Double-Buckwheat Noodle Salad with Green Beans and Broccolini
FROM VEG FORWARD
In this versatile salad, buckwheat groats echo the buckwheat in the soba noodles, adding an emphatic nuttiness and unexpected crunch. The salad is studded with green: cooked string beans, sliced lengthwise to make them more supple; raw broccolini, which softens a bit in the dressing; scallions; and fresh herbs. Feel free to change up the vegetables according to what's in season; use sugar snap peas instead of or in addition to the green beans, add some julienned carrots or cucumber, or even thinly sliced mushrooms.
SERVES 4
For the crispy buckwheat:
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
¼ cup whole kasha (buckwheat groats)
Kosher salt
For the salad:
4 ounces string beans
8 ounces soba noodles
2 tablespoon sesame oil
2 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon unseasoned rice wine vinegar
Kosher salt
8 small spring onions or scallions, thinly sliced (scant ½ cup)
3 ounces broccolini or purple sprouting broccoli, trimmed and chopped (about 1 cup)
½ cup lightly packed herbs, such as Thai basil, basil, mint, or cilantro
1 tablespoon chili crisp, or more to taste
To make the crispy buckwheat: Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium. Add the kasha and stir to coat evenly in oil. Lower the heat once the kasha starts to sizzle. Cook until they smell nutty and turn a shade darker, 6 to 8 minutes. Salt to taste and set aside.
To make the salad: Fill a large pot with salted water and bring to a boil. Fill a large bowl with ice water.
Cook the string beans for 1 minute and refresh in ice water, then remove with a slotted spoon. Pat dry on paper towels. Trim the ends off the beans and slice in half lengthwise.
In the same pot you cooked the string beans in, cook the soba noodles according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water, then drain well.
Toss the noodles with sesame oil, soy sauce, vinegar, and salt to taste. Add the string beans, spring onions, and sprouting broccoli and toss to combine. Top with herbs, buckwheat, and chili crisp and serve.
The amount of chili crisp is up to you and will depend somewhat on is heat level. You can use Salsa Macha (page 214) instead of chili crisp, if you’d like.
