Peanut Egusi Soba Noodle Bowl

Ground egusi seeds have a texture and richness not far from ground nuts, which made them an easy addition to a peanut sauce built for soba noodles rather than the soup they usually go into. Whisked with peanut butter, soy sauce, ginger, and rice vinegar, the sauce clings to the buckwheat noodles the way a good satay sauce would, with a little extra depth from the egusi.

Grilled chicken sliced over the top and sautéed greens folded through make this a substantial bowl built around protein, which is why it carries a high-protein tag and a nod toward fitness or athletic eating — there's a meaningful amount of both lean protein and plant fat in every serving.

Rinse the soba well after boiling so the starch doesn't make the noodles gummy under the sauce, and thin the peanut-egusi sauce with warm water gradually until it coats a spoon without pooling. Assembled quickly, this bowl works equally well warm or at room temperature.