Simple Soba Noodle Salad

As our weather heated up in the Willamette Valley, my thoughts turned to new recipes for salads.  I have a habit of falling into a rut where I seem to make my favorites for dinner week after week.  I've seen some recipes for cold soba noodle salad, but based on the ingredient list chose not to make it.  I finally created my own.

I used what veggies I had on hand and also topped it with some leftover grilled tofu.  I used buckwheat soba noodles that come in a 9.5 oz package.  I wanted to make enough to take for lunches the next day so I added an extra bundle of noodles from a second package to get 12 oz of dried noodles.  Feel free to use less.  My favorite noodle brand is the one I linked in the ingredients list.  It has only 3 ingredients and does not contain any sodium.

For a gluten free salad - substitute rice noodles and gluten free tamari.

SIMPLE SOBA NOODLE SALAD

INGREDIENTS:

12 oz Soba Noodles (I used Hakubaku Organic Buckwheat Noodles)
3 Green Onions, sliced
1 sm Zucchini, halved and sliced
1/2 Long English Cucumber, quartered and sliced
6 Radishes, sliced
2 Tbsp Low Sodium Soy Sauce
2 Tbsp Toasted Sesame Oil (more if making noodles up ahead of time)
3 Tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar
1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
1/2 tsp Granulated Garlic
1/4 tsp ground Coriander
Sesame Seeds for topping
**Optional - Grilled tofu or shelled edamame for a protein boost

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Cook soba noodles according to package directions and rinse with cold water.  They don't take long to cook, but if you want to make them up ahead of time, toss with a little sesame oil so they don't stick together.

2.  Add the sliced veggies to the noodles, reserving the green onions.  Toss to combine.  Using tongs will help to mix in the veggies.

3.  Whisk together sesame oil, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, lemon juice, granulated garlic, and coriander.

4.  Pour dressing on noodle/veggie mixture and toss to combine.  Place on serving plates or in containers for lunch the next day.

(soba noodle salad ready for toppings)

5.  Sprinkle the salad with green onions, sesame seeds, and tofu or edamame.  Enjoy.

When I made this, I had it ready to go in the serving dishes a few minutes before Troubadour arrived home from work.  I was worried that the noodles might have absorbed the dressing so we drizzled a little extra soy sauce and rice wine vinegar over it and it was perfect.

- Bon Appetit

"There is a unique freshness when eating buckwheat noodles cold with plenty of herbs and citrus acidity.  I can't think of any better use of chopsticks on a hot and sweaty evening." - Yotam Ottolenghi

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