Recipe: Soba delicious

This soba noodle salad is wholesome and addictive. It's studded with garden-fresh ingredients and laced with a citrusy soy and tahini dressing for a nutrient-rich, one-bowl meal. The main ingredient, of course, is the noodles.

Soba noodles are a variety of Japanese noodles traditionally composed of buckwheat and water. (Some soba noodle products may also contain wheat flour, but the principal flour should always be buckwheat.) When cooked, soba noodles are delicious simply eaten on their own with a dipping sauce, slurped in soups and stir-fries, or swirled into cold noodle salads. 

This soba noodle and vegetable salad is delicious at room temperature or chilled. It has a lengthy list of ingredients, but once they are all gathered, the recipe comes together quickly. Many items are easily found in your vegetable bin or at your market. The dressing is a balance of condiments, each of which contributes to the nutty, sweet-piquant sauce that can be drizzled over the noodles to your taste. 

When cooking soba noodles, pay attention to the package instructions. Dried noodles cook quickly, taking anywhere from 3 to 4 minutes, depending on the product. Once cooked to al dente, drain the noodles and immediately rinse them under cold water to stop the cooking process. If the noodles are overcooked, they will break and turn mushy. Just like with wheat pasta, save some of the starchy cooking water to use for adding to sauces or to simply sip. Yes, it's that good.

Soba Noodle Salad With Tahini Dressing

Active time: 30 minutes

Total time: 30 minutes

Yield: Serves 4 to 6

Dressing:

▶ 1/4 cup soy sauce or tamari

▶ 1/4 cup tahini 

▶ 2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar

▶ 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

▶ 2 tablespoons finely grated peeled fresh ginger

▶ 2 tablespoons sesame oil

▶ 2 tablespoons maple syrup or brown sugar

▶ 1 tablespoon Sriracha

▶ 8 to 9 ounces buckwheat soba noodles

▶ 1 large carrot, cut in matchsticks

▶ 1 large red bell pepper, seeded and thinly julienned

▶ 2 to 3 narrow scallions, sliced on the diagonal

▶ 1/2 large English cucumber or 2 Persian cucumbers, seeded and cut in matchsticks

▶ 1 heaping cup finely shredded red cabbage

▶ 1/2 cup defrosted frozen edamame, plus more for sprinkling

▶ 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, plus more for garnish

▶ 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds, divided

Combine the dressing ingredients in a bowl and whisk to blend. Taste for seasoning. Bring a large pot of water (not salted) to a boil. Add the soba noodles and cook according to the package instructions. Drain the noodles and immediately run under cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain well, then transfer the noodles to a wide serving bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of the dressing and stir to coat. (This will prevent the noodles from sticking.)

Add the carrot, red pepper, scallions, cucumber, cabbage, edamame, cilantro and 1 tablespoon of the sesame seeds. Drizzle with about 3 to 4 tablespoons of the dressing (or to your taste) and toss to evenly distribute the ingredients. Garnish with additional edamame, cilantro and 1 tablespoon sesame seeds. 

Serve the noodles at room temperature or chilled. Pass the remaining dressing for drizzling. Any remaining dressing can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Lynda Balslev is an award-winning writer, cookbook author, and recipe developer based in northern California. Visit TasteFood at TasteFoodblog.com.