Soba Noodle Salad with Spicy Yuzu Carrot Dressing
I recently visited Texas for the first time and while the briskets, ribs and sausages at the smokehouses were calling to me every meal (let's not forget the tacos either!), I needed something light and some veggie options since I switched to a diet that was lighter. While we were in the Pearl Brewery area in San Antonio, I stumbled upon a food hall and discovered a soba noodle salad from The Good Kind. It was delicious and I decided to it a try with my own twist!
Ingredients for the Salad
soba noodles, 1 serving
various veggies (here's what I added to mine):
brussel sprouts, sliced
shredded cabbage
yellow onions, sliced
zucchini squash, sliced
orange bell pepper, sliced
coconut oil
cilantro, as garnish
furikake, or toasted sesame and nori
Ingredients for the Dressing
shredded carrots
Trader Joe's yuzu hot sauce
mentsuyu, or soba noodle base
First step is to prepare the soba noodles. Prepare a pot of water and bring it to a boil, and add the soba noodles. Boil for about 3 minutes and then drain. Run the cooked soba noodles under cold water to prevent them from sticking together.
While the soba noodles is boiling, prepare your veggies. I like a mix of colors and textures, so some crunchy and colorful veggies are always my go to. Slice everything into similar sizes, and get a fry pan ready. Add coconut oil ( I use the Trader Joe's spray) and stir fry the veggies a little. I usually add the onions, brussel sprouts and zucchini first as they take a little longer to soften, and then add the peppers and cabbage last. Be sure not to stir fry for too long or the veggies will become soggy. You want just the right amount of crunch so they should be removed from the heat within 3-4 mins on high.
Let the veggies cool down a little before moving the noodles and the veggies to the fridge to chill for at least 30 minutes.
While your salad is cooling in the fridge, it's time to work on the dressing! When I had my salad from The Good Kind, I got the spicy carrot ginger vinaigrette. I wanted to create something similar with ingredients I already have at home, so I took about 1/4 cup of shredded carrots, blended it in in my small blender with 2 tbsp of water, and about 1 tbsp of mentsuyu, or soba noodle base. I also added about 1/2 tbsp of yuzu hot sauce for the spicy, citrous flavor. Add more yuzu hot sauce or soba noodle base to reach the consistency or taste you like!
Take the soba noodles, veggies out of the fridge after chilling, and add both to serving bowl. Sprinkle the furikake, or toasted sesame and nori, as well as the cilantro at the top, and drizzle on the spicy yuzu carrot dressing (or add it to the side like I did!) and the salad is ready to be served. Enjoy!
