START TO FINISH: 20 minutes
SERVINGS: 4
Spicy, garlicky soba noodles and dark green kale yield a hearty and quick vegetarian meal. Leeks add a delicate, onion flavor. We liked using a buckwheat-wheat blended soba noodle, but any variety will work. The dish is fine as is, though a sunny-side up egg would be a nice complement. Gochujang, a chili paste common in Korean cooking, adds savory-salty heat to the noodles. It can be found in Asian markets and most larger supermarkets.
Don’t forget to rinse the soba noodles with cold water right after they finish cooking. They’ll turn gummy and lose their texture if they sit in warm water. And don’t use regular soy sauce; it will make the dish too salty.
8.8-ounce package dried soba noodles
1 tablespoon packed light brown sugar
⅓ cup low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons salted butter
2 medium leeks, white and light green parts only, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced (2 cups)
8 medium garlic cloves, minced
5 teaspoons gochujang
1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
2 pounds lacinato kale, stemmed and cut crosswise into ½-inch ribbons
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
In a large pot, bring 4 quarts water to a boil. Add the soba and cook until al dente, about 5 minutes. Reserve ½ cup of the cooking water, then drain and rinse the noodles under cold water. Drain well, then set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk the reserved soba cooking water, the brown sugar and soy sauce until the sugar dissolves. Set aside.
Return the pot to medium-high and melt the butter. Once foaming has subsided, add the leeks and cook until lightly browned, stirring occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes. Reserve 3 tablespoons of the leeks for garnish. Add the garlic, gochujang and ginger. Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the kale and reserved soy sauce mixture. Cover and cook on medium until the greens are wilted and tender, 5 to 7 minutes.
Add the noodles, using tongs to gently loosen them as they go into the pot. Stir to combine and continue to cook until most of the liquid has been absorbed, about 2 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to serving bowls and top with the reserved leeks.