Shredded sesame chicken, red bell peppers, carrots and black bean noodles tossed in a delicious almond butter based Asian sauce are the perfect blend of flavors in these healthy sesame chicken noodle bowls!

I think by now you guys have figured out that when it comes to pasta I tend to cook with a lot of alternatives rather than the traditional variety. It’s not that I don’t like traditional pasta, because I do, it’s just that it doesn’t tend to like me. Traditional pasta leaves me feeling bloated and having some other digestive issues that I won’t go into detail about. Sometimes I’ll just deal with the side effects, but more times than not I try to find an alternative that I can enjoy without any consequences. Recently I tried Explore Asian Organic Black Bean Spaghetti and used it to make these Sesame Chicken Noodle Bowls.

I was at Whole Foods in the pasta aisle checking out all the different varieties when I spotted this black bean pasta (It can also be found at Costco and Fairway stores). I was immediately intrigued because I’d never heard of bean pasta. The first thing that caught my eye other than it’s black color was the amount of protein and fiber per serving. 25 grams of protein and 12 grams of fiber per serving, now that’s some pasta I can get behind! It’s gluten-free, organic, has less carbs compared to traditional pasta and the only ingredient in it is black beans.

Of course none of this means anything if it doesn’t taste good. Even before I turned these black bean noodles into sesame chicken noodle bowls, I found myself enjoying a couple forkfuls of the pasta by itself. The texture is al dente and never got soggy even when I had the leftovers for lunch the next day. The pasta is a tasty and easy to make alternative perfect for all diets.

Now let’s talk about how awesome these sesame chicken noodle bowls are! The ingredients in the noodle bowls aren’t extensive, just shredded chicken, red bell peppers, shredded carrot, green onion and sesame seeds. It’s the sauce that makes these bowls so delicious! The sauce if flavored with almond butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar, ginger, garlic, more toasted sesame seeds, chili paste for some heat and a little honey for sweetness. It’s the perfect compliment to the chicken, vegetables and noodles. The great thing about this dish is it’s good warm or cold. Eat it warm for dinner then have the cold leftovers for lunch, either way it’s fantastic!

Sesame Chicken Noodle Bowls

Yield: 4-6 servings

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 7 minutes

Total Time: 27 minutes

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Ingredients

• 1 bag Explore Asian Organic Black Bean Pasta
• 1 pound cooked boneless skinless chicken breasts or rotisserie chicken, shredded
• 1/2 of a red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 large carrot, shredded
• 2 green onions, sliced
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

Sauce

• 1/4 cup almond butter
• 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 1/2 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon chili paste such as Sambal Oelek
• 1 tablespoon hot water.

Instructions

1. Cook the pasta according to package instructions.
2. Drain the pasta and add it to a large bowl.
3. Add the shredded chicken, red bell pepper, green onions, carrot and tablespoon of toasted sesame seeds to the pasta.
4. Add all of the sauce ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.
5. Pour the sauce over the pasta mixture and toss together until everything is coated.
6. The pasta may be served warm or cold.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 5 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 440 Total Fat: 18g Saturated Fat: 3g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 12g Cholesterol: 135mg Sodium: 824mg Carbohydrates: 18g Fiber: 4g Sugar: 8g Protein: 52g

This post is sponsored by FitFluential on behalf of Explore Asian.