Buckwheat Soba Salad

I love this salad.  There's an earthy flavor that the buckwheat gives you.  Something rich and different than the traditional somen noodles.  I went on a hike recently and discovered California buckwheat.  I don't know if this is the same buckwheat that this soba is made out of, but the visual made me feel like I was eating something wild and somehow healthier than white rice noodles.  Reading up on buckwheat showed me that I wasn't so wrong in my thoughts.  They say buckwheat is a seed and it can be made into flour and noodles.  It's even boasted as a good alternative to wheat noodles.  I remember my mom making these noodles when I was a kid, just eating them with some dashi (soup stock), soy sauce and sesame seeds.  This refreshing buckwheat noodle salad that Chef Azuki made filled me with wonderful memories, new ideas on bringing back other types of seeds and grain, and filled my empty stomach with so many textures and flavors.  Delicious!

Buckwheat Soba Salad

Ingredients:
1 pkge buckwheat soba
2 eggs
1/4 tsp. soy sauce
1/4 tsp. sugar
1 large cucumber
2 cups imitation crab
Green Onions
Garnish with thinly sliced nori
Garnish with pickled red ginger (optional)

Dressing:
1 pkge hondashi (1 Tbsp) (Soup Stock Powder)
1 1/2 cups water
1/3 cup soy sauce
1 Tbsp. mirin (sweet cooking rice seasoning)
1/4 cup sake

Directions:

1.  Prepare soba noodles according to directions on package
2.  Drain and set aside noodles to cool
3.  Scramble together 2 eggs, soy sauce and sugar
4.  Make two thin pancakes with the egg mixture
5.  Slice egg into thin strips about 1 1/2" in length
6.  Julienne Cucumber (thin slices)
7.  Shred imitation Crab
8.  Chop Green Onions
9.  Prepare dressing by putting hondashi, water, soy sauce, miring and sake in a sauce pan
10.  Heat to boiling
11.  Simmer for 3 minutes
12.  Mix together somen noodles and dressing
13.  Soak for a few minutes
14.  Add eggs, cucumber, imitation crab, green onions (reserve a little of each to garnish after)
15.  Gently toss together
16.  Add the rest of eggs, cucumber, crab and green onions on top
17.  Cut nori with scissors into thin strips to garnish
19.  Add pickled red ginger to top if you would like

Wow, she created a beautiful presentation and what delicious flavors!  It really doesn't take long to prepare if you gather some helpers to cut the vegetables and egg pancakes.  If the weather's nice tonight I plan to eat my soba salad out in the patio.  A cool refreshing salad to end a beautiful day.

BeaNspiration:  Listen to your heart and spend some time outside,  reconnecting to the earth.