Soba noodle salad with edamame
Nutty buckwheat noodles and edamame tossed with crunchy cabbage and cucumber in a sesame ginger dressing, a cold lunch that is good for days.
- 25 min total
- 20 min hands-on
- Anyone can make this
- Serves 4
- About $2.40 a serving
- 390 calories
- Good the next day
- Vegan
- Dairy-free
Dolly says: I’d make this on a weeknight. It’s on the table in 25 minutes.
Ingredients
For 4 servings.
- 8 oz soba noodles
- 2 cups frozen shelled edamame
- 1½ tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
- 1 clove garlic, grated
- 2 cups red cabbage, thinly sliced
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 1 cucumber, cut into matchsticks
- 3 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
From your pantry
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
Each serving has about 390 calories, 20 g protein, 62 g carbs and 10 g fat, and costs about $2.40 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No red cabbage? Green cabbage or coleslaw mix works.
- No shredded carrots? Carrots work.
- No cucumbers? English cucumbers or mini cucumbers work.
- No green onions? Chives work.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
Bring a large pot of water on high.
Bring to a boil. It means heating a liquid on high until it’s fully boiling before you move on. A lid on the pot gets it there faster, which makes it a good moment to chop something.
How you’ll know: Big bubbles break all over the surface, and they keep coming when you lift the lid.
High heat
Add the soba and cook for the time on the package, usually 4 to 5 minutes, adding the edamame for the last 3 minutes.
High heatTimer: 4 min 30 sec
in a colander and under cold water, rubbing the noodles between your hands until they feel smooth, not sticky.
Drain. Draining means pouring off liquid, like tipping pasta into a colander or spooning extra fat out of the pan. Pour hot grease into a can or jar, not the sink, where it hardens and clogs the pipes.
How you’ll know: Only a few drips are left, and the food isn’t sitting in a puddle.
Rinse. Rinsing means running cold water over rice or canned beans in a strainer while you swish them around. It washes off loose starch and can liquid, so rice cooks up fluffy and beans taste clean.
How you’ll know: The water running out goes from cloudy to mostly clear; it doesn’t have to be perfect.
Dolly’s tip: Soba is starchy. Rinsing it like you are washing a sweater keeps the noodles from gluing together.In a big bowl, the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, maple syrup, ginger and garlic.
Whisk. Whisking means beating quickly with a whisk or a fork to blend things together. It smooths out lumps and mixes eggs, oil or sauces evenly.
How you’ll know: It all looks one even color and texture, with no streaks or lumps.
the cabbage and green onions and cut the cucumber into matchsticks.
Thinly slice. Thinly slicing means cutting slices about an eighth of an inch thick, roughly two coins stacked. Thin slices cook in seconds and soften fast, which quick dishes need.
How you’ll know: A slice bends a little when you hold it by one edge, and slow, steady cuts beat fast ones.
Add the noodles, edamame, cabbage, carrots, cucumber and green onions to the bowl and with the dressing.
Toss. Tossing means gently lifting and turning food so everything gets coated, like pasta in sauce or vegetables in oil. It coats every piece evenly without mashing anything.
How you’ll know: Every piece looks glossy or evenly coated, with no dry spots hiding underneath.
Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve, or pack into 4 containers for the next 4 days.
Dolly’s tip: It keeps 3 days. If the noodles drink up the dressing, splash in a little soy sauce and vinegar before you eat.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
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