Cold soba noodle salad. You can perk up the appearance with some chopped red bell pepper, but we like the monotone effect.
Cold soba noodle salad is a nice change of pace from macaroni salad, especially when served with other Asian dishes. Feel free to modify it with other mix-ins such as red onion replacing scallions, or some finely chopped celery. Serves 4.
Ingredients:
4 oz (½ package) dry soba noodles
2 T tahini
1 T soy sauce
2 T rice vinegar
1 T toasted sesame oil
½ t salt
1 cube ½ inch square Trader Joe’s frozen ginger, or equivalent amount fresh ginger
½ cup edamame beans out of shell
1 scallion, sliced into rings including some of the green
A shake of red pepper flakes
Furikaki flakes for garnish (optional)
Method: cook the soba noodles according to package directions until soft but not limp. (We used Annie Chun brand and the package said 4 minutes after water comes to a boil.) Meanwhile, mix tahini, soy, rice vinegar, pepper flakes and ginger in a bowl. (If the tahini does not want to blend with the other ingredients, heat it briefly in microwave.) Add the drained noodles and toss well to evenly distribute sauce. Add edamame and scallion and lightly mix. Refrigerate a couple hours and serve cold or at room temperature.
