Cold Soba Noodle Salad
Inspired by zaru soba, a Japanese dish of cold soba (buckwheat) noodles with dipping sauce, this refreshing salad is a delectable combination of ginger, soy and sesame. My Japanese friend always told me “more sugar is better” but you can adjust the sweetness to taste.
8 oz. dried soba noodles
1-inch (2.5 cm) piece fresh ginger, grated
1 clove garlic, minced
3 Tbsp. (45 mL) brown sugar
1/4 cup (75mL) soy sauce
1 Tbsp. (5mL) rice vinegar
1 Tbsp. (5mL) sesame oil
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 medium red pepper, julienned
1/2 medium English cucumber, julienned
2 Tbsp. (10 mL) toasted sesame seeds
In a large pot of boiling water, cook the soba noodles until tender to the bite (about 3-5 minutes). Drain and immediately rinse in cold water so the noodles don’t overcook. For the dressing, in a small bowl whisk together the ginger, garlic, brown sugar, soy sauce, rice vinegar and sesame oil. Place noodles in a large bowl. Pour half the dressing over the noodles and chill in the refrigerator for one hour. Set aside remaining dressing. To serve, toss noodles with green onions, red pepper, cucumber and the rest of the dressing. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds. Serves 4.
