Spiralized Cucumber and Soba Noodles Salad with Edamame and Rice Wine Vinagrette Recipe

 

The WonderVeg Spiralizer strikes again and this time with beautiful hothouse cucumbers from Trader Joe’s!

I needed to make a dish for a gathering of about 10 that might also need to hold up for outdoor eating. Since it practically feels like summer most other places here, my mind was practically obsessed with cucumber spiralized noodles. The edamame, peppers, cherry tomatoes, and green onions were lovely, light additions that complemented the cucumber and soba noodles. I will admit to being a bit lazy when it comes to shelling edamame and a bit greedy – I just want to eat them immediately. Prepared edamame that are ready to be added to any salad or just for grazing are usually available at most markets, but they come with an expiration date so make sure to use them quickly. Here in South Florida, Publix (look in organic produce), Trader Joe’s, and Whole Foods definitely have them.

The ingredients for the dressing shouldn’t be hard to track down either, check your larger markets or, like me, pop into a local Asian Market if you are lucky enough to have one. Our Boca Raton Oriental Market is mesmerizing in its selections of sauces, noodles, fresh produce, frozen items, and anything else that you can think of for creating a wide variety of Asian cuisines. I snagged the Mirin (Japanese Rice Wine) there and picked up a new bottle of my favorite Chili Garlic Sauce which is perfect for adding a little heat!

Rice vinegar and rice wine vinegar are the same things, so don’t make yourself crazy trying to determine the difference. The Mirin, however, is slightly different – thicker, sweeter, and would be considered mildy acidic. Rice vinegar or rice wine vinegar has more acid and is light and bright for salads and other cooking. I tend to buy the regular rice vinegar rather than the seasoned which has more sugar and salt. using plain rice vinegar allows you to control your own sugar and salt. I recommend all the brands in the pic above, and the toasted sesame oil from Eden is divine – a dab will do you!

Soba noodles are Japanese noodles made from buckwheat flour. Soba noodles are also heart healthy, full of important phytonutrients, a lower glycemic load, more fiber, less calories, and more protein than pasta. I buy Organic Nakubaku Soba Noodles which use a combination of wheat and buckwheat so these soba noodles are NOT gluten free. The soba noodles that are 100% buckwheat are gluten free and I use them when I can find them. Soba noodles are delicious hot AND cold, another bonus, and have a slightly nutty flavor.

 

Shall we eat? Aren’t you hungry? I am. I am so hungry that after making this for the party, I came home and made a batch for my household to nibble on for the week!

The WonderVeg Spiralizer is available on Amazon! (Amazon affiliate link)

Ingredients for the Salad:

• 1 9 oz. pack of Organic Soba Noodles (prepared as directed)
• 1 large hothouse cucumber spiralized (or chopped!) – this would be two garden cucumbers
• 1 orange pepper – de-seeded and chopped
• 1 yellow pepper – de-seeded and chopped
• 1 pack of Trader Joe’s prepared edamame (9 oz)
• 8 oz of cherry tomatoes sliced in half
• 4-6 green onions – white and light green sections chopped
• 1 cup of cilantro touch chopped
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Ingredients for the Dressing:

• 1/2 cup Rice Wine Vinegar / Rice Vinegar
• 2 tablespoons of Mirin (if you cannot find this, add an extra teaspoon of sugar)
• 1 – 2 teaspoons of Toasted Sesame Oil / Sesame Oil
• 2 tablespoons of lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons of Chili Garlic Sauce (more if you like the heat)
• 1 minced/pressed garlic clove
• 1 knob of ginger (like 1/2 thumb size) grated
• 1 teaspoon of sugar
• 1 tablespoon of finely chopped green onion
• 1 tablespoon of finely chopped cilantro
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Prepare the dressing a few hours in advance if you can so the flavors are more layered and full. Whisk all of the ingredients for the dressing together. Taste and adjust accordingly. I was not going to add the sugar but it needed it for a pop – not very technical, I know, but go with your palate!

Chop all of the veggies. Prepare the soba noodles and drain them. Run the soba noodles under cold running water before mixing. Gently toss cucumber spiralized noodles, soba noodles, veggies, and dressing together. I did this with my hands to get a good mix and make sure the dressing coated the salad. This salad was in the fridge for a few hours before serving and did great! Sprinkle some extra cilantro on top to serve and ENJOY!