Ginger Soba Noodles with Watermelon Radish, Broccoli, & Cabbage

I hope you all enjoyed a relaxing Memorial Day Weekend! It was wonderful to have a few days off & I finally had some time to spend in the kitchen! I picked up quite a haul at the farmers’ market last Thursday, then Saturday my friend brought me a huge bag of veggies from her garden, so I have produce overload, but no complaints here! My juicer has been working overtime to help me make a dent in the roughage.

I recently renewed my CSA membership after a few months off, & I’ve realized that getting the bi-weekly share really helps to keep the culinary inspiration alive. Otherwise, I get stuck in a food rut. The variety of veggies I receive forces me to get creative, especially when the cabbage starts making frequent appearances (enter usual cabbage complaint here). This time, however, the purple cabbage received a warm welcome, as I’d had an idea brewing. It all started with a soba salad I had at the LA Vegan Beer Fest I love soba noodles, & don’t make them often enough. Atop this salad were colorful slices of crisp radishes - something I never would have thought to put in a soba noodle dish. Mental note made. Then, I rediscovered my love for vibrant watermelon radishes last weekend at the Farm to Yoga dinner. So…soba salad, watermelon radishes…& finally some inspiration.

I had a favorite Gingered Soba Noodle recipe from my very first vegan cooking class at Sur La Table that I’d been craving, so I pulled it out of the archives with a plan to spruce it up. This recipe provides a nice starting point for any number of variations, as it’s simply soba noodles tossed with fresh herbs, scallions, & a spicy Asian-style sauce. I love to pack in the veggies, so when watermelon radishes (one of my favorite spring delights) appeared in my share, I knew just what I would do with them! Also in my share - broccoli & cabbage - both of which I thought would provide nice color & texture to the salad, & a new recipe was born.

GINGER SOBA NOODLES WITH WATERMELON RADISH, BROCCOLI, & CABBAGE Author: Melissa, Honey Bee Vegan

Recipe Type: Salad

Cuisine: Vegan, Asian Inspired

INGREDIENTS

• 3 Tbsp olive oil

• 3 Tbsp sesame oil

• 3 Tbsp seasoned rice vinegar

• 3 Tbsp agave nectar

• 2 Tbsp Sriracha

• 1/3 cup tamari

• 2 Tbsp freshly grated ginger

• 2 cloves minced garlic

• 2 watermelon radishes, halved & thinly sliced

• 1 broccoli crown, cut into florets & steamed

• 1 small purple cabbage, thinly sliced

• 1 bunch scallions, sliced

• ½ cup cilantro, roughly chopped

• ½ cup mint, roughly chopped

• 12 oz. soba noodles

• Gomashio for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Cook soba noodles according to the package instructions.

2. Steam broccoli florets for 5 minutes, shock in ice water & set aside. Shred cabbage, slice the radishes, & chop the scallions & herbs.

3. In a large bowl, combine olive oil, sesame oil, rice vinegar, agave, sriracha, tamari, garlic & ginger in a large bowl. Mix well. Add cooled noodles, vegetables, & herbs & toss until well coated. Garnish with more herbs & gomashio.

This dish, full of zesty fresh herbs, tender noodles, & crisp veggies, turned out as beautiful as it was tasty. Perhaps not your typical Memorial Day feast, but certainly worthy of enjoyment on a warm "spring into summer" evening. Bring on the cabbage! I’ll be making this again, for sure.