For me (and probably most all of you), alliums are an essential cooking staple. There's a 100% chance that at least one member of the allium family is in our household at any given time. But, let's back up for a moment - what is an allium, you ask? In essence, an allium is a bulbous plant which typically includes onions (of all sorts) and their closely related counterparts (e.g., chives, garlic, leeks, etc.). I'm willing to bet that the majority of you folks reading this have at least some form of onion and a head of garlic on hand (if you don't, well, you should!).
Think about it, a large number of recipes possess a backbone that is comprised of alliums in some way, shape, or form. Alliums always bring robust and distinct favors to every party they attend, and without them, well, the execution of most recipes would simply fall flat.
This fool-proof soba noodle salad recipe combines a handful of popular and prominent members of the allium family and can easily be morphed from a light lunch into a more satisfying dinner with the simple addition of shrimp or chicken.
The vast majority of the ingredients in this recipe, with the exception of the miso, can be found at Rollin' Oats. Miso isn't a make or break in this dish, but, it certainly adds a little somethin'. If you can't find it, fret not, as you can simply omit it.
Soba Noodle Salad with Leeks and Lots of Green Onion
Ingredients
Sambal Dressing
- 1/2 Cup Olive Oil
- 1/4 Cup lime juice
- 1 Tbsp Sambal Oelek
- 1 Tsp White Miso Paste If you cannot find Miso, simply omit
- 1 Tsp Soy Sauce
- 1 Knob Peeled & Grated Ginger
- Salt To taste
Assembly
- 1 Bunch Green Onions Dark and pale green parts only - thinly sliced on a bias
- 1 leek White and pale green parts only
- 1 9.5 oz package Soba Noodles Cooked per package instructions
- 5 garlic cloves Minced
- Sesame Seeds
- 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
- Salt
Instructions
Sambal Dressing
- In a large bowl, mix together first 5 ingredients. Stream in olive oil while whisking until emulsified. Set dressing aside.
Assembly
- Cook soba noodles according to package instructions and strain under cold water.
- Preheat oven to 425F. Remove tough outer layer of leeks and trim root ends and 1/2 inch from dark green parts. Cut leek in half, lengthwise and then chop into thin 1/4" half moons and rinse thoroughly.
- Arrange rinsed leeks on parchment-lined baking sheet and toss with olive oil, minced garlic cloves, salt and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes (leeks should begin to char).
- Add cooked and cooled soba to bowl with dressing and toss to combine. Add charred leek mixture, scallions cut on a bias, and sesame and mix well and then serve.
Nutrition
