I’ve found a perfect summer side dish that is easy and quick to put together, perfect for a hot summer day. These are seriously so delicious!
It’s made with Japanese soba (buckwheat) noodles. I picked up a package at the local World Market, which, in Billings anyway, is beginning to stock more and more Asian ingredients. The dry noodles are shorter than spaghetti, and are packed in neat little 3 oz. bundles – they’re very cute. But, if you can’t find soba, this salad would be outstanding made with thin spaghetti.
I love this recipe originally from Ina Garten. My husband and I crave Chinese food and flavors, particularly this time of year. In the winter, I tend to stick to the old standbys: vegetable soup, chili, meatloaf, chicken and dumplings. All great stuff, but during the seasonal transition from winter to spring, I thought it was time to challenge our taste buds – what about something Asian? This dish came readily to mind believe it or not, because I had almost all the ingredients on hand. This is not a light dish, and not something that leaps to the fore when it’s cold. The noodles are served at room temperature, but I warmed up dinner with a couple of baked chicken breasts. There are lots of vegetables, is it healthy, well you be the judge. However, Crunchy Asian Noodle Salad is very satisfying.
