1 or 2dried shiitake mushrooms, or other dried mushroom variety,optional
1mediumzucchini
2mediumcarrots
1mediumdaikon radish
1mediumred bell pepper
1mediumred onion
2Tablespoonsolive oil,divided
For the Sauce
1Tablespoonraw honey or agave syrup
2Tablespoons coconut aminos
2Tablespoonsrice vinegar
3Tablespoons red curry paste, such as Thai Kitchen brand (this is a mild curry paste; others such as Maesri are much hotter so adjust accordingly)
1/4cuplow-sodium vegetable broth
To Garnish
2Tablespoonsground peanuts
1/8 to 1/4cupchopped scallions
1/8 to 1/4cupbasil chiffonade (see below), or chopped cilantro
1limecut into 6 wedges
Instructions
Soak the noodles in water so they soften; this will take between 20 to 30 minutes.
In the meantime, put the kombu, dried mushroom(s), and 1/4 cup of water into a small pan. Bring almost to a boil then turn off the stove. Leave the kombu and mushrooms soaking in the hot water.
Spiralize the vegetables.If you don't have a spiralizer, grate the zucchini, carrots, and daikon radish using a box grater. Slice the pepper into thin strips. Thinly slice the onion.
Strain the kombu and mushroom(s) from the broth using a fine mesh strainer. Put this broth and the rest of the sauce ingredients into a small bowl and whisk or stir.If you don't make the kombu/mushroom broth, simply add an additional 1/4 cup of low-sodium vegetable broth to the sauce.
Heat up 1 Tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat with a bit of the veggies. When they begin to sizzle, add the rest of the vegetables and stir-fry for just a few minutes; don't overcook. Remove the veggies from the skillet and set aside.
Drain the water from the noodles.Add another Tablespoon of oil to the skillet and cook the noodles over medium-high heat for about a minute while tossing.Pour the sauce over the noodles then continue to stir/toss until the noodles soften and become al dente. In other words, cook until the noodles are neither hard nor soft – until they give some resistance to your teeth but aren't chewy.
Return the vegetables to the pan and toss everything together. Stir and cook until everything is heated through. Again don't overcook. You don't want the noodles or the vegetables to become mushy.
Garnish each bowl with ground peanuts, scallions, herbs, and a wedge of lime.