Recipe
Chilled Soba Noodles with Sesame, Cucumber & Edamame
Soba noodles cooked, rinsed cold and dressed in a sharp sesame and ginger dressing. This takes twenty minutes, keeps well, and is exactly the kind of food July asks for.
Method
Make the dressing first: whisk together the tamari, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, maple syrup, grated ginger, grated garlic and neutral oil until combined. Add chilli flakes to taste if using. It should be sharp, deeply savoury and lightly sweet, with the sesame oil present but not dominant. Set aside — it improves as it sits, so make it ahead if you can.
Cook the soba noodles in a large pan of boiling unsalted water according to the packet instructions — usually 4–5 minutes. They should be tender with a little bite remaining. Drain and rinse immediately and thoroughly under cold running water, tossing with your hands for at least 30 seconds. The water should run clear. The noodles will be cold and separated, not clumped. This step is important — skipping it produces sticky, starchy noodles that don't dress well.
Prepare the cucumber while the noodles cook: halve lengthways, use a teaspoon to scrape out the seeds in one movement, then slice thinly on the diagonal. Toss with a small pinch of salt in a bowl and leave for 5 minutes — this draws out excess moisture so the cucumber stays crisp in the dressing rather than diluting it. Drain off any liquid before using.
Combine the cold noodles, edamame, drained cucumber and spring onions in a large bowl. Pour over the dressing and toss thoroughly, working through the noodles so everything is well coated. Taste and adjust: more tamari if it needs salt, more vinegar if it needs sharpness, more maple syrup if the dressing is too austere.
Divide between bowls and scatter the toasted sesame seeds generously over the top. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to an hour — the noodles absorb the dressing as they sit, which concentrates the flavour. If serving straight from the fridge, check the seasoning again and add a little extra tamari or vinegar if needed.
✦ Chef's note
Most soba noodles sold in supermarkets are a blend of buckwheat and wheat flour; for a genuinely gluten-free version, look for noodles labelled 100% buckwheat (juwari soba), which are available in most health food shops and online. The dressing keeps well in a jar in the fridge for up to a week — it's also very good over a bowl of warm brown rice, as a marinade for tofu or salmon, or drizzled over a wedge salad. Toasted sesame seeds: toast in a dry frying pan over medium heat for 3–4 minutes until fragrant and beginning to jump. Watch them — they go from golden to burnt in under a minute.