Broccolini, Cherry Tomato, and Butter Bean Udon
March 29th, 2009
Stumble it!
I asked my twitter friends if they’d like to see recipes made for one, and the response was overwhelming; absolutely. A lot of you seem to make lunch for yourself, or have several weeknights where you’re cooking solo and want to throw something fresh together without a lot of hassel.
When I know I’m going to be eating alone, I rarely do the logical thing and make a big batch of something so I can have leftovers. I’m terrible with leftovers. I’m too fickle when it comes to food, so leftovers turn to science projects in the fridge. Therefore I tend to make a lot of one-off meals based on whatever odds and ends of produce I have left.
So here’s one of them. I had one serving broccolini, and half a pint of cherry tomatoes. Not enough of either to feed both me and my husband, so I made one little but delicious meal out of it. If you’re not cooking for one, this dish is easy to scale up, so don’t worry. But my friends who dine independently? This one is especially for you!
Annnd, how about a video? Here’s the whole meal, start to finish, in two minutes. A little overview, if you will. There’s nothing difficult about this recipe, so this is more for fun than anything. You can watch the whole video in HD, full-screen, even!
Watch this video on Vimeo instead.
Broccolini, Cherry Tomato and Butter Bean Udon
Serves One
1 to 1 1/2 Bundles Udon Noodles
Oil, about 2-3 Tbs
3-6 Stalks of Broccolini, depending on size
1/2 tsp Red Pepepr Flakes
Black Pepper
Salt
10 Cherry Tomatoes, quartered
1/2 Cup Butter Beans/Lima Beans, drained and rinsed
1-2 tsp Italian Herbs
Balsamic Vinegar, for drizzling
Heat a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add udon noodles and cook for four minutes (or as long as package directions dictate), then drain and rinse well. Coat lightly with oil to prevent noodles from sticking. I use spray oil for this, I think it’s the easiest and you use the least amount of oil. Set noodles aside.
Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium high with a little oil. Add broccolini and coat with oil. Season with 1 big pinch of salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Once the broccolini starts to turn bright green and get a little color (just a minute or two), push them to the edge of the pan.
Turn heat up a little and add quartered cherry tomatoes. Stir to coat in any oil/spices leftover from the broccolini, then let cook, untouched, to get a little color and soften up, 1-2 minutes. Once tomatoes are softened, add 1/2 cup of butter beans. Stir everything together and remove to a bowl.
In the still-hot pan, add a 1-2 Tbs more oil. Add cooked udon noodles to the hot pan, seasoning with a pinch of salt and italian herbs. Toss to coat the pasta. Once the pasta is coated and is heated through, add back the broccolini, beans, and tomatoes. Taste and season with more salt or pepper if needed.
Plate, and drizzle with balsamic vinegar if desired.
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Feel free to follow me on twitter! Besides random daily updates, I tweet about upcoming blog posts, show sneak-peek photos of new recipes, and let you know the moment my blog has been updated. I do try to limit cat-related tweets, but I’m only human. And it is twitter, afterall. Say hello and I’ll say hi back!
53 Comments
1. Kristen's Raw | March 29th, 2009 at 3:58 pm
Love the video – thanks for sharing. Love the background tunes – so cute :)
Cheers,
Kristen
2. Lucy | March 29th, 2009 at 4:05 pm
wow! that was an amazing video
great work
3. jenn | March 29th, 2009 at 4:17 pm
i was just thinking of a way to use up my cherry tomatoes and frozen broccoli; it’s like you climbed in my head (i’d be scared for you if that were the case).
and thanks for giving me yet another distraction in class — <3 twitter!
4. akahn | March 29th, 2009 at 4:19 pm
I have two words to describe that video. Food Porn.
5. Nora Kuby | March 29th, 2009 at 4:28 pm
I love the vibrant green of the broccolini against the pasta dish :)
6. A-K | March 29th, 2009 at 4:36 pm
Your video is great – like a mini-movie! I’m really impressed with the production. I’m looking forward to more of them! (The dish looks lovely too.)
7. Macie | March 29th, 2009 at 4:55 pm
WOW! Great video!
