By: Kristen Taylor
I’m Asian. Well, part Asian. I love buckwheat noodles, aka soba noodles. Do yourself a favor and spend the extra money to buy 100% buckwheat soba. The taste is distinctive. The difference is vast. Modern wheat, in my opinion, is evil. Traditional old fashioned wheat had chromosomes in the low teens, like 14 or so. Today, our wheat has been genetically modified to have around 41 or so chromosomes. Do the research and think about putting that in your body. Just don’t. Buckwheat plants have pretty much been left alone in the modification department. So the stuff you get today is how the plant naturally developed. Okay, off the soap box.
You can find 100% buckwheat soba noodles in Asian markets.
Spicy Cold Soba Noodle Salad
1/2- 1 pound soba or Japanese buckwheat noodles
The Sauce:
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon molasses
3 tablespoons sesame oil
3 tablespoons chili oil
3 tablespoons seasoned rice wine vinegar
The Veggies:
1/2 bunch scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
1 c match stick cut yellow bell peppers
1 c thinly sliced baby carrots
1 c deseeded and thinly sliced cucumber
1 c thinly sliced celery
1/2 c whole cilantro leaves (no stems)- optional
1 c lightly sauteed shitake mushrooms- optional
1 c shredded roasted chicken- optional
The Directions:
Place soy sauce in a saucepan over medium heat, add brown sugar and bring to a boil. Turn heat to low, stir in molasses, and return to simmer. Transfer to a mixing bowl. Add sesame oil, chili oil, and vinegar, and whisk to combine.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a rapid boil. Add noodles, bring back to a boil, and cook, stirring occasionally, until they just begin to soften, about 3 minutes. (Soba noodles can overcook very quickly, so stay nearby.) *I like some of my veggies slightly cooked. So I add carrots to the water as well. And maybe the bell peppers, depending on my mood. Or if I am adding shitake mushrooms, I will saute everything I want cooked in half olive oil, half chili oil. *
Have ready a large bowl of iced water. Drain noodles, plunge in iced water, and drain again. Place in a colander and rinse well under cold running water. Combine noodles, veggies and sauce, toss well with scallions and any optional ingredients, and chill.
