Green Soba Bowl w/ Olive & Sesame Yogurt Sauce | dolly and oatmeal #glutenfree #vegan

happy summer, everyone! our backyard garden is finally bustling with tons of herbs, gigantic lacinato kale, the sweetest green beans, lacy elderflowers, and even some baby strawberries! i was so used to tending to a super small fire escape garden in our last apartment, so it's been such a shift having an actual backyard with a tree and other life-y things that like to get into every nook of our space back there. we've had our fair share of run-ins with critters who liked our broccoli too much, and even an infestation of ants on our tiny rhubarb plant. the squirrels are another issue - they're so completely ravenous that i've decided not to grow any summer squash this year because it's just too heartbreaking when they come through and decimate the flowers and fruit. so far they've left our tomato plants alone, but when i see them out on the power lines or scurrying up our tree, i send our little guard pup, quint to chase after them. he's proven to be quite the intimidator, 9 pounds and all!

aside from the day-to-day hustle and flow, we've been trying to prep our little apartment as much as we can for our september babe :) i'm kind of the worst when it comes to planning these big, life-changing things (our wedding probably would've never have happened if my mom didn't organize most of the logistics), so our list/registry has been on hold until we've had the chance to check some things out in person. frank planned a saturday excursion to a baby mega store, (aka babies r us) which, if it weren't for him literally pushing me inside, i would have bolted and gone home. i know those stores are great, and have so many options, but it's just something that i cannot for the life of me embrace. i'm much more into the notion of purchasing the basics like a crib, and other essentials, over buying everything at once. so we'll see how that method works going forward - keep your fingers crossed for us! being in a 1 bedroom makes it easier in some respects, but also a lot tougher in others. there will be no baby nursery but he will get a whole wall, guys! ;) small victories, for city life, i suppose. i keep telling myself that we'll make it happen, as so many have before us, and hopefully one day in the near future we'll laugh and tell funny stories about it all.

in the spirit of keeping things simple and fun and lighthearted, i have this recipe for a cool, green soba bowl with a snappy olive and sesame yogurt sauce! it's made with my only go-to soba noodles from Eden Foods which are made with 100% buckwheat and have such a great texture and nutty taste! they're the only brand i trust when it comes to really good gluten-free soba noodles (just to note - their noodles are 100% gluten-free but were made in a facility that handles wheat), and they're great for everything from a traditional pesto/pasta situation, to a cold weather soup. but this time around i paired them with zucchini noodles and a creamy yogurt sauce to give the dish more of a pasta salad vibe, because, SUMMER! the olives deliver a punchy brininess, and the herbs a fresh summer flavor. i totally see this served as a summer BBQ side, or a hearty 2-person dinner. either way, it's a crisp way to pop off the summer!

wishing you all the best of warm, sweltering seasons! xo's *oh, and stay tuned, i'm working on a little something special for this friday that i hope you'll all like! :)

*this post was created in partnership with Eden Foods. all opinions, as always, are my own. thank you so much for supporting the sponsors that help dolly and oatmeal running!

green soba bowl w/ olive & sesame yogurt | gf + v

| serves 4 |

olive & sesame yogurt

1 cup unsweetened cultured coconut yogurt (or yogurt of choice)
2 tablespoons sesame paste (tahini)
1/4 cup green olives, minced (preferably castelvetrano olives)
1/4 cup fresh basil, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
fine sea salt & fresh pepper

1 zucchini (or summer squash)
fine sea salt & fresh pepper
1 package Eden Foods 100% Buckwheat Soba (*while these noodles are 100% gluten-free they were made in a facility that handles wheat)
1/2 cup chopped herbs (i used a mixture of basil, oregano, and dill)
1/2 cup green olives, roughly chopped (preferably castelvetrano olives)
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
dill flowers, for garnish (optional)

method

olive & sesame yogurt sauce

in a mixing bowl, whisk together all sauce ingredients, taste and adjust adding more sesame paste, lemon, or salt & pepper. set aside or cover with cling wrap and place in the refrigerator until ready to use.

noodles

using an inspiralizer, make your zoodles. (you can just as easily use a julienne peeler to make zucchini noodles as well.) place in a large mixing bowl and season with salt and pepper, set aside.
cook buckwheat soba according to the instructions on the back of the package. while the noodles are cooking, prepare a cold water bath (not an ice bath, just very cold water) and set aside. drain soba and then place in the cold water. use your hands to gently rub the noodles (this removes any excess starch and makes the noodles less clumpy and sticky). drain the pasta once more and combine with the zoodles.
add about 1 cup of the sauce, then the herbs, olives, and the pine nuts, toss together until everything is evenly coated. taste and adjust any seasonings or add more sauce. garnish with dill flowers and serve.

enjoy!