Soba Slaw & “Quick-Fix Vegan” Review

Last week I promised to share a cabbage-rich recipe & no complaints about yet another head of cabbage in my CSA share. I whipped it up & photographed it over the weekend. It was wonderful & I stand by my promise - no cabbage complaints! I was given gracious permission from the author to share a delicious recipe from Quick-Fix Vegan: Healthy Homestyle Meals in 30 Minutes or Less.

For this post, I chose the Soba Slaw to review & share because I love soba noodles, & I’ve been receiving cabbage galore this season. You all know how I usually feel about cabbage, so why not combine something I love with something I…tend to loathe… & see if I can break this cabbage-bashing spell?

This recipe combines hearty buckwheat noodles, shredded cabbage, carrots, ginger & herbs with a tangy sauce - giving it wonderful texture & flavor.

SOBA SLAW

Author: Robin Robertson (Recipe reprinted with the author’s permission)

Recipe Type: Main Dish, Pasta & Noodles

Cuisine: Vegan

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS

• 8 ounces of soba noodles

• 3 cups finely shredded cabbage

• 1 cup grated carrot

• 3 scallions, minced

• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro or parsley

• 2 tsp grated fresh ginger

• 3 Tbsp rice vinegar

• 1 ½ Tbsp neutral vegetable oil

• 1 ½ Tbsp toasted sesame oil

• ½ tsp sugar

• 2 Tbsp chopped peanuts

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Cook the noodles in a pot of boiling salted water until tender. Drain & run under cold water, then transfer to a large bowl. Add the cabbage, carrot, scallions, cilantro, & ginger. Set aside.

2. In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, vegetable oil, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, & salt to taste. Stir until well blended.

3. Pour the dressing over the noodles & vegetables & toss gently to coat. Taste & adjust the seasoning. Sprinkle the peanuts on top. Serve at once, or cover & refrigerate until needed.

I made a few simple modifications for my preparation. I prepped the cabbage in a food processor with the shredding blade (I used a small savoy cabbage) & it created a fine shred that was perfect for this dish (however, might be too fine for a coleslaw-type salad). I incorporated the ginger into the sauce & also swapped out the sugar & replaced it with maple syrup. Next time I might even throw in a clove or two of minced garlic. I substituted sesame seeds in place of the peanuts, as it was what I had on hand. I also think slivered chopped almonds would be nice.

This is certainly a dish I will make over & over, especially during dreaded cabbage season.