This is a great easy meal to make during the week. Soba noodles are made primarily from buckwheat flour and have a darker color than semolina pasta and a somewhat nutty flavor. You can find them in health food or asian grocery stores and although some soba noodles contain wheat flour you can also find gluten-free alternatives. Feel free to substitute other favorite vegetables you may have on hand for the ones listed here, with equally wonderful results. This recipe takes approximately 30 minutes to prepare.
Serves 4
Soba Salad
- 2 carrots, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
- 1 bell pepper, seeded and sliced thinly
- 1/4 lb shitake mushrooms, sliced
- ½ medium onion, halved and sliced thinly
- 1/2 lb sugar snap peas, tops and strings removed
- 1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and minced
- 1 Tbsp sunflower or other vegetable oil
- 1 box soba noodles
- 1/3 cup chopped cilantro for garnish
- 1/4 cup sesame seeds, toasted for garnish
Tahini Dressing
- 1/2 cup Tahini (raw or roasted)
- 1 Tbsp Toasted Sesame Oil
- 1 tsp Honey
- 2 Tbsp Tamari or Soy Sauce
- 1 1/2 Tbsp Rice Vinegar
- 1-2 tsp Siracha (or other) hot sauce
- 3 Tbsp water
Heat oil in heavy skillet over medium heat. Once hot but not smoking, add carrot, bell pepper, and onion and cook for 3 minutes until onion starts to turn translucent. Add mushrooms and cook 5 minutes longer, until all vegetables start to soften. Add snap peas and ginger and cook 3 minutes more, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, boil 3 quarts of water in a medium sized pot. Once boiling, add soba noodles and cook 6-8 minutes or as directed on package. Drain noodles in a colander and run under cold water to stop cooking. Divide noodles evenly into 4 bowls.
Mix ingredients for dressing in a small bowl. Heat a small non-oiled skillet over medium heat. Add sesame seeds and toast for about 2-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until seeds begin to lightly brown. Be careful not to burn as seeds cook very quickly. Remove seeds from hot pan into a small bowl to cool.
Serve the vegetables over the soba noodles. Top with a few spoonfuls of Tahini dressing and garnish with cilantro and sesame seeds.