Vegan Recipe: Warm Buckwheat Soba Noodle Salad

This is one of my favorite quick lunches!

This is best suited for Vata Dosha types but you can adjust the amount of oil used for Pitta and Kapha Dosha types.

Don’t know what Dosha types you are? Then I invite you to take my Dosha quiz here right now!

About Buckwheat Soba Noodle

I grew up eating soba noodles in Japan!

It’s traditionally served either hot in a noodle soup during the cold winter or served chilled with a dipping sauce in hot summer.

Also in Japan, it’s tradition to have ‘Toshikoshi Soba’ (which means New Year’s Soba) on New Year’s Eve to celebrate the new year ahead.

I like using 100% buckwheat soba noodles (which is called ‘Juwari Soba’ in Japanese meaning 100% soba) but you can also find soba made with a combination of wheat and buckwheat.

Remember to use seasonal vegetables with the ratio of 60% augmenting (vegetables that are sweet in taste such as carrots, courgettes, fennel, sweet daikon) and 40% extractive (vegetables that are slightly bitter and astringent in taste such as leafy greens, spinach, broccoli and cabbage).

Ingredients (serves 2):

For the salad

• 200g buckwheat soba noodles
• 1 tablespoon of organic sesame oil for Vata or
• 1 tablespoon of organic coconut oil for Pitta or
• ½ tablespoon of organic sunflower oil for Kapha
• Seasonal vegetables – 2 x augmenting (carrots, courgettes, fennel, sweet daikon etc.) 1 x extractive (leafy greens, spinach, broccoli, cabbage etc.)
• 100g of edamame beans (frozen are fine)

For the dressing

Vata:

• 1 tablespoon of organic sesame oil and 1 tablespoon of extra virgin oil
• Juice of half lime
• ½ tablespoon of soy sauce or tamari
• 1 medium garlic clove – grated

Pitta

• ½ tablespoon of organic sesame oil and ½ tablespoon of extra virgin oil
• Juice of half a lime
• Splash of soy sauce or tamari
• 1 small garlic clove – grated

Kapha:

• ½ tablespoon of organic sesame oil and ½ tablespoon of extra virgin oil
• Juice of half lime
• Splash of soy sauce or tamari
• 1 medium garlic clove – grated

For the topping

• 2 tablespoons of any nuts or seeds – (almonds, cashew nuts, peanuts, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds etc.)
• 1 square nori (cut into thin strips – if you have it!)

Method:

Boil the buckwheat soba noodles according to the packet. Separate the soba noodles properly in the first couple of minutes of boiling.

When tender, drain and rinse with cold water for 30 seconds or so to stop cooking further and to stop the noodles from sticking together.

If you are using frozen edamame, boil them for a few minutes.

Over a medium heat, add oil in a frying pan or wok and add the hardest vegetables such as carrots and stir fry for 2 minutes. Add a splash of water and put a lid on until the vegetables are lightly cooked.

Add leafy greens or spinach and steam for another couple of minutes.

Turn off the heat and add the cooked soba noodles and edamame and toss and let it cool down for a few minutes.

In a small pan, dry toast your chosen nuts or seeds until golden brown.

Make the dressing by adding everything together in a small bowl and mix well and spoon over the dressing on the soba noodles and vegetables. Mix well and serve on the plate.

Add your nuts or seeds on top and sprinkle with some nori strips.

Enjoy!