Soba means buckwheat in Japanese, the naturally gluten-free whole grain that these dense, nutty flavoured noodles are made from (look for 100% buckwheat options, some contain less nutritious refined wheat flour as well). Buckwheat is a good source of fiber, minerals, B vitamins and has a notable amount of protein. The combination of fiber and protein make these noodles a lot more filling than regular white durum flour options like spaghetti even though they have fewer calories- an example of the power of nutrient density over just caloric density.
I like to boil them in a pot of water while simultaneously making a stir fry then adding it all together for a noodle bowl with some Asian flavours. Starting off by sautéing garlic and ginger creates the base of a fragrant built-in sauce. Next go the vegetables (and maybe some tropical fruit like mango) with tamari or soy sauce, then finally some green onion and prawns (or enoki or shiitake mushrooms or edamame beans for vegetarians). Finishing it off with lime juice and cilantro adds a bit of acidity and freshness to round it all out.
Rainbow carrots are a nice option aesthetically and the purple and yellow ones do offer some additional different antioxidants, but just all orange ones work too. Shaving them really thinly with a vegetable peeler is fast and it makes them cook really quickly.
- 1 lb raw prawns, peeled and deveined
- 1 250 g bag soba noodles (go for 100% buckwheat if available)
- 1 small bunch rainbow carrots, sliced thinly with a vegetable peeler (2 cups)
- 1 mango, peeled and julienned
- ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- ⅓ cup green onion, thinly sliced
- ½ lime
- 2 tablespoons tamari (or soy sauce)
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil (or olive or coconut oil)
- 1 tablespoon fresh garlic, minced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- Set up a large pot ⅔ full of water on the stove over high heat and bring to a boil. Check the noodle package to see how long they take to cook, it should be around 5-6 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat up the oil in a wok over medium high heat. Add in the garlic and ginger and sautée until they start to lightly brown, around 2 minutes. Add in the tamari, carrots and mango and continue stirring occasionally until the carrots start to soften, around 3 minutes.
- If the noodles take around 5 minutes put them into the boiling water now (if longer put them in earlier).
- Push the carrots and mango up the sides of the wok and place the prawns and green onion in the middle. Leave them for a minute or two then flip them over until they are all cooked evenly on both sides, it will take up to 5-6 minutes. Remove the wok from the heat and drain the noodles. Add the noodles and cilantro to the wok and use tongs or two forks to toss until everything is evenly combined. Squeeze the lime juice over and serve warm.
