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Sesame Kale Noodles with Lemon Tahini Sauce

5 from 35 votes
Total 30 minutes
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Sautéed Sesame Kale Noodles recipe with kale, Brussels sprouts, and pasta in a lemon tahini sauce. Serve warm or cold for dinner or lunch.

chopsticks with kale sesame noodles over white bowl

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Dive into this scrumptious pile of Asian noodle goodness. This easy sesame kale noodles recipe requires minimal prep of everyday, fresh veggies and is loaded with flavor and nutrition. Fresh kale, red onions, and Brussels sprouts are sauteed and tossed with spaghetti noodles in a lemon tahini sauce. These sesame noodles are such a comfort food, yet quick enough to enjoy for dinner or lunch for your busy week.

Table of Contents hide
1) Kale sesame noodles ingredients
2) How to make Kale Sesame Noodles
3) Meal prep tips
4) What's the best pasta for sesame noodles?
5) Soy sauce or tamari?
6) Avocado oil and sesame oil
7) White sesame seeds vs black
8) What type of kale for sesame noodles?
9) More kale recipes
10) 📖 Recipe
11) Sesame Kale Noodles with Lemon Tahini Sauce

Kale sesame noodles ingredients

  • sesame oil and avocado oil - I love this combination for the lightness and flavor.
  • Brussels sprouts - I recommend fresh, not frozen.
  • red onion - or preferred onion type
  • kale - dinosaur kale, curly kale, or baby kale are most common.
  • sliced almonds - or slivered almonds
  • sesame seeds - white or black sesame seeds
  • spaghetti - or rice noodles
  • tahini - Use store bought or my quick and easy tahini recipe
  • lemon juice - preferably from fresh lemon
  • soy sauce - or tahini
  • water - as needed to adjust consistency
sliced Brussels sprouts in a pile

How to make Kale Sesame Noodles

  1. Cook spaghetti according to package instructions, drain, rinse with cold water, and set aside.
  2. Toast the sesame seeds and sliced almonds on the stove. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
  3. Whisk together tahini, soy sauce, lemon juice, and water in a bowl.
  4. Saute brussels sprouts, onions and kale until tender.
  5. Add toasted seeds and almonds.
  6. Fold in tahini sauce and continue heating, stirring as needed.
  7. Add noodles to veggies and saute until warmed through, stirring as needed.
  8. Serve warm or cold.

Meal prep tips

  • Cook pasta noodles up to 3 days ahead to make this a quick midweek dinner. Refrigerate in an airtight container.
  • Clean and prep the produce (onion, Brussels sprouts, and kale) up to 3 days ahead. Store separate from the pasta until ready to cook. The Brussels sprouts can be shredded via food processor or mandoline, or thinly sliced by hand with a knife.
  • Allow the noodles and vegetables to cool completely before packing into airtight containers.
  • When ready to eat, drizzle more tahini sauce over veggie noodles; serve cold, or reheat to serve warm, depending on your preference.

What's the best pasta for sesame noodles?

I prefer to use whole-grain spaghetti, vermicelli, or brown rice noodles for this recipe. You can use any noodle, but plan to modify the recipe, if needed, to accommodate the selection.

chopsticks with kale sesame noodles over white bowl

Soy sauce or tamari?

You can use soy sauce for this recipe and I always recommend a reduced sodium soy sauce. If you need a gluten free alternative, use tamari. Just make sure it says it's certified gluten free.

Avocado oil and sesame oil

I love to combine avocado oil and sesame oil for this recipe as opposed to using sesame oil by itself. It keeps the oil on the light side. You can use toasted sesame oil or non-toasted! Either one will taste delicious.

White sesame seeds vs black

I use black sesame seeds for this recipe mainly for their contrasting color. However, white sesame seeds will add just as much flavor and texture and likely more available in most grocery stores.

What type of kale for sesame noodles?

I love to use dino kale for this recipe, but any kale will be a great choice! Kale contains vitamins and minerals like calcium and potassium, and vitamins A & C, so...live it up!

