Sesame Soba Noodles with Seared Mushrooms
When I first tried making a noodle dish with Japanese soba noodles — my immediate thought was, where have you been all my life?! Originating in Japan in the middle ages, soba noodles are made from buckwheat flour, can be a gluten-free alternative pasta (please check ingredients), and are rich and rustic with a natural earthiness that pairs perfectly with mushrooms. This noodle dish combines the salty goodness of fermented Tamari sauce, the slight tang of vinegar and the fresh flavors of basil and sesame. It can be served warm or cold as a main vegetarian dish or delicious side.
Part 1 - Mise-en-place
1 package or 300 grams of soba (buckwheat) noodles. *See gluten-free note below.
2 cups cubed eggplant (skin removed if desired)
2 cups mixed brown mushrooms (all varieties work well!)
Olive oil for sautéing
THE DRESSING:
4 tablespoons Tamari or soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 clove crushed garlic
1-2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
Additions:
Fresh basil, toasted sesame seeds. chili flakes, seaweed flakes or Gomasio (white sesame seeds ground with sea salt). If you love extra spicy, add a spoon of ginger-chili paste on the side.
Part 2 - preparation
Prepare and cook the soba noodles based on package instructions. The type I used took 11 minutes.
Chop the mushrooms in quarters or thick slices depending on size and cube the eggplant. Because the eggplant is quickly seared in this recipe, I don’t find the need to salt it to extract the moisture first. Also, if you need to wash your mushrooms, be sure that they are completely dry before cutting and preparing them prior to searing.
Whisk together the dressing ingredients.
Part 3 - the method
Once cooked, drain and set aside the soba noodles. You can toss with the dressing now, or wait until all of the ingredients are combined.
SEARING:
No one enjoys wet and slimy mushrooms or eggplant. I recommend a dry-searing method that insures well-cooked but firm textures and perfect browning.
Heat a steel pan to medium-high surface temperature. Use caution if using a non-stick surface or tin-lined cookware as ‘dry’ pre-heating is not recommended. Steel or stainless steel pans can be safely pre-heated to begin the dry-sear method for the mushrooms and eggplant. Place your hand over the pan (about 6 inches above the surface) to test for heat and once the surface is hot, drop the dry mushrooms into the pan. Reduce the heat to medium and quickly drizzle with olive oil. The mushrooms will rapidly absorb the oil but don’t be tempted to add too much. You will want the surface to brown before adding a significant amount of oil. Next drop in the eggplant cubes and continue to toss occasionally and add oil as needed.
Once evenly browned, you can add a pinch of salt or a dash of soy sauce.
BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER:
Toss the soba noodles with the dressing and add the seared mushrooms and eggplant. Top with a chiffonade of fresh basil, sesame seeds and other additions noted above. Serve warm or chilled.
TIP:
This noodle dish is a great make-ahead, as the noodles keep their texture perfectly when cooled and reheated. If you decide to serve it cold the next day, just add a splash of rice vinegar and a bit more sesame oil before plating.
FAQ:
What is the difference between Tamari and Soy Sauce? The most obvious difference is that Tamari is slightly thicker and less salt-forward. I lean towards Tamari sauce even though it is often more expensive for a few reasons - soy sauce is made from a combination of soybeans, wheat, and salt, which are brewed together and left to ferment. While Tamari is the liquid by product that forms when making miso or fermented-soy paste. For me the combination of less salt and no gluten (added wheat) confirms my preference. Again - always check labels if you are gluten-sensitive as any product can contain trace amounts of gluten.
Are Soba Noodles gluten free?
In their traditional form, soba noodles are made of pure buckwheat. Despite the name, buckwheat is not a type of wheat, but rather a seed that's harvested from a flowering plant. The French use buckwheat flour or ‘Sarasin’ for savory crepes and breads. Bear in mind that not all buckwheat products are gluten-free due to cross contamination or the addition of wheat flour or other grains for consistency in texture. The noodles I used for this recipe were 20% wheat and 80% buckwheat.
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