Broccoli Stem Noodles With Asian Black Bean Balls

Don't throw away those broccoli stems! Combat food waste by turning them into veggie noodles and making this recipe instead! These broccoli stem noodles are tossed in an umami miso dressing, then served with black bean balls that have been glazed with an Asian-inspired sauce. If you haven't used the broccoli florets, serve it with those or just serve with your favorite veggies.

Broccoli Stem Noodles With Asian Black Bean Balls [Vegan, Gluten-Free]

Ingredients

For the Asian Black Bean Balls:

• 1 15.5-ounce can black beans, rinsed
• 3/4 cup Panko or gluten-free bread crumbs
• 1 flax egg (1 tablespoon ground flax, plus 3 tablespoons water)
• 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon minced ginger
• 1 cup thinly-sliced or chopped green onions (4 green onions)
• Kosher salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 teaspoon red pepper

For the Asian Glaze:

• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 4 cloves (or 1 tablespoon) garlic, minced
• 1/2 tablespoon minced ginger
• 1/2 cup tamari or low-sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 cup coconut sugar
• 2 tablespoons Hoisin sauce (optional)
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• ? cup water combined with 1 tablespoon corn starch or arrowroot

For the Garnish:

• Black and white sesame seeds
• 1 green onion, finely sliced

For the Broccoli Noodles:

• 5-6 broccoli stems

For the Dressing:

• 3 tablespoons gluten-free white miso
• 1/2 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tablespoon agave (optional)
• 2 tablespoons mirin
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 1/4 cup vegetable or mild olive oil
• 2 tablespoons water

Preparation

To Make the Broccoli Noodles:

1. Wash, trim the edges that stick out, spiralize, set aside in refrigerator.

To Make the Dressing:

1. Combine all of the ingredients, whisk until smooth.

To Make the Black Bean Balls:

1. Mix together all of the meatball ingredients in a large bowl until well-combined. You should try and mash 75 percent of the beans so that they ingredients adhere together.
2. Heat a pan over medium/high heat. Add a drizzle of sesame oil. Spoon out 1-inch of the mixture with a cookie scoop (or tablespoon), shape into balls and place onto the pan. Add a light coat of additional panko to the outside of each ball before cooking. Cook all the black bean balls for roughly 10-12 minutes, or until golden browned and cooked through.

To Make the Sauce:

1. Heat a non-stick pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Whisk all of the sauce ingredients together (minus the water and corn starch) in the pan until well-blended. Bring to a simmer and gradually add in the corn starch/water mixture. Continue cooking until sauce thickens while stirring occasionally to prevent burning or sticking on the bottom of the pan, about 8 minutes.

To Serve:

1. When meatballs have finished cooking, add half of the black bean balls into the pan and gently coat each one generously and evenly in the sauce. Transfer the glazed black bean balls to the broccoli noodles tossed in dressing with a slotted spoon. Serve with broccoli roasted in sesame oil, optional. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and sliced green onions (if desired).
2. Serve with broccoli roasted in sesame oil, optional and sprinkle with sesame seeds and sliced green onions, if desired.

https://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-recipe/broccoli-stem-noodles-with-asian-black-bean-balls/