Thinly sliced brussels sprouts on the left, fresh kale leaves on the right.

More kale recipes

Healthy Asian recipes

📖 Recipe

chopsticks with kale sesame noodles over white bowl

Sesame Kale Noodles with Lemon Tahini Sauce

Sautéed Kale Noodles recipe with Brussels sprouts and spaghetti noodles in a lemon tahini sauce. Serve warm or cold for lunch or dinner.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total time30 minutes
Yield 8 1-cup servings
Author Traci
5 from 35 votes
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When scaling the recipe 2x or 3x, the gray ingredient note stays the same. Adjust quantities accordingly.

Ingredients 

  • 8 ounces Spaghetti Noodles, or other noodle
  • 2 tablespoons Sliced Almonds
  • 1 tablespoon Sesame Seeds
  • 2 tablespoons Tahini
  • 2 tablespoons Soy Sauce, or Tamari
  • 1 Lemon, zested and juiced
  • 1 tablespoon Water
  • 1 tablespoon Sesame Oil
  • 1 tablespoon Avocado Oil, or any neutral cooking oil
  • 12 Brussels Sprouts, thinly sliced (about 2 cups)
  • ½ large Red Onion, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
  • 6 leaves Kale, thinly sliced (about 2 cups)

Instructions

  • Cook SPAGHETTI according to package instructions; drain, rinse with cold water, and set aside.
  • Toast the SESAME SEEDS and ALMONDS by adding them to a heated skillet over medium heat. Swirl them around until they become fragrant and lightly browned. Transfer to a plate to cool.
  • Make lemon-tahini sauce by whisking together TAHINI, SOY SAUCE, LEMON JUICE and ZEST, and WATER in a small bowl. Set aside.

To make the kale noodles

  • Heat both OILS together in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
  • Add BRUSSELS SPROUTS and RED ONION; sauté until tender, stirring as needed.
  • Stir in KALE and sauté a few minutes until tender.
  • Stir in toasted seeds and tahini sauce.
  • Add cooked pasta to the skillet and continue heating until warmed through, stirring as needed. Serve warm.
  • To store, refrigerate in an airtight container up to 5 days. Enjoy cold or warm.
Did you make this? We'd love your feedback!!Please rate and review it here or below ⤵️

Recipe Notes

Meal prep tips
  • Cook pasta noodles up to 3 days ahead to make this a quick midweek dinner. Refrigerate in an airtight container.
  • Clean and prep the produce (onion, Brussels sprouts, and kale) up to 3 days ahead. Store separate from the pasta until ready to cook. The Brussels sprouts can be shredded via food processor or mandoline, or thinly sliced by hand with a knife.
  • Allow the noodles and vegetables to cool completely before packing into airtight containers.
  • When ready to eat, drizzle more tahini sauce over veggie noodles; serve cold, or reheat to serve warm, depending on your preference. If meal prepping, do not add tahini sauce until you're ready to serve the entree. Store the sauce and noodles separately, and add it just before serving.

Equipment

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 202kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 265mg | Potassium: 283mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1039IU | Vitamin C: 38mg | Calcium: 55mg | Iron: 1mg
Course Lunch, Main Course, Meal Prep
Cuisine Asian
Diet Vegan, Vegetarian
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Traci

About Traci

I’m the recipe author, photographer, and videographer behind The Kitchen Girl food blog established in 2013. I test and share all of my original recipes here so you can make great food with simple ingredients for everyday meals and special occasions.

Reader Interactions

Comments

    5 from 35 votes (9 ratings without comment)

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  1. Taryn says

    5 stars
    This was SO GOOD!! We didn't have Brussels but we added some mushrooms and crispy tofu crumbles, and substituted pine nuts for the almonds (a Kenji inspired twist that we're obsessed with). It had a nicely balanced dressing, was filling without feeling heavy, and was honestly pretty easy. I will definitely make this again!

    Reply

    • The Kitchen Girl says

      Yayy! I'm so glad you enjoyed it 🙂 It's a fav recipe for sure and I'm so happy to share it with you. I love your customizations too! Thanks for the feedback. Cheers!

