This salad is a great way to welcome spring. Cha soba are buckwheat noodles that have matcha green tea added to them. They can be easily sourced next to the regular soba noodles in the Asian section of some grocery stores. To make this into a more substantial meal, serve topped with some slices of simply roasted chicken or salmon.
Tip
This salad is easily customizable to incorporate whatever vegetables are hanging around in your refrigerator. Ribboned carrot strands, julienned peppers, or thinly sliced celery would all add a great crunchy contrast to the soft noodles.
Matcha Soba Salad
Ingredients
- 1 tsp (5 mL) matcha green tea powder
- 1 1/2 tsp (7 mL) finely grated ginger
- 1 Tbsp (15 mL) unseasoned rice vinegar
- 2 Tbsp (30 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 Tbsp (15 mL) water
- 1 Tbsp (15 mL) white miso paste
- 2 Tbsp (30 mL) low-sodium soy sauce or tamari
- 1 tsp (5 mL) toasted sesame oil
- 8 oz (225 g) cha soba noodles or regular soba noodles
- 6 large asparagus spears
- 4 medium-sized radishes, trimmed and sliced into paper-thin rounds
- 1/2 English cucumber, cut in half and sliced into thin half-moons
- 2 green onions, trimmed and thinly sliced
- 1 cup (250 mL) frozen peas or edamame, thawed
- 2 Tbsp (30 mL) black sesame seeds
- 1 cup (250 mL) mixed microgreens
- 2 Tbsp (30 mL) edible flower petals, for garnish (optional)
Nutrition
Per serving:
- calories231
- protein7g
- fat7g
- saturated fat1g
- trans fat0g
- carbohydrates34g
- sugars2g
- fibre4g
- sodium312mg
Directions
01
To make dressing for salad, in blender, place matcha powder, ginger, rice vinegar, olive oil, water, miso paste, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Blend until well combined and smooth. Alternatively, you can whisk ingredients together in bowl. Refrigerate until ready to use.
02
Bring large pot of water to a boil. Cook soba noodles according to package directions. Drain cooked soba noodles and rinse well under cold water until chilled, about 2 minutes. Allow to drain a couple of minutes before placing into large bowl. Drizzle noodles with half the dressing and toss until noodles are well coated.
03
Using vegetable peeler, slice asparagus into long ribbons and add to bowl with noodles along with radishes, cucumber, green onions, peas, and sesame seeds. Gently toss until well combined. Drizzle with remaining dressing before garnishing with microgreens and edible flower petals, if using.
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