Herby, Peanuty, Noodly Salad

I first fell in love with soba noodles when Chris and I were living in Beijing (as evidenced here and here). Made with buckwheat flour, it was unlike anything I'd ever had before, sparking a love for all things buckwheat. It was no surprise that the second I saw this noodly salad I had to make it. Full of green and crispy veggies and herbs, it's definitely a winner and perfect for summer! The only thing I may do differently next time is add a hair less lime juice, so taste the dressing as you go to make it to your liking. 

It's also not surprising that this recipe came from one of my favorite cookbooks, River Cottage Veg (note to self: must buy this cookbook). Enjoy this fresh salad, sweet friends!

Herby, Peanuty, Noodly Salad

Ingredients

For the salad:

1/2 cup raw unsalted peanuts

7 ounces soba noodles*

5 ounces sugar snap peas

1/2 cucumber

6 green onions

Small bunch of mint, coarsely chopped

Small bunch of cilantro, coarsely chopped

For the dressing:

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

Zest and juice of 1 lime (or 1/2 a lemon)-or to taste!

1 small fresh red chile, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 1/2 teaspoons soy sauce or Tamari (what I used), plus extra to serve

Splash of sriracha (optional)

Splash of oyster sauce (optional)

Directions

Toast the peanuts in a dry pan until a little dark and fragrant. Remove and coarsely chop; set aside.

Cook noodles per package instructions. Drain and rinse under cold water. Drain again, and set aside

Meanwhile, make the dressing. Combine all dressing ingredients in a large owl and whisk to combine. Toss the cooked, cooled noodles with the dressing and leave to sit while you prepare the rest of the salad.

Add the sugar snap peas to rapidly boiling water for 2-3 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop them cooking longer. Drain again and then cut in half on the diagonal.

Thinly slice the green onions on the diagonal. Slice the cucumber in half lengthways and then slice into half moons.

Add the snow peas, cucumber, green onions, and chopped herbs to the bowl with the dressed noodles. Scatter the roasted peanuts on top.

Serve with soy sauce for Tamari at the table for people to add to their bowls.

*Soba noodles made only with buckwheat flour are gluten-free, however many are produced with whole wheat flour as an ingredient. Check the labels if you have a gluten sensitivity or intolerance!

Recipe source: seen here, originally from River Cottage Veg

Peanut Soba Noodle Bowls

In the past month, I think we've had about three days off, so I've had little motivation to cook. We're tired! Plus, what I have cooked hasn't been blog worthy. That is, up until now. 

I first fell in love with soba noodles with this soup, and have been itching to try them in different recipes ever since (I think I just love buckwheat, because I've also found I love buckwheat tea). I thought a peanut sauce sounded perfect, plus, I've never made one myself. I found this recipe on Eat Live Run, and made my own adjustments that I felt were necessary. First, I added garlic to the peanut sauce, and also decided to garnish the noodles with green onions in addition to the cilantro. So delicious, and good for you. The more colorful the plate, the better it is for you! The peanut sauce yields a lot, so feel free to half the sauce recipe. I made the full amount, so I think maybe I'll use it for a salad, or another batch of soba.

Peanut Soba Noodle Bowls

Ingredients

Peanut Sauce:

1/2 cup peanut butter

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1/3 cup soy sauce or tamari, whichever you have on hand works

1/3 cup warm water

2 teaspoons sesame oil

2 teaspoons honey

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 knob fresh ginger, chopped or grated (about 2 tablespoons)

1 clove garlic

Noodles:

8 ounces soba noodles

4 small bok choys, rinsed

2 bell peppers (she used 2 red, I used 1 red and 1 yellow, as that's what was cheapest)

16 ounces firm cubed tofu*

1 tablespoon canola oil

Green onion and freshly chopped cilantro for garnish

Directions

Make the peanut sauce by combining all ingredients in a blender or food processor, blending until smooth. If a thinner sauce is desired, add more warm water.

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and heat up the oil. Once the skillet is very hot, add the tofu, and sear for about 8-10 minutes. Don't stir, but toss with the pan instead.

In a large bowl, add the tofu slices to the bell peppers. Bring a large pot of water to boil, and quickly blanch the bok choy for about 30 seconds. Remove, and carefully squeeze away extra water (I used paper towels). Coarsely chop, and add the the bell pepper mixture.

Using the same pot of boiling water, add the noodles and cook according to the package directions. When ready, rinse under cold water and add to the bowl of veggies, and combine.

Divide noodles amongst four bowls, and add about a tablespoon of peanut sauce to each bowl. Top each bowl with fresh minced cilantro and green onions.

*Tofu. It's not my favorite, though I do like it fried and crunchy. I could live with or without it in this recipe, so feel free to leave it out if tofu isn't your thing. That being said, Chris thought there could've been more tofu!

Recipe Source: adapted from Eat Live Run

Chicken and Soba Noodle Soup

This was another great recipe I found from Apple a Day. This soup caught my attention immediately, because I happened to have the two odd ball ingredients on hand: soba noodles and miso. I inherited the soba noodles from a former roommate, and had miso to use up from a soup I made. The end result was terrific! It was very flavorful and a definite feel good food. It's incredibly light, though very filling. I had a hard time finishing this serving! Next time I make this soup, I will half the recipe, as it yielded 8 or more servings! From start to finish, this soup was ready to eat in under thirty minutes, making it a perfect weeknight meal.

Chicken and Soba Noodle Soup

Adapted from Apple a Day, who adapted it from Williams Sonoma

Ingredients

3/4 lb. dried soba (buckwheat) noodles

6 cups chicken broth

2 cups water

1/4 cup yellow or white miso

1 1/2 teaspoons peeled and grated fresh ginger

2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

2 large boneless, skinless whole chicken breast, cut into thin strips

2 cups packed baby spinach leaves

3 green onions, white and green portions, thinly sliced

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil over high heat. Add the noodles and cook until just tender, about four minutes. Drain and set aside.

Using the same pan, reduce heat to medium high and whisk together the stock, water, miso, ginger, and garlic. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the miso is completely dissolved, about three minutes.

Add the chicken strips and cook until just opaque throughout, about two minutes.

Add the spinach and cook until slightly softened but still bright green, about one minute. Add the green onions and cook for one minute more. Taste and adjust the seasonings.

Using tongs, divide the noodles evenly among warmed bowls. Ladle the soup on top of the noodles. Serve immediately.