After several cold and wet days in Melbourne, I’m really relieved that the sun is out again. I was a little worried that it might continue to be rainy during my entire stay here. Rainy weather is one of those things I really dislike, so rejoice for it’s a beautiful day today!
Just recently, I blogged about how I lovely it would be to have a warm bowl of soba noodles when the weather is cold. Since it was chilly, the Chicken Nanban Soba made a regular appearance in my menu over the last few days.
Yet today, for the benefit of those experiencing the heat wave in the Northern hemisphere, I thought this summery Asian Soba Salad might help you fight the heat wave. In this salad, the use of lime, garlic, and chilli gives it a tangy, yet slightly spicy flavor, that is bound to whet your appetite. While Soba noodles may be a Japanese ingredient, the taste of this salad reminds me of the Thai Mango Salad - which I so adore. My dad, being a traditional Japanese, cringed when he saw this salad because he believes that Soba still taste the best when it's cooked the Japanese way. However, in my opinion, there is no hard and fast rule to cooking. Sometimes, we need to try new things before we can decide if we like it. If you’re a fan of Thai cuisine, I am pretty sure you will enjoy this as much as I do.
I made this Soba salad about two weeks ago, when the heat in Singapore was intolerable. This salad keeps well in the refrigerator for about a day or two, so feel free to make a bulk of it, and pack it for lunch the following day. The noodle soaks up the flavor of the dressing, making it all the more enjoyable.
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| I might have burnt the walnuts again |
Asian Soba Noodle Salad
Adapted from Simply Recipes
Serves 6 as Main
Ingredients
3/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 fresh red chilli, seeded and minced
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Zest of one lime
1 tbsp sesame oil
340g / 12 oz soba noodles
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 ripe mango, peeled and cubed
1 cup fresh basil, chopped
1 cup fresh mint, chopped
1 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
Lime wedges for serving (optional)
Directions
- Combine the rice vinegar, sugar, and salt in a pan over medium heat for about 2 minutes until the sugar and salt dissolve. Add the garlic and red chilli,and allow to cool; add the lime juice, lime zest, and sesame oil. Mix well.
- Cook the soba noodles according to package instructions. Drain and then rinse well under cool water to stop the cooking process. Combine the noodles, mango, bell pepper, basil and mint with the dressing.
- Serve with chopped walnuts and lime wedges. Alternatively, if you are keeping this in the refrigerator, add the basil, mint and walnuts just before serving. Enjoy!
Cook's Note
Gluten-free: While Soba noodles may be otherwise known as buckwheat noodles, most brands do contain wheat. Wheat acts as a binder for these noodles. Do check the ingredients before making your purchase.
Do you like fusion food?
7 comments:
Ha! You're right. We've been experiencing heat wave over here! So it's been rainy in Melbourne? I've never been to the Down Under before, though I have relatives in Adelaide. But we're not that close, so ...
I know, we've got to try new stuff, be more adventurous in what we eat. Like I said, our parents are the conservative type, so I'm not surprised to hear what you've said about your dad here. It's been a long time since I last had soba, hopefully soon I'll get to make some for myself to eat again. I love that nutty buckwheat flavor in soba. I much prefer soba to udon, in fact.
Take care. Enjoy your stay in Melbourne.
this looks wonderful! my dad loves all types of asian noodles. he would love this recipe with soba noodles~~!!! thanks for the post :). btw, i've been meaning to ask you, what kind of allergies do you have? just curious, since my list of allergies/intolerances is like 10+!!! hahaha.
I love fusion food, and the salad is appealing even though it isn't hot here! Beautiful.
beautiful beautiful salad! I love soba noodles a lot, in soup and salad like this.
@Pei Lin - Thanks Pei Lin. Thankfully, it became slightly warmer over the last few days:) Yes, I love trying new stuff. I think every cuisine has its beauty, and it's up to us to make the most out of what we have. The nutty flavour is lovely isn't it - I love soba more than any other noodles:)I think we might have pretty similar taste preferences.
@Junia - Thanks Junia! Well, I'm mainly sensitive to eggs, dairy products from cow (my body seems okay with goat's milk seems), yeast (but nutritional yeast seems fine too), and gluten. I'm still trying to understand my body better. I will have a terrible rash or eczema outbreak when I consume too much of these foods; I can have trace amounts of those. In the past, I would get reactions when I eat bananas and pineapples too. But lately, my body seems to be able to tolerate that, so I have reintroduced it back to my diet.
@Kari - Thanks Kari:)It's certainly perfect for summer, but I think it is equally enjoyable when it's not too cold :) I crave hot hot soup when it's cold:)
@anh - Thanks Anh! Yeap. I've only learnt about the beauty of soba in salads fairly recently, and I'm loving it too:)
I love soba noodles, but it has to be 100% soba! This sounds so tasty!
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