Soba noodles with chicken and vegetables

A delicious, colourful and wholesome dish!

I love soba noodles because the buckwheat flour in them gives these spaghetti-like strands such a great flavour. Despite the name, buckwheat is actually gluten free but be aware that many varieties of soba noodles are made with a blend of wheat and buckwheat flours. Health food stores tend to be a good source of 100% buckwheat soba noodles. This is a super flexible dish and can easily be a ‘clean out the fridge’ meal if you add in whatever vegetables you have on hand. You can also use rice or sweet potato noodles in place of the soba noodles, if you prefer and omit the chicken or add seared tofu for a vegan version. All the components of this dish can be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated for up to 24 hours before assembly. If you’re a fan (or become one) of soba noodles, you might also enjoy this salad with a delicious peanut sauce.

Ingredients

• 1 cup (113 g) thinly sliced zucchini
• 1 cup (92 g) thinly sliced red pepper
• 1 cup (90 g) thinly sliced red cabbage
• 1 cup (110 g) grated carrot
• 200 g soba noodles
• 1 teaspoon (5 mL) sesame oil
• 3 tablespoons (12 g) finely chopped cilantro
• 1 tablespoon (15 mL) soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon (15 mL) rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon (15 mL) water
• 1 tablespoon (15 mL) vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons (30 mL) freshly-squeezed lime juice
• 2 teaspoons (10 mL) honey or maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon (5 g) Sambal Oelek (or sriracha), or to taste
• 2 cups (280 g) cooked chicken, sliced
• 1 teaspoon (3 g) black or white sesame seeds
• 1/4 cup (37 g) chopped cashews
• Lime wedges, to serve

Method

• Prepare the vegetables and set aside.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the soba noodles. Cook, stirring often, until just al dente (usually about 4 – 6 minutes is sufficient; start checking at the 4 minute mark).
• While noodles are cooking, make the dressing by putting the cilantro, soy sauce, rice vinegar, water, vegetable oil, lime juice, honey and Sambal Oelek in a jar with a tight lid. Shake to blend well then set aside.
• Drain the cooked noodles in a colander then run cold water over them to rinse off the starch. Shake well in the colander to get rid of as much moisture as possible then transfer the cooked noodles to a large bowl. Drizzle with the sesame oil; toss to coat evenly.
• Add the prepared vegetables and chopped, cooked chicken to the noodles in the bowl. Drizzle the dressing over top and toss gently to combine.
• Garnish with sesame seeds and cashews; serve with lime wedges on the side.

Serves 3 – 4.