Soba noodle stir-fry
By Tali Simon | January 8, 2012
You know those presents people bring you from Chutz l’Aretz? Those things you always want but feel you can’t quite ask for because well, do they really justify taking up precious suitcase space (in someone else’s suitcase)?
Well, my in-laws brought me soba noodles. Two fat, pretty pink boxes of bona fide Japanese soba noodles. Along with the recipe you’ll see below.
Oh, and did I mention the fact that my mother-in-law sent along a mandoline with my visiting sister-in-law? A MANDOLINE. Of my very own! We used it to julienne the carrots for this stir-fry. (To be more precise, my husband used it to julienne the carrots for this stir-fry. He has three cuts to show for it.)
If soba noodles are new to you, they’re definitely worth a try. They’re made from buckwheat and are high in protein, which is a nice thing to get in your carbs. They have a certain sophisticated flavor that kicks them a step up from regular pasta. (But if your MIL doesn’t send you soba noodles, don’t worry. I bet this recipe would also work well enough with standard pasta).
The stir-fry is flexible, but julienned carrots and fresh sauteed mushrooms are my two musts. I’ve also added chopped baby corn…and sugar snap peas would be terrific, too. I love this as the main dish of a Shabbos meal and have served it with great success to guests.
The one thing is that I can’t tell you is how long this will last in the fridge. We, um, devoured it.
Serves about 6
Ingredients
Vinaigrette
- ½ cup rice vinegar
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp minced ginger root
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- ¼ cup olive oil
Stir-fry
- 1 Tbsp canola or olive oil
- 1 carton fresh mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
- 1 Tbsp minced ginger root
- 1 clove minced garlic
- 3 carrots, julienned
- 1/3 cup scallions, chopped
- 2 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds (a mix of black and regular would be pretty)
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 box soba noodles (350-400 grams)
Directions
1. Mix all ingredients for vinaigrette in a jar/large measuring cup/dressing bottle and set aside.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet and saute mushrooms over medium heat. Add a bit of salt, minced ginger and garlic, and let sit over low heat for a few minutes. Stir in carrots, add a touch more salt with some pepper, too, and saute another 2 or 3 minutes. Add scallions and 3 Tbsp of the vinaigrette. Mix and turn off heat.
3. Cook soba noodles according to package directions (mine said 6 minutes). Drain and transfer to serving bowl. Pour in remaining vinaigrette, then mix in stir-fry. Garnish with sesame seeds.
Can be served anywhere from very warm to just-out-of-the-fridge cold. (You can eat it with a fox! You can eat it in a box!)
8 Comments
Laura on January 10, 2012 at 1:36 am.
What a funny coincidence. I just made soba noodles for the first time (I wish I had seen your recipe first . . . ) I used snow peas, carrots and scallions, plus ginger, garlic and teriyaki sauce. I’m bookmarking this for the next time I have soba.
It was interesting to have a flavor I associate with kasha varnishkes mixed with Asian seasonings. I wonder if kasha pilaf would be good with soy sauce added . . . .
Tali Simon on January 10, 2012 at 4:33 pm.
I know what you mean. My only other experience with buckwheat is kasha varnishkes, but after having these soba noodles, I really don’t think of those two as being at all related!
Meg on January 10, 2012 at 5:34 am.
This looks AWESOME! I love soba noodles! I will definitely give your recipe a try!
Tali Simon on January 10, 2012 at 4:37 pm.
Would love to see a pic on More Quiche, Please’s Fb page!
Cristina on January 10, 2012 at 10:57 pm.
I went to look for these noodles today, haven`t been lucky so far. I`ll keep trying…..
Tali Simon on January 11, 2012 at 3:59 pm.
In Toronto, my MIL assures me they can be found in the natural foods or Far East/Oriental sections of large grocery stores. I would imagine the same could be said of large groceries in major U.S. cities.
Anyone else have tips?
Cristina on January 13, 2012 at 7:46 pm.
Tali, I found the noodles @ Publix. I`ll be cooking them soon.
Tali Simon on January 15, 2012 at 9:08 am.
Thanks for the update, enjoy!