Soba Noodle Salad

Cold noodle salads are one of my favorite summertime meals. I can make one on Sunday and pretty much eat it all week long for a simple, satisfying lunch. However, I do try to limit the amount of refined grains I eat. So oftentimes I use soba noodles.

Soba noodles are an Asian noodle made from buckwheat. Although they're about the width of regular spaghetti, their texture is a bit softer and lighter (I think). Some soba noodles do include some refined grains, although higher quality versions have mostly buckwheat. A typical Japanese meal would be cooked soba noodles and a dipping sauce, but I like them in this salad:

Soba Noodle Salad

Salad Ingredients
- Soba noodles
- Lightly steamed veggies
- Sliced spring/green onions

Dressing Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons Tamari (or soy sauce)
- 1 Tablespoon Sesame Oil
- 1 teaspoon hot chili oil
- Dash white sugar

Cook soba noodles. Rinse with cold water and drain. Toss in lightly steamed veggies. Coat with dressing. Top with onions.

This is a very simple recipe that can be modified to fit whatever veggies you have in the fridge and to suit your tastes. (I like extra veggies with fewer noodles.) I often make it with matchstick carrots, red pepper strips and strips of snow peas. However, I have heard of people using broccoli and squash, too. It's the perfect cool lunch for a hot day, and you could add some cold, peeled shrimp if you wanted some extra protein.