Quick, weeknight meals are much needed, like this udon noodles recipe. This is by far the quickest dinner I have put together and guess what. It tastes AH-MAZING. Seriously. The udon noodles are coated in this light peanut sauce along with your serving of veggies including broccoli, spinach, and carrots. (Feel free to play around with this recipe and add other kinds of veggies to your liking, like snow peas and bok choy.) And the sauce was not dry at all (a fear that I have when it comes to peanut butter)! It burst with tons of flavor, from the garlic to the ginger to a little bit of spice from the chili garlic sauce. So yes, it’s quick, easy, healthy, vegetarian-friendly, and delicious. What more could you want for dinner during the middle of the week?

Udon Noodles with Peanut Sauce (adapted from RecipeGirl):

Yields 2 servings

  • 2 (7.22-ounce) packages udon noodles
  • 1/4 cup reduced-fat creamy peanut butter
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
  • 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili garlic sauce
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup cooked broccoli florets (I steamed them for about 3-4 minutes)
  • 1 cup shredded carrot
  • 1 cup baby spinach

You can find these udon noodles at the Asian section of your local grocery store.

In a large pot of boiling water, cook udon noodles according to package instructions, about 4 minutes; drain well.

Heat a saucepan over medium heat. Add 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons water, peanut butter, brown sugar, soy sauce, rice vinegar, ginger, sesame oil, cornstarch, chili garlic sauce and garlic.

Bring to a boil; cook, stirring constantly, about 1 minute.

Reduce heat to low; add the udon noodles, broccoli and carrots and stir to coat, about 1 minute.

Remove from heat; add the spinach and gently toss to combine until the spinach has wilted, about 1 minute.

Serve immediately.

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