Lea County Extension Office

Happy Homemaker Program 

Veggie Noodles

July 2020

A couple of years ago, a program was done with the county extension homemakers on making noodles from various vegetables or fruits.  With many starting to see their gardens produce, here are fun recipes and cooking methods to try with your bounty.  

With the invention of a Spiral Slicer, Veggie Noodles were born.  The newest trend in cooking is making noodles from vegetables.  Any round or semi round, dense vegetable will work. Vegetables without a center (like peppers) will not work with a spiral slicer. 

Tools

Spiral Slicers come in various sizes and with various blades to cut the vegetables into noodles. There are counter top appliances or hand held varieties.  The hand held variety will generally only cut one size of noodle.  The counter top version will generally cut more than one size or type of noodle.

If you don’t wish to purchase a spiral slicer, a julienne peeler will do the same thing.  This type of peeler will create straight noodles by hand.  You can also use a regular peeler to get the same effect. 

Once the noodles have been cut, you can dice the noodles into smaller pieces, creating a “Veggie Rice”. 

Types of Noodles

Whether you want to make a main dish, salad or an experiment, try making some of your favorite vegetables into noodles.  Fruits can also be made into noodles, like apples, pears, or plantain.  Some favorite types of noodles to create:

·       Zoodles—Zucchini Noodles

·       Roodles—Parsnip Noodles

·       Swoodles—Sweet Potato Noodles

·       Toodles—Turnip Noodles

·       Coodles—Carrot Noodles

·       Sqoodles—Squash Noodles

·       Boodles—Broccoli Stem Noodles

How To Cook a Veggie Noodle

Most Veggies Noodles can be boiled, sautéed, roasted, steamed, fried, or used raw.  For those vegetables that contain a lot of water, like squash, it is a good idea to allow the vegetable to sit in a strainer or slightly squeeze the vegetable to remove any access water.  By removing the water in the vegetable, you will have a less mushy product in the end. 

Sauté or Roasting is a preferred method of cooking veggie noodles.  However, if you choose to boil the vegetable, use the following information as a guide.  

Soft Vegetables (squash, egg plant,) should only be boiled for 1 to 2minutes, then drained.  Any excess water left on the vegetable will create a mush rather than a noodle.

Hard/Root Vegetables (Sweet Potato, carrot, Winter Squash) should only be boiled for 4 to 5 minutes.  Any excess water should also be drained from the vegetable to prevent over cooking. 

Sauces for the veggie noodles are generally a cream or oil based sauce.  Cream sauces generally have less water  and a thicker consistency, therefore they stick to the noodles.  The same goes for an oil based sauce like Pesto.  These have no water content and stick to the noodles well.  Tomato type sauces generally have a high water content and can make the veggie noodle mushy when used.  

Below is a chart of some vegetables and fruits and how to use each as a noodle.