8. Mary | March 29th, 2009 at 4:55 pm
Helpful video! Maybe you’ll get a vegan cooking show?
9. Kassia | March 29th, 2009 at 4:58 pm
This recipe looks delicious. I love how simple it is!
I also LOVE the video!
Wonderful.
10. Pearl | March 29th, 2009 at 5:08 pm
i LOVED that video. the recipe looks absolutely fantastic! i love one-dish meals because it’s so convenient – who says you can’t enjoy delicious food while still maintaining an air of simplicity?
thank you so much for sharing! i’d love to see some more ideas :)
11. snooky doodle | March 29th, 2009 at 5:20 pm
what a nice and colourful dish. Looks delicious :)
12. Singing Horse | March 29th, 2009 at 6:03 pm
This udon dish looks sooooo yummy! It’s like the answer to my prayer. I love udon noodles and often cook for myself, but I don’t want to spend too much time or energy on an elaborate dish. This is perfect! Thanks so much for sharing the recipe!
13. Shelby | March 29th, 2009 at 6:08 pm
FAB VIDEO!!!
I love how this dish serves one (as I am always on the lookout for those recipes) and how colorful it is. Gorgeous!
14. Tara | March 29th, 2009 at 6:09 pm
Great video! I will definitely be preparing this dish for dinner this week.
15. Kiersten | March 29th, 2009 at 6:50 pm
This looks delicious! I like the idea of recipes for one, because sometimes I just don’t need extra leftovers in my fridge.
16. amy (veganissexy) | March 29th, 2009 at 6:57 pm
I love love broccolini, but it is just so darn expensive at my store. I’m sure this would be just as lovely with normal broccoli, so I’ll definately give this one a try…..but with my favorite tofu noodles :) Thanks for the idea!
17. Laura | March 29th, 2009 at 7:00 pm
I love this! Especially the idea of using fast-cooking udon noodles instead of semolina spaghetti. Makes it even quicker and easier!
18. JennyBakes | March 29th, 2009 at 7:20 pm
Hey, funny, I just posted about Twitter in my blog too. Mine is more specific, for quotations, but fun to experiment with. I’m adding you to my follow list. And this recipe looks delicious.
19. AG | March 29th, 2009 at 7:52 pm
You rinsed the pasta!!! O.O *scandalized*
http://www.chow.com/general_topics_digest/1353
20. Hannah | March 29th, 2009 at 8:04 pm
Jeez, do you have to be amazing at everything? Your video is -wonderful-, I really love it! Hope you do more in the future.
21. Jennifer | March 30th, 2009 at 12:01 am
The video was a masterpiece (just like your photography)!! And what a lovely idea to add the butterbeans. Fabulous.
22. DJ Karma | March 30th, 2009 at 1:11 am
Loved the video- nicely done!! The music was cool too :)
23. Megs | March 30th, 2009 at 10:07 am
Woohoo! That video is wonderful! What music is playing?
24. JohnP | March 30th, 2009 at 1:30 pm
I am liking the videos!
25. Dog-Eared | March 30th, 2009 at 1:40 pm
yum! I just did a post about easy/healthy recipes this morning and this one fits quite well with that theme :) thanks!
26. Megan | March 30th, 2009 at 4:02 pm
This just looks so satisfying and… craveable!
Why udon?
27. A | March 30th, 2009 at 4:35 pm
OMG…. I tried searching for you on twitter a while back but couldn’t find you. I’m now a VYY follower! Yay! Also, I just adore your videos! So professional!
28. laci | March 30th, 2009 at 4:49 pm
BEAUTIFUL video and dish- so simple yet elegant and mouth watering, I especially love the music, zooms ins, clips, background music and drizzle of vinegar at the end- keepup the great work! :)
29. Krista | March 30th, 2009 at 4:58 pm
Love love love the videos! The music is zippy, the camera work is superb and the recipes are delish. More please! :)
30. Ed Coffin | March 30th, 2009 at 5:53 pm
I LOVED the video. You can’t go wrong with pasta and beans!
31. delyla | March 30th, 2009 at 9:32 pm
Coolio!
