Sticky ginger beef spring roll salad

Ingredients

• 200 g soba noodles
• 2 limes, juice and zest
• 3 Tbsp (45 mL) sweet red chili sauce, divided
• 2 Tbsp (30 mL) rice wine vinegar
• 2 Tbsp (30 mL) canola or olive oil, divided
• 1 medium head of romaine lettuce, shredded (about 4 ½ cups)
• ½ head cabbage, shredded (about 4 cups)
• 1 bag (454 g) bean sprouts, washed (about 4 cups)
• 1 English cucumber, sliced into matchsticks
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) fresh cilantro, roughly chopped  
• 2 ½ inch fresh ginger root, peeled and cut into matchsticks
• ¾ lb/350 g lean stir-fry beef, such as flank steak, striploin or sirloin, cut into ¾ inch cubes 
• ¼ tsp (1mL) black pepper
• ¼ cup (60 mL) unsalted roasted peanuts, chopped

Instructions

1. Cook the soba noodles according to package instructions and set aside.
2. Whisk together the juice and zest of limes, 2 Tbsp (30mL) of chili sauce, rice wine vinegar and 1 Tbsp (15 mL) oil; toss with prepared vegetables and cilantro.
3. Season the cubed beef with black pepper. Heat the remaining 1 Tbsp (15 mL) oil in skillet; add ginger and cook 1 minute. Add the beef; brown, stirring frequently for 3-4 minutes before adding most of the peanuts into the skillet along with the remaining 2 Tbsp (30 mL) of the chili sauce.  
4. Divide the soba noodles into 4 bowls, add 2 cups salad mixture, and ¼ of the beef per person. Garnish with remaining peanuts.

• Nutrition know-how: When combining multiple foods higher in protein you may need less meat to meet your protein goal. We’ve used ¾ lb. of beef to serve 4 in this recipe as we also call for peanuts. Together they provide 43 g of protein in one serving.
• Cooking know-how: You can serve this recipe warm or at room temperature. It can also be made in advance and eaten as a refreshing cold salad the next day.
• Gluten free: Make this recipe gluten free by substituting soba noodles with brown rice vermicelli noodles.   
• Balanced plate: Sometimes salads don’t fit the balanced plate model for healthy eating, but this one does, providing ¼ plate grain or starch, ¼ plate protein and ½ plate non-starchy vegetables.
• Food safety: Put leftovers away in the fridge within 2 hours, or sooner if they are in a warm location.