Chilled Soba Noodle Salad

Chilled Soba Noodles with Roasted Fairy Tale Eggplant, Tempeh, Kale, Black Sesame, and Cucumber

This dish is perfect for a lunch time meal prep or just a big ol’ salad for dinner. High in protein, packed with veggies and tossed in a simple dressing it’s a fool-proof recipe that’s next to impossible to mess up. The versatility allows you to use up whatever veggies that may be on their last legs sitting in your fridge. All of the veggies along with the tempeh can cooked the day before but will begin to lose its’ luster after that. If you want, make some extra of the dressing as that will last 4-5 days in fridge and it freakin’ slaps.

Ingredients:

8 oz. Soba Noodles

1 C Eggplant, Diced

4 oz. Tempeh, medium dice

Sesame Oil

½ C Tuscan Kale, shredded

1 T Black Sesame Seeds

¼ C Cucumber, quartered and sliced

For the Dressing:

2 T Miso

¼ C Soy Sauce

2 T Rice Wine Vinegar

2 T Cilantro, leaves

¼ C Sesame Oil

1 t. Ginger, fresh

2 pcs. Garlic Cloves

Instructions:

Bring a pot of water to a boil and add the Soba noodles. Cook for about 5 minutes or until al dente. Immediately run under cold water and shake out excess moisture. Toss with a little bit of sesame oil and leave in the fridge for later.

Start a saute pan over medium - high heat and add sesame oil. Add diced eggplant and season with salt. Once it’s cooked and has some color, transfer to a plate and place in the fridge. Allow to cool completely.

Drain remaining oil from the pan and wipe clean. Return the pan to the stove top and add enough sesame oil to cover the pan and allow it to get hot. Add the tempeh. Pay close attention not to turn burn the tempeh and gently move it around with a spoon or tongs, allowing all sides to brown. Once cooked, remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel to absorb excess oil. Allow to cool.

Add all of the ingredients for the dressing in a blender or food processor. Blend until very smooth and transfer to another container.

Add all the ingredients to a large bowl and toss with the dressing. It’s best to add the dressing slowly and adjust the amount to your specific desire. You should have extra dressing at the end which can be saved and used as a dressing, marinade, etc. for whatever else you’re cooking up that week.