Veggie alternatives to the traditional noodle are popping up all over Pinterest and at restaurants alike. It’s no surprise, either – veggie rice and noodles are a fresh take on the traditional pasta noodle (and are a super easy way to sneak in more veggies!) What’s more, if you’re looking for a gluten-free alternative to your wheat spaghetti, the veggie counterpart may just do the trick! Read on to get inspired.
Try Spaghetti Squash
Can you guess which famous noodle spaghetti squash get its name from?
When baked, this squash variety creates delicious, spaghetti-like noodles with just a fork! Top with traditional tomato sauce or chill the noodles and add to your favorite salads or bowls. We love to top ours with Mother Raw Italian Dressing.
Here’s a recipe we love for making the perfect dupe for the traditional spaghetti noodle.
Julienne – it’s easier than you think!
To julienne means to cut into thin strips. We love this way of preparing our veggies because it’s a fun and interesting way to get creative in the kitchen! To julienne, you could use a sharp knife to thinly slice the veggies if you’re confident in your knife skills. However, we prefer using a vegetable peeler and gently slicing it lengthways to produce super thin strips.
There are many veggies that lend themselves to being julienned. Some of our favorites are carrots, apples, raw beets and cucumbers. Julienned veggies add some pizzazz to salads, rice bowls or even cold noodle bowls. Try adding julienned carrots to this Sesame Soba Noodle Bowl. You can even add some tofu for a super simple but flavorful dinner.
‘Rice’
Who said cauliflower or broccoli couldn't be rice? We’re challenging the traditional definition of rice with these veggie-forward ideas!
To create veggie rice, simply grate cauliflower or broccoli stems or, for a quicker alternative, pulse in the food processor or high-power blender.
To cook, sauté the crumbled veggies and finish off by covering with a lid so it steams and cooks through. You can add whatever veggies or proteins you like and use how you would traditional rice.
Once cooked, drizzle with your favorite Mother Raw Sauce — we’re partial to some Mother Raw Queso or Japanese dressing! Yum.
Want to try for yourself? Check out our Mediterranean take on cauliflower rice here.
Image Source: Cooktoria
Written by: Ozoz Sokoh