Soba Salad

By Mark Bittman

Published September 22, 2009

  • Julia Gartland for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
15 minutes
Rating
4(2,487)
Comments
Read comments

For most people, even experienced cooks, weeknight dinners are not so much a result of careful planning but of what’s on hand — and what can be accomplished fairly quickly. Noodles of all kinds are easy and beloved. But soba noodles, a Japanese staple, are special: they usually take no more than 3 to 4 minutes to cook and, because they’re made from buckwheat, have a slightly firm texture and a nutty flavor. Traditionally, soba are served hot and cold, making them a flexible partner for almost any fresh ingredients you have in the kitchen. In this case, they are paired with shelled frozen edamame, carrots and spinach and a light dressing.

Featured in: One Man’s Salad Is Another’s Noodles

  • or to save this recipe.

  • Subscriber benefit: Give recipes to anyone

    As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.

    Subscribe

  • Share this recipe

  • Print this recipe

    or to print this recipe.

Advertisement

Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

  • Salt

  • freshly ground pepper

  • 3 to 4 ounces soba noodles

  • 1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped

  • 2 cups edamame (frozen are fine)

  • 2 to 3 tablespoons soy sauce

  • Juice of one lime

  • 2 tablespoons white or light miso

  • 1 tablespoon mirin or 1 teaspoon sugar, or to taste

  • 1 10-ounce package fresh spinach, washed and trimmed

  • ¼ cup chopped scallion

  • 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

33 grams carbs; 207 calories; 4 grams fat; 6 grams fiber; 1134 milligrams sodium; 15 grams protein; 4 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Powered by

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. Drop in the noodles and carrot and cook until tender, 2 to 4 minutes; add the edamame for about 15 to 30 seconds just to warm, then drain everything in a colander. Set aside.

  2. Step 2

    In a large salad bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, lime juice, miso and mirin or sugar. Add spinach, noodles, carrot, edamame, scallion, and toss; then taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Garnish with grated ginger at the table.

Private Notes

Leave a Private Comment on this recipe and see it here.

Ratings

4 out of 5
2,487 user ratings
Your rating

or to rate this recipe.

Have you cooked this?

or to mark this recipe as cooked.

Comments

Bill

Real Soba noodles really need to be rinsed in cold water after cooking. I recommend cooking the carrots and edamame first, removing them to a bowl and then cooking the noodles separately. When done, drain, rinse and combine with the other ingredients. Otherwise, you'll likely end up with a starchy mass.

Bob

Brought this to a Labor Day picnic and it was very popular. Nary a bean was left in the dish. Instead of the Miso, I added ~1T water to a dehydrated Miso soup. Much cheaper and I didn't have a lot of Miso left to work with.

Leigh

Really fresh flavors. I followed others suggestions and boiled the noodles separately and ran them under cold water. Also added chopped red bell pepper for crunch, taste and color. I wish I had blanched the spinach instead of adding it raw to the noodle dish. Also added a bit of sriracha for some heat and additional flavors.

bnom

3 TBLS soy sauce + 2 tbls miso = 3900 gms of sodium. Tossed on just 3 oz of soba noodles = an incredibly, inedibly, salty dish.

@mrmathew

Not sure quite what I was expecting with this salad, except to say I found it very strange and not really that comparable to anything I’ve eaten in Japan. The dressing seemed imbalanced and the ratio of edamame to other ingredients too high. There was far too much spinach, too. All in all, I felt this was not a successful dish.

Katie

I thought the dressing was too salty so added more lime juice, some rice vinegar and a little sesame oil. I'd recommend making the dressing in a jar so you can taste it and then dress; next time I might use less of the soy sauce (I used low-sodium) and miso and then just add more in as needed.

Private comments are only visible to you.

Recipe Tags

or to save this recipe.