sesame ginger soba

An Asian-inspired noodle dish that is wonderful served hot or cold. Buckwheat noodles and copious stir-fried vegetables are tossed in a flavorful sauce with only a moderate amount of sodium. The fact that this sesame ginger soba is so good cold also makes it a great dish to make ahead of time for dinner or meal-prepping.

ingredients:

Serves 4.

• 1/2 of a small red cabbage
• 2 carrots
• A fat 2 inch piece of ginger (about 13 grams)
• 4-5 cloves garlic
• 4-5 scallions
• 2 bundles (about 6 oz) soba noodles (preferably wholegrain and no salt added)
• 1 tbsp peanut or vegetable oil

for the sauce:

• 3/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup pineapple juice (or use 1 tbsp frozen concentrate and increase water above to 1 cup)
• 2 tbsp tahini
• 1/2 tsp MSG
• 1/2 tsp white pepper
• 1 tbsp regular soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp corn starch
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 2 tbsp sesame seeds

to prepare:

Cut the cabbage into chunks and then slice thinly. Julienne the carrots and put with the cabbage. Peel and mince the garlic and ginger. Set aside half of the ginger for the sauce. Slice the scallions, setting aside the green parts for garnish and the white part with the cabbage.

Cook the soba according to the package directions. Rinse with cold water and drain.

Heat a large pan or a wok over med-high heat. Drizzle the oil in and let it get hot. Add the cabbage, carrot, the white part of scallions, and half of the minced ginger and stir-fry for 5-8 min until cabbage has darkened and the carrot begins to take on its purple color. Remove the vegetables from pan and set them aside. Reduce heat to very low and add a splash of water to deglaze the pan.

Next add the juice, water, tahini, remaining ginger, garlic, white pepper and msg and bring to a simmer. Add 1 tbsp of sesame seeds along with the corn starch (and additional water, if desired) and simmer until slightly thickened. Turn off the burner and add the vinegar. Transfer the noodles and vegetables back into the pan and use tongs to toss everything until coated with sauce. You can also just toss the noodles in the sauce and then transfer everything into a large bowl before adding the vegetables if your pan is not large enough to accommodate the whole dish.

Garnish your sesame ginger soba with the remaining tbsp of sesame seeds and the sliced green scallions. Serve hot or chilled.