegar: can swap for lime juice.
• Sesame oil (optional): I use it to cook the kale, it adds such a nice flavor, but you can use regular oil or completely omit.

How to make it

Cook the noodles

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the noodles al dente. Then, drain and set aside.

Prep the sauce

While the noodles are cooking, make the sauce.

In a small bowl, combine the tahini, soy sauce, rice vinegar, nutritional yeast and maple syrup. Whisk well until the tahini is all dissolved. Set aside.

Cook the kale

Also while the noodles are cooking: warm up a large non-stick pan and then add the sesame oil (optional, can also use regular oil or use water for an oil-free recipe). Add the kale and cook on medium heat while stirring often until mostly wilted. Then, add the garlic and cook for one more minute.

Combine and serve

Once the kale is cooked, add the noodles and pour the tahini sauce right into the pan. Use tongs to stir everything together. Cook for 1-2 minutes or just long enough to warm up everything together and the sauce becomes a little thicker.

Serve right away.

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Watch how to make it

Cooking tips

• The noodles will keep cooking once added to the pan, so be sure to boil them until al dente, not longer.
• You can also pre-cook noodles ahead of time and keep them in an air-tight container in the fridge until you want to make this recipe. You can also pre-clean and chop the kale ahead to make dinner time easier on busy days.
• When you add the noodles to the pan, just add them in batches to see how saucy you want it to be. I often cook a whole box of 1 pound of noodles, but usually add only 12 ounces to the pan and keep the rest of the cooked noodles for another quick meal later.
• As needed, add a splash or two of water to the pan to help combine everything together.

Serving suggestions

Serve warm with a sprinkle of sesame seeds to add a little texture. Peanuts or roasted cashews would be great too. Add sliced green onions, ground black pepper and spicy red pepper flakes or sriracha sauce for a little heat.

You can also serve this kale noodle recipe with a side fresh salad to balance the hearty savory noodles, especially a carrot cucumber Asian salad or a cucumber mango salad.

To boost this meal with more protein, you can add some roasted tofu, chickpeas or nuts. This smoky tofu or this baked miso tempeh would be a great addition to this meal.

More veggies would also add more layer of texture and extra flavor. Just cook the veggies with the kale and consider doubling the garlic and tahini sauce if adding lots of extra ingredients. Here are a few ideas:

• shiitake or regular mushrooms
• broccoli or cauliflower
• onion
• green peas
• red pepper
• cherry tomatoes

What kind of noodles should I use?

I like using whole wheat spaghetti for this recipe, it makes it more hearty and filling, but you can definitely use whatever noodles you prefer!

Good options would be soba, udon, lo mein, rice vermicelli and ramen. I think long noodles work better, but go with short pasta if that's all you have.

How to make this recipe gluten-free

It is very easy to make these kale noodles gluten-free. Simply choose your favorite gluten-free noodles and swap the soy sauce for tamari. Just make sure it is certified gluten-free.

We love all the noodles from the company Lotus Foods and I believe that most of their noodles are gluten-free and vegan! They would work well for this recipe.

What kind of kale to choose

Dino kale (lacinato) works great. It is sturdy with rough leaves, which keeps them nice and chewy even after cooked. The bite from the kale is amazing!

Other kind of kale would obviously work well too, such as curly kale or red kale.

I haven't tried it yet, but next time I make this recipe I'll try using green cabbage instead. I think that would be a great choice too!

Storage tips

Keep leftovers in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. These noodles store pretty well, making it a good recipe to make more of and to use leftovers for lunch the next day.

To reheat, simply add a splash of water, stir and then warm up (in the microwave or on the stove). You can also eat these noodles cold!

Other Asian style noodles you might like

• Spicy garlic noodles
• Vegan chow mein
• Cabbage miso noodle soup
• One-pot coconut curry
• Miso ramen soup
• Vegan kimchi ramen
• Vegan peanut noodles
• Teriyaki udon noodles

I hope you like these quick kale noodles as much as we do! If you try it, please leave a comment below and rate the recipe to let me know how it was. Your feedback is so helpful!

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