This soba noodle recipe is a real fusion of flavours resulting in a creamy pesto(ish) sauce that teams wonderfully with the vibrant wok seared greens. Soba noodles are a favourite for their delicious texture and flavor and here they work beautifully to tie the ingredients together in a super tasty vegan recipe that’s pretty simple to prepare.

On our trips to beautiful Japan I often ate soba noodles when I wasn’t sure of anything else on the menu and was never disappointed. In fact, no food I ate in Japan was anything less than amazing. And while this dish is not exactly Japanese it is non-the-less a tasty way to enjoy delicious soba noodles!

I adapted this vegetarian recipe from a great cookbook ‘Simple Japanese’ and am very happy with the result. While it can be intimidating to recreate traditional Japanese food in your own kitchen it can be fun to play around with different ingredients and bring together interesting combinations of flavours.

The ‘pesto’ is a tasty mix of coriander, soy, pickled ginger and nori (dried seaweed) brought together with tofu to create a creamy style sauce that has a similar consistency to a true pesto pasta sauce. Paired with fresh wok seared greens and soba noodles; it’s like a pesto spaghetti but with subtle eastern flavours. Beautifully green in colour, this healthy vegetarian dish is super delicious!!

Coriander & Nori ‘Pesto’ Soba w/ Wok Seared Greens
Preparation time: 15mins // Serves 4

• coriander & nori ‘pesto’ (as prepared above)
• 275g (10 oz) soba noodles
• 1 tbs vegetable oil
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 shallots, sliced
• 230g (8 oz) young asparagus, woody ends remove & sliced in half lengthways
• 60g (2 oz) snowpeas
• 1 tbs sesame seeds

Gently boil the soba noodles in plenty of water for 3-4 minutes, strain and rinse, set aside.

Heat the oil in a wok, add the garlic and fry for 1 minute over a medium heat. Add the shallots, asparagus, snowpeas and sesame seeds. Continue to toss over a medium/high heat for a few minutes until the asparagus and snowpeas are coloured but still crisp.

Add the cooked soba noodles and toss through enough of the ‘pesto’ mixture to coat well. Heat through and serve immediately with a little extra soy and/or wasabi if desired.

A fantastic healthy vegan recipe that’s a little different from your traditional pasta dish!