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Chuka soba noodles and pan-fried salmon are tossed with easy sweet chili sauce shoyu sauce.
What is chuka soba?
Chuka soba noodles are Chinese-style thin wheat noodles in Japan. Chuka means Chinese and soba is a general term for noodles. Some call it Japanese curly noodles in English. It is of Chinese origin but has become so popular in Japan. They are often used to prepare noodle soup or stir-fried noodle dish.
Are chuka soba and ramen noodles the same?
The two are being used interchangeably. Chuka soba is the “older” name for ramen. Ramen noodles is more widely used now in modern days. In fact, if you can substitute ramen noodles with chuka soba in a recipe. Chuka soba noodles have that springy and chewy texture similar to ramen. They are thinner in size compared to ramen IMO.
Ingredients and substitutions
1. Chuka soba noodles
This can be found in the dried noodle section of any Asian grocery store. You can also use ramen noodles. Avoid instant-type ramen noodles though, it’s just not the same.
2. Salmon
I use skin-on boneless salmon fillet. The skin is later used as a crispy topping.
3. Sweet chili sauce
You can use any of your favorite sweet chili sauce.
4. Sesame oil
Please make sure you use toasted sesame oil because raw sesame oil seriously lacks of flavor
5. Soy sauce
Shoyu or soy sauce adds a savory umami bomb to the sauce. You can also use tamari or low-sodium soy sauce
6. Sugar (if needed)
The taste of the sauce is savory, and sweet with a hint of spiciness. This also depends on the sweet chili sauce you use. You may or may not need to add any more sugar. So please adjust to your taste
7. Oil
I use avocado oil. You can use any neutral-tasting cooking oil
Ingredients
Method
- Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook for about 3 minutes or according to the instruction on the package. You want the noodles to still have a bit of bite to it. Drain off cooking water and refresh with some cold running water to stop the cooking process. Set aside
- Preheat about 1 teaspoon of oil on a non-stick skillet. Add broccoli and season with a bit of salt and pepper and saute for about 1 minute, then add about 3 tablespoons of water and cover the pan to let the steam cook the broccoli. Last minute decision, I added a bit of store-bought bacon bits
- Remove from the pan and set aside.
- I use a skin-on salmon because I remove the skin from the flesh later and then crisp up the skin to use as toppings. If you only have skinless salmon, you can skip this step
- Put the salmon skin side down on a chopping board. Use a very sharp knife to go in between the skin and the flesh to carefully remove the skin from the flash
- Pat the salmon dry with absorbent paper towel. Lightly season the salmon with some salt and pepper
- Wipe the pan clean and add another teaspoon of oil and let it preheat over medium heat.
- Place the salmon on the skillet.
- Cover and let the salmon steam-cook for about 4-6 minutes (depending on how thick the salmon is).
- The flesh turns opaque and it flakes easily with a fork when it cooks. Do not overcook the salmon
- Put the skin back into the pan. You may need to add a bit of oil and fry the skin until they are crispy. Remove from the pan and put them on absorbent paper towel
- Put soy sauce, sweet chili sauce, and sesame oil in the same pan. Let it cook over medium heat until it starts bubbling. Have a taste. You can adjust the level of savory and sweet here. Add a bit of sugar if you want it a bit sweeter. Set aside
- Put the cooked noodles in a large bowl. Add half of the sauce and toss to combine. Make sure the noodles are evenly coated with the sauce
- Return the salmon to the pan with the sauce (but don't turn on the stove). Just toss to let the sauce coat the salmon
- Portion some noodles on a plate. Sprinkle with a bit of sesame seeds if you like. Place the salmon and broccoli next to the noodles. Drizzle with a bit more sauce and serve
*Nutrition facts are just estimates and calculated using online tools*
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