Vegetable or Fruit	Raw or Cooked	Cook Method	Cook Time	Best Served As
Zucchini	Both	Sauté in Skillet Simmer in Broth Raw	2-3 Minutes 2 minutes N/A	Pasta Noodles Noodles Pasta, Salad Add-on or Slaw
Sweet Potato	Cooked	Sauté in Skillet Boil Simmer in Sauce Bake at 400 Degrees Steam in Microwave	6-8 minutes 3-4 minutes 5 to 7 minutes 15 minutes 4-5 minutes	Pasta, Noodles Pasta, Noodles Pasta, Noodles Fries or Chips Pasta Noodles
Butternut Squash	Cooked	Bake at 400 degrees Sauté in Skillet Simmer in broth	7-10 minutes 6-8 minutes 7-10 minutes	Pasta, Noodles Pasta Noodles Spiralized Rice
Carrot	Both	Boil Simmer in Sauce Bake 400 degrees Raw	3-4 Minutes 5-7 minutes 10 minutes N/A	Pasta Noodles Pasta Noodles Fries, Chips, Pasta, Noodles Salad Add-on, Slaw
Cucumber	Raw	Press in between paper towels to remove excess moisture		Noodles Salad Add-ons
White/Red Potatoes	Cooked	Sauté in skillet Simmer in sauce Simmer in Broth Bake at 400 degrees	6-8 minutes 5-7 minutes 7-10 minutes 15 minutes	Pasta, Noodles Pasta, Noodles Spiralized Rice Fries, Chips
Beet	Both	Sauté in skillet Boil Bake 400 degrees Simmer in Broth Raw	5-7 minutes 3-4 minutes 10-15 minutes 6-8 minutes N/A	Pasta, Noodles Pasta, Noodles Chips, Pasta, Noodles Spiralized Rice Noodles, Salad Add-ons, snack
Rutabaga	Cooked	Sauté in skillet Simmer in sauce Simmer in Broth Bake 400 degrees	6-8 minutes 5-7 minutes 7-10 minutes 12-15 minutes
Parsnip	Cooked	Sauté in skillet Bake 400 degrees Simmer in Broth	6-7 minutes 10-12 minutes 6-7 minutes	Pasta Noodles Fries, Chips, Noodles Spiralized Rice

Jicama	Both	Sauté in skillet Bake 400 degrees Simmer in Broth Raw	6-7minutes 10-12 minutes 6-7 minutes N/A	Pasta, Noodles Chips, Fries, Pasta, Noodles Spiralize Rice Salad Add-ons, Noodles
Egg Plant	Cooked	Sauté in Skillet	6-7 minutes	Pasta Noodles
Broccoli Stem	Cooked	Sauté in Skillet	6-7 minutes	Pasta Noodles
Onion	Both	Sauté in Skillet Breaded and Fried Raw	3-4 minutes 3-4 minutes N/A	Addition to a Stir-fry meal Onion rings or fries Salad Add-on or slaw
Apple	Both	Bake at 400 degrees Sauté in Skillet Raw	10 minutes 6-7 minutes N/A	Snack, dessert Snack, Dessert Salad Add-on
Pear	Both	Bake at 400 degrees Sauté in Skillet Raw	10 minutes 6-7 minutes N/A	Snack, dessert Snack, Dessert Salad Add-on
Plantain	Cooked	Simmer in Broth Bake at 400 degrees	6-7 minutes 15 minutes	Spiralized Rice Fries, Chips

Zucchini Noodle Salad with Bacon & Tomatoes

Ingredients

3 tbsp Olive oil

1/2 tbsp Lemon juice

1/4 tsp Garlic powder

1/4 tsp Sea salt

1/8 tsp Black pepper

3 medium Zucchini (spiral cut)

6 slices Bacon (cooked, cut into small pieces or crumbled)

1 1/2 cup Grape tomatoes (halved)

1/4 cup Fresh basil (cut into ribbons)

Instructions

In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic powder, sea salt, and black pepper, until emulsified.

In a large bowl, combine the spiral cut zucchini, chopped bacon, halved grape tomatoes, and fresh basil. Toss with the dressing. Serve immediately.  Recipe from WholesomeYum.com

4 Ingredient Pesto Zoodle Salad

 Ingredients

2 medium zucchini (spiral cut)

4 Tablespoons prepared pesto

2 handfuls of cherry tomatoes, quartered

2 handfuls of baby mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

Instructions

Add all ingredients to a large bowl and toss to combine. Serve cold.

Avocado Alfredo Zoodles With Chicken + Sun Dried Tomatoes

Ingredients

4 medium-sized zucchini , spiral cut

Avocado Alfredo Sauce:

2 large ripe avocados

2 cloves garlic

3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

1 1/2 cups skim milk (or almond milk to lower calorie count)

Salt to season

1 tablespoons reserved sun dried tomato oil

1 teaspoon lemon juice (optional to prevent avocado browning)

Chicken:

1 tablespoon reserved sun dried tomato oil

1 lb chicken breast fillets (or thighs), cubed

3/4 cup sun dried tomatoes in oil, drained and oil reserved

Extra parmesan cheese to garnish

Mixed Italian herbs to garnish (oregano, basil, parsley) -- adjust to your tastes

Instructions

Prepare zoodles first with your spiral slicer.  Set aside.

