Soba Noodle Bowl with Sweet Tahini Ginger Dressing

Hannah Sunderani
Sep 16, 2016
4 min read

I've been wanting to make a delicious Soba Noodle Bowl for a while now, but was a little intimidated by the mountain of options to prepare this gorgeous dish. Everywhere you look someone has a different method for making soba noodle bowls, with different herbs, veg and dressing. So honestly, I didn't know where to begin!

I usually leave soba noodles to the ultra-priced pre-packaged lunches at the health food store, which always gets the best of me when I'm in a rush. And many times I've thought, "I really need to learn to do this myself..." while handing over my credit card, and feeling the guilt rumble in my tummy as the cashier swipes...or maybe that's just hunger...I don't know. But, when I stumbled upon the alluring buckwheat noodle at the Asian food store on Rue Gambetta I went fully Barny Stinson; "Challenge accepted!" I thought as I swooped up the brown buckwheat noodles in one swift move. Once and for all, I would master the art of the Soba Noodle Bowl!

So I got to it - Looking up various Pinterest recipes, cook books, instagram, you name it, in order to find a source of inspiration, and gain some insight on perfecting this wonderful noodle bowl. What was supposed to be a blissful lunch break turned far from it...I was completely overwhelmed from the feedback! After 45 minutes of surfing I honestly felt like my brain had floated into the cracks of the computer and was drifting around an alternate digital world, going in no apparent direction. I jumped from page to page, searching recipe by recipe for a common thread and becoming none the wiser. My friend was coming to visit from Paris for the weekend, and would be here in just a few hours. I started to panic that I would have nothing to feed her! I imaged her disapproving look, coming in so hungry from the journey only to realize I was a "cook imposter" with nothing to offer except a day-old baguette! She'd turn around, stomp out the door, and hop on the next train back to Paris. Then gossip to all her cool Paris friends about her ex-friend in rainy-Lille who "has a supposed cooking blog, and nothing to show for it!"

It's slightly dramatic I know, and if you met my friend you'd know she'd would never do that - I honestly don't think she has a mean bone in her body - but the mind can be a powerful tool, especially on a deadline. So I decided to give my mind a complete break, go for a little walk, and turn back to the basic. "What is it that "I" love about soba noodles? What flavours pair well? And what's on sale?" Turns out, the secret to soba noodle bowls was in front of me the entire time. The secret to the beautiful bowls is that there IS NO RECIPE! It's a combination of beautiful veg and that YOU like to eat, and a few asian inspired herbs and sauces to spruce it up! I made my way to the grocery store and started pulling veg that was bright, beautiful and on sale - carrot, radish, cucumber, and kale would do...and I couldn't help but grab the stunning geometric romanesco broccoli on the way out. That piece-of-art vegetable gets me every time! In addition I picked up some cilantro and basil and made my way back home.

I chopped up all the veg and herbs and placed them into separate bowls. I boiled the soba noodles and dressed them with an asian inspired Sweet Tamari Ginger Dressing. I decorated the noodles with the chopped veg, stuck in some chopsticks and served. It was DELICIOUS! My friend from Paris loved it, so did my hubby, and so did I! A win-win-win! So, if I learned anything from making this beautiful dish it's to let go of your mind and listen to your taste buds. Don't worry so much about what's traditional, or what's trending. Start with the foods you love to eat, and go from there. Or, if you prefer an easier solution you've got this beautiful hubby AND girlfriend-approved recipe to get you there.

My taste buds get an A+ for this one!

Soba Noodle Bowl with Sweet Tahini Ginger Dressing

Serves: 5-6| Prep Time: 40 mins | Cook Time: 5-6 mins

Ingredients:

1 package tofu (500g)
1 large carrot
5-6 kale leaves
1/2 cup romanesco broccoli, chopped (or traditional broccoli)
1/2 red onion
3-4 radish
10-12 thin slices of cucumber
1/4 cup cilantro
1/4 cup basil
1 package soba noodles (300g)
1 avocado

For the Sweet Tahini Ginger Dressing:

1/4 cup tahini
1/2 cup filtered water
2 tbsp tamari
2 tbsp rice vinager
2 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp honey
2 tsp fresh ginger, grated
1/2 tsp miso

Preparation:

Start by pressing your tofu to release excess water. Remove tofu from package and rinse. Wrap tofu in 5-6 sheets of paper towel to fully cover. Then wrap again with a clean dish towel. Set tofu against solid surface, like a wall, and place a few heavy books on top to help press out the excess water. Leave tofu to press for 20 minutes. Then, unwrap tofu and cut into small cubes.
Prepare your dressing: Add tahini, water, tamari, rice vinegar, sesame oil, honey, ginger and miso to your blender. Blend for 1 minute, or until combined. Place dressing to the side.
Prepare the veg by grating your carrot. Remove the stems from the kale and chop into ribbons. Chop romanesco broccoli into bite sized pieces. Place veg to the side.
Pass your red onion, radish and cucumber through a mandoline to create very thin slices. Place to the side.
Chop your cilantro and basil and also place to the side.
Cook soba noodles by adding them to a pot of water. Bring pot to a boil, then reduce heat and continue to simmer soba noodles for 6-7 minutes, or as instructed on package.
Drain soba noodles and toss in a mixing bowl with half of your Sweet Tahini Ginger Dressing. Reserve other half of the dressing for serving.
Scoop noodles into separate bowls and top with tofu, chopped vegetables, cilantro and basil. Slice an avocado and layer overtop. Drizzle with reserved Sweet Tahini Ginger Dressing and serve.