Isn’t it funny how some things we usually eat hot also work really well cold, but others don’t? Like cold pasta, (eg. fusilli or penne), in a salad is delicious, but somehow cold tagliatelle seems really wrong. And cold tomato soup is gorgeous as gazpacho, but cold cauliflower soup sounds revolting. Cold waxy potatoes in salad are wonderful, but cold chips are less so!
My point is that whilst I usually prefer my noodles hot, these gorgeous soba noodles work really, really well cold – they retain their bite and nutty flavour and are great for soaking up the flavours of punchy dressings, like this creamy and crunchy peanut and sesame one.
I’ve photographed this in plastic tubs because I can’t think of a better packed lunch for sweltering summer days like today. The stir-fried tenderstem in ginger and garlic will stay really crunchy even after a few hours sitting around in a lunchbox, and the cool, crisp cucumber and nutty noodles work really well together. The star of the show is the sesame, soy sauce and peanut butter dressing, which takes seconds to throw together but adds crunch, saltiness and a glossy finish in one go.
Vegan
- 200 g soba noodles
- 2 tbsp rapeseed oil
- 200 g tenderstem broccoli tips
- 1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed (or 1 tsp lazy garlic)
- 1 cm fresh ginger, peeled and grated (or 1 tsp lazy ginger)
- half a cucumber
- 3 spring onions
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 heaped tbsp crunchy peanut butter
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Bring a large pan of water to the boil and add the soba noodles. Simmer for 5 minutes until tender, then drain and rinse thoroughly with cold water. Transfer to a large bowl.
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Whilst the noodles are boiling, heat the oil in a small frying pan and add the ginger, garlic and broccoli. Cook over a medium heat stirring frequently for 10 minutes.
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Meanwhile, use a potato peeler to shave off long strips of cucumber, and add these to the bowl with the noodles. Slice the spring onions finely and add these to the bowl.
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In a mug or small bowl, whisk together the sesame oil, soy sauce and peanut butter into a dressing, and pour over the noodles, tossing to combine.
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When the broccoli is cooked, divide the noodles between two plates (or lunchboxes) and top with the broccoli.
For more noodle salad recipes from blogging friends, take a look at:
- Ceri’s Warm Japanese Black Noodle Salad from Natural Kitchen Adventures
- Nicola’s Easy Nutty Noodle Salad from Kitchen Sanctuary
- Choclette’s Samurai Samphire Noodles with Miso Marinated Tofu from Tin & Thyme
or take a look at my:
Ultimate Vegan Pad Thai Noodles
Spicy Sesame & Edamame Noodles
Udon Noodles with Thai Coconut Vegetables
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The VegHog says
June 8, 2016 at 8:46 pmHi Kate!
This looks fabulous! I really enjoy stir frys as cold lunches the next day, they are very suitable for that. I eat most of my lunches cold, as warm food during work somehow makes me very tired.
Please link this alsi with Eat Your Greens, as it contains such beautiful greens! 🙂
Ceri Jones says
June 8, 2016 at 8:54 pmI only recently got into noodle salads, really enjoy them! Even cold! Love the idea of using tenderstem – shows how versatile salads can be!
Ceri Jones recently posted…Cauliflower Steak with Black Rice, Lambs Lettuce & Black Tahini Drizzle
Gingey Bites says
June 8, 2016 at 9:19 pmLove this! It’s perfect in plastic tubs as it’s exactly how I’d imagine eating it! Perfect packed lunch. Yum.
Gingey Bites recently posted…Review: Pizzarova, Gloucester Road, Bristol
Diana says
June 8, 2016 at 9:58 pmI’ve never tried soba noodles before, but after seeing this recipe I will have to! Noodle salads are great to pack to work!
Diana recently posted…Quinoa Bean Burgers
Nicky says
June 9, 2016 at 6:02 amThese noodles sound amazing! I’m not a fan of peanut butter on it’s own, but I love it in dressings like this!
So true about the hot and cold foods – I’d never though of it before.
Eb Gargano says
June 9, 2016 at 8:59 pmI love this…such fab flavours and perfect for a packed lunch! Definitely pinning this on my must make board 🙂 Eb x
Eb Gargano recently posted…Homemade Sweet Potato and Smoked Paprika Chips
Jason Cruickshank says
June 10, 2016 at 2:49 pmMmmm. That noodle salad looks amazing!
Jacqueline Meldrum says
July 3, 2016 at 7:10 pmI can over for a drool of this before. Thought I’d left a comment, but obviously not. Maybe I was on my phone. Just gorgeous Kate. Love it! Thanks for submitting it to No Croutons Required. The roundup is now live.
Jacqueline Meldrum recently posted…7 Summer Salads, Sunshine for your Table