Recipe: Rainbow Soba Salad

Cold noodle salads are great for the season, because they’re not only easy to prepare, but are also wonderful make-ahead meals to bring to potlucks or casual parties. We’re big on injecting colour anywhere we can with our food, and this light, flavorful salad definitely fits the bill as a patio pleaser. —The Food Gays

Ingredients:

1 ½ bundles buckwheat soba noodles
1 yellow zucchini, spiralized or matchstick slices
⅛ cup red onion, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 orange bell pepper, thinly sliced
¼ cup radishes, thinly sliced
1 carrot, peeled and sliced into rounds
½ cup cilantro, finely chopped (including stems)
½ tsp sea salt (plus more to taste)
1 tsp white miso paste
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
5 tablespoons sunflower oil
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
½ small shallot, minced
sesame seeds, to garnish (optional)

Method:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook soba noodles according to package instructions.

Meanwhile, prepare vegetables. Using a spiralizer or knife, slice the zucchini into thin noodle-like pieces. Toss in a large bowl, combined with red onion, bell peppers, radishes, carrots and cilantro.

Make the dressing. In a small food processor or blender, combine salt, miso paste, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, sunflower oil, fresh garlic and shallots. Blend until mostly smooth, and the mixture has emulsified.

Once noodles are cooked, run under cold water for a minute or so. Toss them well in a strainer to remove all excess water before adding to the vegetables. Add dressing and toss everything together until well coated. Taste and season with salt as needed. Serve sprinkled with sesame seeds to garnish (optional).