The other day I had lunch with my friend, cookbook author Laurie Burrows Grad. She prepared this cooling Asian pasta salad, using soba noodles for their slightly nutty, earthy taste. This is a welcome dish during a heat wave. The only cooking you’ll need to do is boil the noodles. If you do this earlier in the day, you’ll have a cool kitchen.
Crispy radish, cucumber and water chestnut slices add just the right crunch and color to these softened noodles. If you want even more veggies, toss in some shredded carrots and bean sprouts.
The peanut sauce is a lively blend of Asian flavors along with sweet maple syrup, slightly sour lime juice and optional spicy chili paste. You can decide how much chile paste you want to add, depending upon your guests’ preferences. (You can also use hot chile oil instead of the paste if you like.)
I enjoyed this for a main lunch course. If you want a more substantial meal, consider accompanying the noodle salad with grilled salmon, shrimp or chicken. To drink? You can’t go wrong with either a Gewürztraminer, rose, riesling, sauvignon blanc, or cold beer.
Soba Noodle Salad With Peanut Sauce
Soba noodles are made from buckwheat flour and are usually gluten free. Sometimes wheat is added so make sure to look at the label if you are on a gluten-free diet.
Serves 4For the Salad
