Mention soba noodles and you will immediately think of Japan. Soba noodles are made of buckwheat flour and in Japanese language, soba does mean buckwheat. My mom and I are both noodle heads, however, she doesn’t care much for soba noodles. I, on the other hand, like all kind of noodles I can think of. Soba noodles can be used in both cold and warm dishes. I think I see the former more. I personally also like cold soba noodles. It is easy to overcook soba noodles and when you overcook them the texture just won’t come out right.
This soba noodles salad with sweet shrimp rolls is such a great combination. You have the noodles dressed in black sesame dressing and then tossed with vegetable such as bell peppers and bean sprouts and fruit like mango. The soba noodles taste sour and sweet (from the mango) and it is such an appetite opener. Then you have this crunchy sweet shrimp rolls that you marinated in limes, ginger and coriander and then wrapped in wonton wrappers and fried until golden brown…ohhh my! The soba noodles and the sweet shrimp rolls go so well together. If you ask me, both can be eaten separately and they still taste good. Another great recipe from A Taste of Hawaii cookbook by Jean-Marie Josselin.
SOBA NOODLES SALAD WITH SWEET SHRIMP ROLLS (4 servings)
Ingredients
Shrimp Rolls:
- Oil for deep-frying
- ½ tsp diced fresh chili pepper
- 2 tsp chopped fresh coriander
- Juice of 1 1/2 limes
- ½ tsp minced fresh ginger
- ½ tsp white sesame seeds
- 12 large shrimp , shells removed but leave the tails on
- 12 wonton wrappers
Soba Noodles Salad:
- 2 ½ cup cooked , drained soba noodles (follow the instruction exactly on the package you bought on how to cook the noodles and avoid overcooking)
- ½ cup chopped red bell pepper
- 4 Tbsp diced pickled ginger (available in Asian grocery or ethnic section at non-Asian grocery)
- 4 Tbsp chopped fresh coriander
- 1 cup diced fresh tomato
- ½ cup bean sprouts
- ½ medium mango , peeled and diced
Black Sesame Dressing (makes 1 1/2 cups)
- ½ cup red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp chopped fresh ginger
- 1 tsp chopped garlic
- Salt and pepper
- 1 cup olive oil
- 2 tsp black sesame seeds or toasted white sesame seeds
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl or blender, combine the vinegar, ginger, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well and slowly add the olive oil and then the sesame seeds. If using a blender, add the olive oil in a drizzle with the blender on slow speed, but stir in the sesame seeds after transferring mixture to a jar or bowl. Refrigerate until ready to use
- Heat oil to 375 F. Combine the chili pepper, coriander, lime juice, ginger,and sesame seeds in a bowl. Place shrimp in marinade and let sit for 15 minutes
- Place a shrimp on each of the wonton wrappers and, fold over the body of the shrimp leaving the tail out (for presentation purpose) and secure shut by moisten the edge with some of the marinade juice and pinch the edges together to seal. Deep-fry the shrimp rolls until golden and crispy, about 2 minutes. Set aside to drain on paper towels
- Combine the ingredients for noodles and mix until well coated with the dressing. Serve the noodles alongside the shrimp rolls. You can chill the noodles first if you like to eat it cold
