Green Tea Noodles
By Rachel Davies
Have you ever walked around a food shop, examining the unfamiliar ingredients and wondering how you could turn them into something delicious?
Well that’s what I do regularly in the Japanese store near where I live. Everything seems exotic, and I can’t wait to take the ingredients home, cook them up and see what happens!
I end up spending more money that I should, and leave with overflowing bags of noodles, seasonings, seaweeds and dumpling wrappers. My husband becomes the guinea pig, giving his verdict, and never knowing quite what to expect.
This dish was given the thumbs up.
My discovery here was green tea soba noodles, called cha soba in Japan. They are made from buckwheat, have a lovely chewy texture, and a hint of matcha gives them a light green colour and delicate flavour.
I paired them with salmon, fresh green vegetables and mint, and thought it was an experiment worth making!
I’d love to know what you think too. Let me know if you give this recipe a go!
Here’s to experimenting…
Salmon and Soba Noodles Salad
Serves 4
Ingredients
200g green tea soba noodles
4 x 150g salmon fillets, skin on
350g shelled edamame beans
100g frozen peas
100g mange tout
100g asparagus tips, trimmed
A handful of fresh mint leaves
60ml (4 tablespoons) rice vinegar
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C and bring 2 medium saucepans of water to the boil.
Add the noodles to one pan, stir and simmer gently for 6-8 minutes, or until al dente. Strain and cool immediately in cold, running water. Leave to drain.
Line a baking tray with parchment, add the salmon skin-side down, and brush with a little sunflower oil, salt and pepper. Bake for 8 minutes and allow to rest.
Blanch the edamame beans, peas, mange tout and asparagus for 2 minutes each, refreshing each time in ice-cold water.
Take half the edamame and peas and blend with the mint leaves, rice vinegar and a good pinch of salt. Stir this mixture through the noodles, add the remaining greens, and serve with the warm salmon on top.
If you have white or black sesame seeds you could sprinkle them on top for an extra garnish.
Enjoy!
