Soba in Toasted Sesame Seed Sauce

justcallmetoni's Note:

Popular in Japan, Soba noodles are made of buckwheat and offer a nice change of pace from other pastas. Though this dish is usually made with Chinese black vinegar, I've used balsamic vinegar with good results. One could include some thinly shaved slices of poached chicken or julienned strips of tofu if desired. You can also vary the vegetables -- in my picture I used a combination of broccoli and carrots. Cooking time includes the 30 minutes waiting time,

• Total Time: 1 hrs 5 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 50 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 1/2 cup sesame seeds
• 8 ounces dried soba noodles
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 4 teaspoons white sugar or 4 teaspoons Splenda Sugar Blend for Baking
• 2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 5 green onions, chopped
• 3 cups broccoli florets
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced chicken breast, poached (optional)
• 1/2 cup firm tofu, julienned (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. Pour the sesame seeds onto a rimmed baking sheet. Toast the seeds in the oven for 12 to 15 minutes, until they are a rich brown around the edges.
3. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook them for 4 to 6 minutes, or until they are just tender. (Check the package for best cooking time as it will vary by the thickness of your noodles.) Drain them, rinse them well with cold water, and drain them again.
4. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, garlic, sesame oil and green onions. Add the noodles, and the toasted sesame seeds. Toss well, then stir in the broccoli.
5. Let the dish sit for 20 minutes at room temperature before serving.

Reviews

[Andrea in AK]

This is good. I used Balsamic and a little chile oil. I think it could use more kick, so next time I may add some red pepper flakes. I used julienned carrots, peppers, zucchini and snap peas. I also later added some tempeh, I'll have that for lunch tomorrow.

[Cookgirl]

This was an unusual flavor! I found black vinegar at the Asian market and wanted to try it. How do you describe the taste of it...?? ...soy sauce and Worceteshire (sp?) sauce combined perhaps? I don't really know. I used 1 teaspoon of regular sesame oil and 1/2 teaspoon of toasted sesame oil. For the broccoli I substituted 2 cups chopped radicchio and 1 cup chopped cilantro and elephant garlic for regular garlic. ... tofu instead of chicken. Soba noodles aren't the most visually stunning food, but they sure tasted good in this recipe. For a party, I would probably sub somen for soba in regards to color/presentation. The marinade was earthy/musty-quite unique. Perfect at room temperature. Oh, forgot the carrots then I noticed they aren't even listed in the ingredients. OOoops!! Thanks for sharing your very interesting salad recipe. cg