  2. Diana says

    5 stars
    Incredible! I was looking for a new recipe to use up some kale that I had in the fridge, and this is a winner!! So tasty, will be making this often for sure! It is a keeper!

    Reply

    • The Kitchen Girl says

      Yay!! So glad to inspire your kale dish 🙂 Thanks so much for taking the time to let me know ... much appreciated!

  3. Jeff says

    5 stars
    Made this on Monday and just finished it up. You're right! It's delicious warm or cold. I loved having it in the fridge this week for lunches. Easy, super healthy, and love all the green!

    Reply

    • The Kitchen Girl says

      Glad to hear it, Jeff! This is definitely one of those dishes that makes me feel like I'm doing the right thing lol 🙂 Thanks!!

  4. Andrea says

    5 stars
    This looks fabulous! I really like the idea of sliced Brussels sprouts, yummy.

    Reply

    • Traci Antonovich says

      Thanks, Andrea 🙂 They really make the dish!

  5. Veena Azmanov says

    5 stars
    Love your recipe and love the combination of your ingredients. Delicious ..

    Reply

    • Traci Antonovich says

      Thanks, Veena...glad you think so 🙂

  6. Sara Welch says

    5 stars
    What a savory recipe! I am adding this delicious dish to my dinner line up for the week!

    Reply

    • Traci Antonovich says

      Awesome, Sara! So glad to hear it and glad you can enjoy this one 🙂

  7. Sara says

    This looks great and I am not a huge kale fan. Maybe I just hadn't had it in the right dish yet.

    Reply

    • Traci Antonovich says

      Haha, I love to think you can like it with this dish 🙂 Hope so! Thanks, Sara 🙂

  8. Paula Montenegro says

    5 stars
    Oh wow, this recipe sounds amazing! I want to make the lemon tahini sauce right now! I can only imagine how great these noodles are. Thanks for sharing,

    Reply

    • Traci Antonovich says

      Thanks, Paula! So glad you can enjoy this 🙂

  9. Tee says

    5 stars
    Wow! My new go to favorite! I've made this 3 times now and it is a truly amazing dish; I increased the veges because I just love them; I used Soba Buckwheat noodles and it was outstanding!

    Reply

    • Traci Antonovich says

      Thank you Tee! This absolutely makes my day...my week! I really appreciate you dropping in and commenting 🙂

  10. Danielle says

    5 stars
    Now this is my kind of healthy comfort food. Any way I can get some kale in to my meals is good with me!

    Reply

    • Traci Antonovich says

      Thanks Danielle, I'm right there with you 🙂

  11. Taylor Kiser says

    5 stars
    Hello dinner! So easy to make and looks delicious! Win-win!

    Reply

    • Traci Antonovich says

      Thanks Taylor! Yep, easy and delicious...my favs 🙂

  12. georgie says

    5 stars
    these look great! i love sesame anything it's so fresh! this looks healthy too so I am down!

    Reply

    • Traci Antonovich says

      Thanks Georgie! Yep, pasta with fresh, healthy things...I'm with you! 🙂

  13. Beth says

    5 stars
    Fresh sprouts are my favorite ever! And kale is so very good for you! I haven't sauteed it yet, only fresh or in soups!! I'm definitely giving this a try!

    Reply

    • Traci Antonovich says

      Thanks Beth! Hope you love it! 🙂

  14. Elaine says

    5 stars
    So much flavour in this 30 minute meal! Love that Dino kale. It's so much more tender than other varieties. Crunchy almonds are perfect on top!

    Reply

    • Traci Antonovich says

      Thanks Elaine! Yep, love my dino kale.

  15. Shawna Garrett says

    5 stars
    I made your recipe and loved it!! Thank you! Would you please share which kind of noodles you used?