32. Emie | March 31st, 2009 at 9:04 am
your vidéo is great !!! claps claps claps :D
33. miss v | March 31st, 2009 at 9:33 am
this recipe looks awesome. i can’t wait to try it! thanks for sharing it!
34. Dominique | March 31st, 2009 at 11:20 am
Thank you for the nice idea! and for the video… I don’t need translation!
35. Sophie | March 31st, 2009 at 3:05 pm
Please do more of these or even just a easy dish for two.
As cleche as it is after a long day at work coming home to cook for the hubby I just want to make something fast that doesn’t come from a packet
LOVE YOUR WORK
36. sarah | March 31st, 2009 at 10:09 pm
mmhh that looks so tasty and easy. i almost picked up broccolini yesterday but i didnt…it would have gone perfectly because i practically have everything else! :(
37. Ashley | March 31st, 2009 at 10:21 pm
I LOVE your videos! The music is very fun.
I would like to add a resounding “YES!” for more one person meals. I only ever cook for myself and am not normally big on left overs either, but I found myself making the same things over and over again. I look forward to seeing more faboo vegan yum for one!
38. Ann | March 31st, 2009 at 10:58 pm
Do you know the calorie count for this (or at least a guesstimate)? I want to try this but I’m also trying to watch my calories.
Sorry, I don’t know the calorie count. I think there are websites that can calculate that for you though, when you enter the ingredients in.
39. Jodye | April 1st, 2009 at 11:52 pm
Ooh this sounds perfect it looks so fresh and springy!
40. Breanne | April 2nd, 2009 at 12:30 am
You are amazing. Way to go with these videos – they are fabulous, and an incredible addition to your blog!
41. naomi rose | April 3rd, 2009 at 6:18 am
video recipes have to be the future.
Also, slate chopping board = beautiful.
42. Beth | April 6th, 2009 at 5:32 pm
You are a genius.
I love you.
<3
43. ally | April 16th, 2009 at 7:11 pm
I’m eating this right now., with some basil from my window garden.. so awesome.
44. ally | April 16th, 2009 at 7:13 pm
I even tried to save some for my roommate… didn’t happen.
45. Adrift (205) : Not Exactl&hellip | April 19th, 2009 at 1:53 am
[...] comment really made me sit back and think. And the first thing that popped into my had was a tantalizing dish I had seen on VeganYUMYUM. I remember seeing this dish and having a nearly visceral reaction. I [...]
46. Juliana | April 22nd, 2009 at 1:26 am
I happened to stumble upon your blog when I was looking for vegan recipes & it’s great!! They thorough and easy to understand which I love!! I’m not a vegan (just vegetarian) and have to say I will be trying more vegan cooking now. Thank you!!
47. Alex | April 30th, 2009 at 2:53 pm
Saw this recipe a while back and tried it today. GREAT! Small in cooking, great in taste!
Btw. your video is great too.
48. monica corcoran | May 2nd, 2009 at 9:57 pm
Just made this recipe for dinner and it was divine. Used some sesame oil and a little garlic too.
Your blog is wonderful — I’m a new, but already loyal fan.
49. BethanyA | May 9th, 2009 at 2:05 pm
I made thiswith purple sprouting broccoli, navy beans and normal spaghetti noodles-delicious, so simple! I used one of those low fat cooking sprays too so my diet is fricking sweet
Love your recipes!
50. astrorainfall @ beauty box | June 22nd, 2009 at 8:04 am
I’m quite a new vegan so I’m in that space where I still need something more substantial and “meaty” in my meals. BEANS! I’m not a fan of soy so I feel completely carbed-out after a noodle dish with just veggies or I end up thinking I need a heavier flavour. I’ve found my solution. Thanks!
51. Gigi | September 8th, 2009 at 3:10 am
Just ate one serving. Quick and delicious.
52. The FoodieView Weekly Mea&hellip | November 6th, 2009 at 7:17 pm
[...] Broccolini, Cherry Tomato, and Butter Bean Udon From Vegan Yum Yum [...]
53. Breaking habits « L&hellip | February 27th, 2010 at 3:20 pm
[...] Another Vegan Yum Yum recipe- check out the cute video [...]