Summer Soba Noodle Salad

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

120ml rice vinegar 

40g caster sugar 

1/2 tsp salt 

2 garlic cloves, crushed 

1/2 fresh red chilli, finely chopped 

1tsp toasted sesame oil 

Grated zest and juice of 1 lime 

220ml sunflower oil 

2 aubergines cut into 2cm dice

250g soba noodles – if making this gluten free be sure to use 100% buckwheat soba noodles.

1 large, ripe mango, cut into 5mm strips 

30g basil leaves, chopped (if you can get some use Thai basic, but much less of it) 

30g coriander leaves chopped 

1 red onion, very thinly sliced

Summary

This summer soba noodle salad holds a delicious balance of salty eggplant, sweet mango, acidic dressing and mellow noodles. It collects itself into a harmonious whole that’s so yummy during these warmer months. You can serve it as a side but we like to keep it the star of the meal, piling it high onto plates and slurping it on up!

Mango and Eggplant Soba Noodle Salad

Serves 6 as a side or 3-4 as main

First, make the dressing. In a small saucepan gently warm the vinegar, sugar and salt for up to 1 minute, just until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat and add the garlic, chilli and sesame oil. Allow to cool, then add the lime zest and juice.

Heat up the sunflower oil in a large pan and shallow-fry the aubergine in batches. Once golden brown remove to a colander, sprinkle liberally with salt and leave there to drain.

Cook the noodles in plenty of boiling water, stirring occasionally. They should take 4-5 minutes to become tender but still retain a bite. Drain and rinse well under running cold water. Shake off as much of the excess water as possible, then leave to dry on a tea towel.

In a mixing bowl toss the noodles with the dressing, mango, aubergine, half of the herbs and the onion. You can now leave this aside for 1–2 hours. When ready to serve add the rest of the herbs and mix well, then pile on a plate or in a bowl.

Hints and Tips

This recipe is by Yotam Ottolenghi and the image was sourced from The Happy Foodie