Soba With Smoked Salmon, Cucumber,and Shiitake

A cold noodle salad combining east and west. For best flavor, be sure to get soba made with 100% buckwheat, not the kind made with wheat flour added. The kind that includes wheat also takes 9 to 10 minutes to cook. To make it GF, make sure your noodles and soy sauce are gluten-free, and substitute a mild white wine vinegar for rice vinegar. Adapted from "The Versatile Grain and the Elegant Bean", by Sheryl and Mel London.

• Ready In: 30 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 4  large  dried japanese shiitake mushrooms
• 7  quarts water
• 1 (7 ounce) package  japanese  soba noodles (buckwheat noodles)
• 1  teaspoon  toasted sesame oil
• 2  tablespoons light soy sauce
• 1  teaspoon  oil (to cook mushrooms)
• 4  scallions, sliced diagonally into 1-inh pieces
• 2  cups  soybean  mixed sprouts
• 1  large English cucumber, sliced thinly into 2-inch strips
• 4  ounces  thinly sliced smoked salmon, cut into 1/2-inch strips
• 1  tablespoon  coarsely chopped cilantro

• Dressing

• 2  tablespoons light soy sauce
• 2  tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1⁄2 teaspoon sugar
• 1  teaspoon  finely minced lemon zest
• 1  teaspoon  finely minced fresh ginger
• 3  tablespoons  oil (canola or safflower)
•  i tsp.  hot chili oil
• 1⁄4 cup  reserved liquid from soaking mushroom

Directions

1. Soak the mushrooms in warm water to cover for about 40 minutes. Trim and discard the stems. Strain and reserve 1/4 cup. of the mushroom soaking liquid for the dressing.
2. Stack the mushrooms on top of each other, press out and discard any remaining liquid, then slice them thinly and saute them, stirring, for 5 minutes, in a small amount of vegetable oil. Set aside.
3. Bring 7 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot. Add the soba, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Cook about 4 minutes. Drain and add noodles to a large bowl that is filled with cold water. Swish the soba around in the water, and drain it again.Return the soba to the empty bowl and immediately add the sesame oil and soy sauce. Toss gently and set aside.
4. To prepare the dressing, combine all ingredients in a small bowl and blend with a whisk.
5. To serve, add the mushrooms, scallions, bean sprouts, and cucumber to the soba, toss gently with the dressing, and spoon onto a large serving platter or individual plates. Arrange the salmon strips on top and sprinkle with the cilantro.