For better or weird, a cabbage and noodle salad is one of the things that my super picky eater will always approach with enthusiasm. She is a particular fan of purple cabbage, especially if it is made available in really small, still crunchy bits. As a result, I've tinkered with somewhere around one billion variations of the esteemed Asian noodle salad over the last couple of years. This one is my current favorite.
Cabbage, Sesame and Soba Noodle Salad
1 package soba noodles (I used gluten-free black rice soba for the salad pictured here)
2 or 3 cups shredded cabbage
3 carrots, grated
1/8 cup sesame seeds, toasted (you can toss them around an ungreased pan for a few minutes to do this- medium heat works well)
1 small bunch scallions, diced (I generally use the white, and about inches of green)
1/2 lb. snow peas, cut into 1 inch pieces and parboiled
Dressing
1/4 cup tamari or soy sauce
3 Tablespoons fish sauce
2 Tablespoons toasted sesame oil
2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
3 Tablespoons brown sugar or honey
Cook the soba noodles according to the package instructions, drain them, and rinse them in cool water. Put into a large mixing bowl, and add in the veggies. Mix up the dressing ingredients, using a wisk to make sure that everything is well combined. Taste, and adjust the seasoning as needed by adding more vinegar, more sugar etc. Toss the noodles and veggies with the dressing. Serve cold or at room temperature.
