Today, I am sharing a recipe that I found through the Tone It Up community. I love scrolling through the Tone It Up hashtags (usually #tiuteam) to see what other people are eating, what workouts they did, and how they’re balancing their fitness routine with work, family, and fun. One of the girls posted a picture of this recipe: Zucchini Noodles with Vegan Lemon Cream Sauce and I immediately found the recipe and pinned it to my Pinterest page to make as soon as possible.
The Lemon Cream Sauce is completely vegan and gets it’s smooth and creamy texture from soaked cashews. Cashews are fabulous to achieve a creamy texture, and an added bonus is that it adds protein to your dish. The sauce has a slightly cheesy taste to it thanks to the nutritional yeast and miso paste. Miso paste is not something that I had in my refrigerator, but I was able to get it at my regular grocery store in the natural foods section. I have seen lots of recipes call for miso, so now that I have it I’m excited to use it more often. I have heard that it lasts forever in the refrigerator, so it’s something you can have for a while and not have to rush to use it up.
This meal is SO fast. I mean under 10 minutes (minus the soaking time for cashews), which makes it a go-to for a busy weeknight. I’m always looking to boost the veggie content of my meals, so I roasted up a bunch of grape tomatoes and threw them on top. I loved this combination and would definitely recommend the tomatoes. To finish the dish, I added fresh lemon zest and crushed red pepper for an extra punch of flavor.
I hardly modified this recipe at all except to add the tomatoes and finishing touches. I also used 2 fairly large zucchinis and all of the sauce and it served two people, so that is reflected in my calorie count. SimplyQuinoa lists the recipe as 4 servings, but I must have a heavier hand with my serving sizes because for me it made 2.
NOTE: I did modify the serving size and that is reflected in my calorie count below.
Active Time: 15 minutes Total Time: 15 minutes
Serves: 2
Ingredients: 1 pint grape tomatoes 1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked in hot water for at least 45 minutes and drained 1/3 cup nutritional yeast 2 garlic cloves 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1 teaspoon miso paste 1 teaspoon tahini 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon sea salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1/3 cup water 2 medium zucchinis 1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
1/4-1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Directions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (I like to use my toaster oven for this). Line a baking sheet with tin foil and spread the tomatoes out on the sheet. Roast in preheated oven for about 15 minutes, or until the tomatoes begin to wrinkle and burst. Meanwhile, combine the cashews, nutritional yeast, garlic, lemon juice, miso, tahini, nutmeg, sea salt, pepper, and water in a high-powered blender until smooth and creamy. If the sauce is too thick, add a few extra tablespoons of water to thin it out.
Spiralize the zucchini and transfer to a large bowl. Top with the sauce and roasted tomatoes. Sprinkle the fresh lemon zest and crushed red pepper over the sauce. Toss to combine. Serve the Zoodles with Lemon Cream Sauce immediately.
NOTE: You can serve the sauce cold or warm. I prefer it warm and I just heat it in a microwave-safe bowl before topping my zucchini.
Nutrition Information per serving:
Calories: 368 Fat: 20g Carbs: 36g Protein: 23g Sodium: 391mg Sugar: 8g
*Nutrition information is based on the products I used personally in this recipe. Different products may yield slightly different information.
Source: Simply Quinoa: Zucchini Noodles with Vegan Lemon Cream Sauce
