Summer Soba Noodles

Yay! Two nights in a row of A+ recipes, according to Doug! I'm really excited about tonight's recipe as well. I made Soba with Toasted Sesame Seed Sauce, taken from my Vegetarian Planet cookbook. It was really easy and quick to make, although it is recommended that you let it cool 20-30 minutes to room temp (or if you're super hungry like me, you can refrigerate it for less time) before serving as it is wonderfully cooling and refreshing this way.
This dish has a tangy, authentic flavor and the soba noodles are silky and delicious. I opted to add extra veggies to make it a more complete meal; really you could add whatever veggies sound good to you, or add tofu for some protein. It was also really easy to make lots of extra, so now both of us have lunch to take for tomorrow! It's kind of silly how excited I get about that...but really it saves me so much time and effort!

Soba with Toasted Sesame Seed Sauce
1/2 cup hulled white sesame seeds
8 ounces dried soba noodles
2 tablespoons Chinese black vinegar or balsamic vinegar (I used balsamic)
1 tablespoon sugar
2-3 tablespoons soy sauce
1-2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil (I used toasted sesame oil and it was great)
3 scallions, both white and green parts, chopped fine (yay for food processors!)
3 cups small broccoli pieces or 2-inch asparagus pieces, blanced

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Pour the sesame seeds onto a rimmed baking sheet. Toast the seeds in the oven for 10-12 minutes, until they are a rich brown around the edges.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the soba noodles and cook for 5-6 minutes, or until they are just tender. Drain them, rinse them well with cold water, and drain them again.

In a large bowl, mix together the vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, sesame oil, and scallions. Add the noodles and the toasted sesame seeds. Stir well, then stir in the broccoli or asparagus. Let the dish sit for 30 minutes at room temperature before serving.

Bottom Line: You should probably make this! =)