Buckwheat noodle salads for the (now late) summer and warm days
Celebrating sweet tomatoes and a bright sauce to bring it all together
So, I’ve been meaning to share this a while ago, but I had been dealing with my own struggles with self-confidence over the past year. To be completely honest, sharing online can definitely be a push and pull between excitement and fear for me. That’s why every supportive comment and interaction from you really helps me visualize who I am impacting and (hopefully) adding more joy to your life~!
On top of me dealing with wavering self-confidence, I have simply been craving the real world (meaning living without social media in the mix as much as possible), and I have been loving it. There is just so much peace that comes with living with the seasons—a sense of ease that you are exactly where you need to be at this very moment.
This season being (now late) summer, living in alignment means more fun, more being outside, more meals that make me feel lighter. With Autumn just around the corner, hopefully you can make this as a goodbye to the summer or if you live in the San Francisco Bay area like I do, you might be able to enjoy this more in the upcoming heatwave that tends to come *very soon* in late September and October.
A cold noodle salad always makes me feel light and ready for the fun of being outdoors in the sun! And while I love all types of noodles for cold noodle salads, the texture of buckwheat noodles along with the added health benefits make it an great choice for me.
I’ll share with you the one I liked the most that celebrated summer tomatoes.
Herby, Juicy Summer Tomato Buckwheat Noodle Salad with King Oyster Mushrooms and Shredded Tofu
Dressed in a tangy Vietnamese-inspired fish sauce (nuoc cham)
This one was my favorite. Here’s how you can make it too.
Ingredients:
1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
2 bundles of buckwheat noodles
4 cups dinosaur kale, chopped
1/2 cup cilantro, finely chopped
1/2 cup scallions, finely chopped
2 tbsp neutral oil
1 block of marinated dried bean curd (substitute with extra firm tofu), grated
1 king oyster mushroom, shredded
Seasoning for shredded tofu
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tsp seven spice
pinch of cane sugar
Seasoning for shredded king oyster mushroom
1 tbsp light soy sauce
Sauce (Nuoc cham)
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/4th cup vegan fish sauce, use Yondu or other vegan fish sauce
1/4th cup cane sugar
3/4 cup hot water
2 tbsp lime juice or white vinegar
1 bird’s eye chili, finely chopped / 1 tsp chili flakes
Method:
In a pot of boiling water, blanch the chopped kale for about 30 seconds or until it turns a bright green color. Remove and run under cool water or place in an ice bath. Drain and squeeze out any excess liquid.
In the same pot of boiling water, prepare soba noodles according to package instructions. Meanwhile, combine sauce ingredients and set aside. Once the noodles are done, rinse under cool water until noodles are at room temperature and excess starches are washed away. This allows the noodles to have a firm and bouncy texture (that is the best part!).
Heat a large pan and add half of the neutral oil. Saute the shredded king oyster mushrooms until each part turns golden brown. Add in 1 tbsp light soy sauce and allow each mushroom to absorb the sauce until there is added color. Remove and set aside. Add the shredded tofu to the same pan with the rest of the neutral oil and allow the tofu to release excess moisture. Sprinkle salt to help speed this process up. Once the tofu begins to crisp up and turn golden brown, add in seven spice along with 1 tbsp of light soy sauce and a pinch of sugar. Continue to saute until everything is fragrant and golden brown.
In a large bowl, add the noodles as the base. Top with cherry tomatoes, chopped cilantro and scallions, shredded king oyster mushrooms, shredded tofu, and kale. Finally, pour in the nuoc cham and mix.
Serve and enjoy!
For another variation of this, I added soy
-braised tofu skin and fava beans as the protein. It still felt light while still having so much flavor and satisfying textures!
Another variation I tried was with the classic sesame sauce but I’ll let your imagination run with that one if you want to try that after this version~
Talk soon and see you in the next one <3 Thanks for being here, and letting me share me, my thoughts, and my food.
Wishing you joy and healing,
Jameson