Recipe: Cold soba noodles with miso vinaigrette and pickled mushrooms
THE SUNDAY
The time is coming when we’ll shy away from anything hot, and Sake Rok has the perfect antidote. Made from gluten-free buckwheat flour, these chilled soba noodles pack deep flavor, from the dressing’s red miso and sesame oil to the cumin and pinch of sugar adding a pickled dimension to the earthy funk of shimeji mushrooms. It’s comfort food that won’t kill your diet.
Directions and ingredients for miso vinaigrette (makes 2 servings)
• 1 tsp red miso
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 1 tsp chili paste
• 1/4 cup sesame oil
• 3/4 cup canola oil
1. Mix miso, chili paste and vinegar together in a bowl using a wire whisk.
2. Slowly drizzle in the sesame and canola oils while maintaining a constant whisking motion until oils are fully incorporated. Set vinaigrette aside.
Directions and ingredients for pickled mushrooms
• About a dozen shimeji mushrooms (you can sub in shiitake or maitake
• 1 cup rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tbsp kosher salt
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 10 whole coriander seeds
• 10 whole cumin seeds
• 10 mustard seeds
• 1 bay leaf
1. Clean and trim your mushrooms, and set aside.
2. Gently toast spices in a dry, heavy-bottomed pan to bring out the oils.
3. In a small saucepan, bring vinegar and water to a boil, then remove from heat. Add spices, salt and sugar, and gently stir until salt is completely dissolved.
4. Add mushrooms to warm pickling liquid and cover for an hour.
Directions and ingredients for soba noodles
• Standard package of 100 percent buckwheat noodles, dry
• miso vinaigrette (see recipe above)
• picked mushrooms (see recipe above)
• salmon roe (for garnish; optional)
• green onion (for garnish; optional)
1. Bring a medium stock pot filled with water to a boil. Add 4 ounces of soba noodles and cook for 4 minutes.
2. Remove noodles from water and place immediately in an ice water bath until chilled. Remove from ice bath and place noodles on a towel to dry.
3. In a large mixing bowl, dress noodles with vinaigrette. Add mushrooms and any garnishes you like, such as salmon roe and green onion.