Combine the avocados, garlic, parmesan cheese, milk, salt to your tastes, oil and lemon juice in a food processor bowl. Process until smooth and creamy. Set aside.

Add reserved oil to a preheated nonstick pan or skillet on medium heat. Sauté chicken until  beginning to change color. Add sun dried tomatoes and fry together with the chicken until chicken is browned. Add the zoodles; mix through chicken and tomatoes; and allow to cook through for 3-5 minutes, or until just beginning to soften. Pour the avocado sauce over the top and stir through until warmed.  Serve with extra parmesan cheese and mixed herbs. Recipe from  Cafe Delites

Spiral Cut Zucchini Mac and Cheese with Oat Crumb Crust

Ingredients

1 cup raw cashews, soaked for approximately 2 hours

4 medium zucchini

1/2 to 1 cup filtered water, divided

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 cloves garlic

3 tablespoons yeast

1 tablespoon virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Oat Crumb Crust:

½ cup gluten-free rolled oats

1 tablespoon virgin olive oil

Pinch of sea salt, for garnish

Pinch of freshly ground black pepper, for garnish

Fresh parsley or basil, for garnish

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400°F.  Cut the ends off your zucchini. Using a spiral slicer, create zucchini “noodles.” Place them in a large bowl and set aside.

To make the cheesy sauce, combine the cashews, ½ cup water, mustard, garlic, yeast, olive oil, lemon juice, turmeric, apple cider vinegar and salt in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. If the sauce is too thick, slowly add the remaining ½ cup water until you have reached a smooth, sauce-like consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning if desired. Pour the sauce into the noodle bowl and mix until well coated.

To make the oat crumb crust, combine the oats and the olive oil in a food processor and pulse until well crumbled.  Arrange saucy noodles in a shallow baking dish and cover with a layer of the oat crumb crust. Bake until golden and warm all the way through, about 10 minutes.

Garnish with salt, black pepper and a few leaves of parsley or basil. Recipe from The Healthy Maven

Spiral Sliced Beet Salad

Ingredients

2-4 Beets, peeled and cut with a spiral slicer

1 Orange, juiced

1 Tablespoon White Balsamic Vinegar

1 Teaspoon Honey

Salt and Pepper, to taste

2 Tablespoons Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

2 Tablespoons Fresh Mint Leaves, thinly sliced

¼ Cup Pistachios, finely chopped

Instructions

Place the beet noodles in a large bowl. Cut the noodles into smaller bite size portions. 

In a small mason jar, combine the orange juice, vinegar, honey, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Shake until well combined. Pour the dressing over the beet noodles. Add in the mint and pistachios and toss well. Serve immediately.

Sweet Potato Enchilada Skillet

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small onion

Sweet potato noodles roughly 6 loosely packed cups

2 cloves garlic minced

1 can black beans 19oz, drained and rinsed

1 can corn kernels 12oz, drained and rinsed

4 (6- inch) corn tortillas cut into 1/2 inch strips (flour tortillas work too)

1 can of enchilada sauce

2 cups of mozzarella cheese divided

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 350°F. In a large, ovenproof skillet heat the olive oil over medium heat.

Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, until translucent and soft.  Add the sweet potato noodles, and cook for 10 minutes, until al dente. They should have a bite to them and not be completely soft. Add the garlic and cook for one minute.  Add the black beans, corn, tortillas, enchilada sauce and half of the cheese. Stir until completely combined.

Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and place in the oven for 5 minutes, until cheese is melted and the enchilada sauce bubbles.