Soba Salad with Spinach, Edamame and Miso Dressing
Noodles of all kinds are easy and beloved. But soba noodles, a staple of Japan, 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.
As it happens, I had shelled edamame in the freezer (yes, you can eat these in ways other than the salt-and-peel appetizer of Japanese restaurants), so I pulled together an admittedly improvised dish that was something between a salad and a classic noodle preparation. I tossed noodles and carrots into boiling water at the same time, so the carrots would soften slightly without losing their crunch. Just before they were ready, I added the edamame, just to warm them through — no more than 30 seconds.
At this point, I was pretty much done. Tossing the spinach with a simple dressing of miso, mirin, lime and soy and adding the hot noodles and vegetables was all that was left. The warmth wilted the spinach slightly, and the dressing worked nicely. I’m still not sure whether to call this a warm salad or a room-temperature noodle dish, but I was happy to call it dinner.
Salt and 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
1/4 cup chopped scallion
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger.
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. 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.