CHILLED CILANTRO JALAPENO SOBA

CHILLED CILANTRO JALAPENO SOBA

#SIAintheKitchen

It’s the time of year when all I crave is cold food. Summer temperatures came early in Vancouver this year! Can’t really complain, especially with the lockdown restrictions beginning to lift, I couldn’t have asked for anything more.

I was invited to a small social distancing potluck the other day and needed to bring something to the party. I needed to whip up something quick, without very many ingredients available in my pantry and fridge. Soba noodles, fresh jalapeños, a bunch of cilantro, leftover onion, garlic… Sure. I was sure I could whip something delicious up - and I did: chilled cilantro jalapeno soba.

What I whipped up was a spicy, salty and cool bundle of noodles for the summer. Fresh cilantro is blitzed with garlic, a bit of onions, and all kinds of soy sauce. Splash of lime. If I were to make this again, I’d probably add in some julienned cucumber to cool it down even further, maybe some sautéed garlic chili prawns on top.

This recipe is super simple, quick and easy to make. It is easy to double and bulk up with other vegetables and proteins if you’re looking for a more fulfilling meal. Be sure to serve this dish right away as once the sauce is mixed together, it does not keep well as the soba noodles are especially porous and will become soggy.

CHILLED CILANTRO JALAPENO SOBA - serves 4

• 2 bundles of soba noodles

• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

• 5 jalapeños, halved and de-seeded

• 4 garlic cloves

• 1 bunch cilantro, roughly chopped, stems and leaves separated

• 1/4 small white onion

• 1 lime, juice only

• 1 tsp soy sauce

• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce

• 1 tbsp sweet soy sauce

• 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil

• 1 tsp fish sauce

• 1/8 cup water

• 1/2 tsp dried red chili flakes

• freshly ground black pepper

• toasted sesame seeds

1. In a pot of boiling water, cook the soba noodles until al dente. Drain and set aside.

2. Preheat the oven to 400 F and line a baking sheet with a non-stick liner like aluminum foil or Silpat mat. Toss 4 of the jalapeños in with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and salt and pepper. Throw flesh side down onto the prepared baking sheet. Roast jalapeños for 15 minutes until the skin is lightly charred. Remove from the oven and let cool. Once cool, roughly chop the jalapeños and set aside.

3. In a food processor, place the cilantro stems, garlic, 1 raw jalapeno, onion, lime juice, all of the soy sauces, sesame oil, fish sauce chili flakes, water and black pepper. Process on low and be sure to scrape down the sides to completely blend it as much as you can.

4. Place the noodles in a large serving bowl along with the blitzed sauce. fresh cilantro leaves and roasted jalapeños. Toss to combine. Garnish with sesame seeds and ensure that all of the noodles are well-mixed. You can serve this as-is or, as I prefer, after chilling in the fridge for 1 hour.