SERVES: 2
TIME: 45 MINUTES
Chilled soba noodles, a Japanese staple in many warm-weather dishes, are traditionally made with buckwheat flour. While enjoying a cold sesame soba noodle salad on a steamy summer day, it hit me that buckwheat is also a staple in Eastern European cuisine. So here it is, a salad that infuses these earthy noodles with the rustic flavors found in Polish warm-weather salads: beets, cucumbers, and the requisite heap of fresh dill. White beans add a touch of richness and protein too.
SOBA SALAD
½ pound uncooked beets, peeled and diced
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil, divided
¼ teaspoon celery seeds
Pinch of salt and a few twists of freshly ground black pepper
6 ounces soba noodles
2 scallions, green part only, thinly sliced
1 English cucumber, peeled and sliced into thin half-moons
1 cup cooked white beans
3 tablespoons chopped roasted walnuts
DILL DRESSING
½ cup finely chopped fresh dill
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
4 teaspoons olive oil
1 tablespoon organic granulated sugar
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon salt
1 Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread the diced beets on the parchment paper, drizzle with 1 tablespoon of oil, celery seeds, salt, and pepper and toss. Roast for 20 minutes, or until tender and easily pierced with a fork.
2 Prepare the soba noodles according to package directions, but slightly undercook them to al dente. Drain, rinse with plenty of cold water, and transfer to a mixing bowl.
3 In another mixing bowl, combine the scallions, cucumber, and white beans. Whisk the dressing ingredients together in a glass measuring cup or bowl, pour half over the bean and vegetable mixture, and toss. Add the remaining dressing to the soba noodles and toss.
4 Divide the soba noodles among serving bowls and twirl into a mound in the center of each bowl. Spoon the bean and vegetable mixture over the soba, garnish with roasted beets, and sprinkle with roasted walnuts.