    Reply

    • Traci Antonovich says

      Hi Shawna...so glad to hear you loved it! I typically use regular pasta noodles...everyday spaghetti noodles work great! Or, if you're gluten free, brown rice spaghetti noodles from Trader Joes work perfect! Hope that helps 🙂

  16. Deanna says

    5 stars
    Wow! These look great! I would never thought to do this with Kale!

    Reply

    • Traci Antonovich says

      Thanks so much Deanna. Yeah, been doing this for years (and thinking everyone does it lol). Hope you get a chance to make them 🙂

  17. Tracy says

    5 stars
    PDQ! Hahaha I haven't heard that term in so long! This is EXACTLY my kind of meal. I love "sneaking" kale in anywhere I can - although sneaking isn't the right term. I'll eat kale with anything! 😉

    Reply

    • Traci Antonovich says

      Thanks Tracy! I love it that you know what PDQ is LOL. And yeah, I'm not a 'sneaker' either...I'm crazy about kale! Remember when it used to only be a salad bar decoration? Hahaha! So glad it's allll changed for the better!

  18. Saima Zaidi says

    5 stars
    Bookmarking this recipe and making it the coming week! I would have made it like right now but I don't have the ingredients at hand:( I absolutely love recipes like this which don't entail spending hours in the kitchen on a weeknight when you don't want to do anything hard or complicated or time consuming!

    Reply

    • Traci Antonovich says

      Awww Saima, I love hearing this! And I'm 100% with you...I want quick meals to get in and out of the kitchen on busy weeknights. Yay, hope you love this one like I do...thanks again! 🙂

    • Saima Zaidi says

      5 stars
      Hi Traci! Made your recipe today. It turned out just great!! I did sub avocado oil wih olive oil and added half a teaspoon each chilli flakes and freshly ground black pepper. Husband and kids loved the taste of sesame and the demand is that it be made every other day. Subscribing to your email list for other great recipes!

    • Traci Antonovich says

      Yay Saima...I'm so excited to hear this! Thanks for the kind words and great feedback...and your subs sound perfect. I'm so glad to hear you've found a new fav. Looking forward to seeing you on my subscriber list! Let me know if you have any questions 🙂

  19. Dorothy at Shockingly Delicious says

    This is so much my kinda dinner, you have no idea! GORGEOUS!

    Reply

    • Traci Antonovich says

      Yay Dorothy! That makes two of us! Hope you get a chance to try it out...thanks!

  20. Pam Greer says

    5 stars
    I am always looking for ways to add more kale to my diet!! I've been using it in salads a lot lately, so I really like the idea of these noodles to change it up some!

    Reply

    • Traci Antonovich says

      Thanks Pam! Glad to inspire you...and if you like pasta, you'll love this! 🙂

  21. Chris says

    5 stars
    This looks crazy delicious! I'm totally an ambassador for meals under 20 mins, so thank you for the inspiration on my next quick dinner 🙂

    Reply

    • Traci Antonovich says

      So glad to hear it, Chris! I love hearing this 🙂

  22. Chris says

    5 stars
    This looks crazy delicious!! Also I'm totally an ambassador for meals under 20 mins, so thank you for the inspiration on my next quick dinner 🙂

    Reply

  23. Ginny McMeans says

    5 stars
    As soon as saw that title I knew I wanted to jump into that recipe. And it's got Brussels sprouts! Delicious!

    Reply

    • Traci Antonovich says

      Thanks Ginny! It's a fav of mine and the Brussels sprouts just add that extra bit of texture and flavor. Thanks for the comment! 🙂

  24. Mindy Fewless says

    5 stars
    This looks so good! And I love that you sliced the Brussels sprouts for easy eating!!

    Reply

    • Traci Antonovich says

      Thanks Mindy! Ya, it's a great way to "sneak" them into the dish 🙂

  25. Hannah Hossack-Lodge says

    This sounds delicious! I've been trying to eat more vegan meals recently and this looks like just the thing for a busy weekday.

    Reply

    • Traci Antonovich says

      Yes, this is the perfect meal, especially if you're working vegan into your diet. It comes together easily and can be eaten as an entree or side dish. Thanks for stopping by! 🙂