My summer philosophy is that if it is too hot to wear clothes it is too hot to cook. Even though it is hot, I don’t want to eat, but being a human we are required to eat. You can really only eat so many salads before it gets boring and repetitive, so in the summer I get creative with ways to not heat up the house but still have nutritious and refreshing meals. Last summer, my friend got me hooked on soba noodles. They are light and refreshing, and soak up all the yummy goodness of the dressing or sauces. It took me a couple tries to perfect the tastes and the veggie combination, but ultimately it is what ever you like! This dish is simple and quick to make. Cut up all the veggies and through a dressing together. Boil your kettle (doesn’t heat the house as much as turning the stove on) and team up with your cooking buddy to slice, dice and chop the veggies.
This super light soba noodle salad has become a favourite in the house for an under 15 min meal on a busy summers eve and I usually have all the ingredients. The best part is you can even make it a head and have some for left overs. How can you go wrong with that? Easy, make a head, inexpensive and nutritious! Here is how I did it:
1 package of soba noodles
Any summer fresh veggies you like, I used:
Radishes
Peppers (red and orange)
Carrots
Cucumbers
Edamame Beans
1 tablespoon of miso paste
2 tablespoons of sesame oil
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon (plus more to taste) Red Chili Paste
1 thumb size ginger, grated
Juice of half a lime
2 teaspoon of soya sauce
Green onion and Sesame seeds for garnish
- Cook the soba noodles with the package directions; I always use an electric teakettle to speed up the boiling process. While the noodles are cooking, slice, cut and chop the veggies.
- Prepare the dressing in a small mixing bowl
- Once the noodles are cooked, be sure to rinse them in cold water, I find the noodles have extra starch and I rinse it off to get it off and to give the noodles a refreshing lift.
- Toss the noodles with half the dressing, throw in the veggies and add the rest of the dressing
- Mix up and serve, I garnish mine with green onions and sesame seeds. Enjoy!!
Note: If you like your salads supper saucy like me, I just double the recipe!