Author Notes
This one-bowl meal begs to be eaten outside. Soba noodles get bathed in a peanut sauce and then tossed with scallions, mint, spinach, and peanuts. The salad can be made in advance and also travels well, whether you’re headed to the park, to a mountaintop, or just to your own backyard. —Nicki
Test Kitchen Notes
This is a great picnic dish. There's a bit too much dressing on the salad for my tastes and I wish it were a little bit spicier, so add the the first incrementally, and feel free to adjust the second to your tastesIt sits well and all the flavors complement each other. The tea is a thoughtful addition and I'm excited to play with it as a salad ingredient more. —Stephanie Bourgeois
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Ingredients
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1 pound
soba noodles
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1 teaspoon
sesame oil
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1/4 cup
extra-virgin olive oil
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1/2 cup
natural creamy peanut butter
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1/2 cup
strong brewed black tea (regular or decaf)
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3
garlic cloves
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1/2 cup
reduced sodium tamari or soy sauce
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1/4 cup
mirin
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1/4 cup
raw apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar
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3 tablespoons
honey
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1/8 teaspoon
red pepper flakes
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1/2
lime
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2 cups
English or Persian cucumber, thinly sliced
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5 ounces
baby spinach
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1/2 cup
mint leaves, coarsely chopped
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1/2 cup
roasted peanuts
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3
scallions, thinly sliced
Directions
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Cook the soba noodles in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package directions. Be sure to give them a good stir every now and then, especially at the beginning, so that they don’t clump up. Drain, rinse with cold water, and transfer to large bowl. Toss with 1 teaspoon sesame oil.
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In the meantime, combine the olive oil, peanut butter, tea, garlic cloves, tamari or soy sauce, mirin, vinegar, honey, red pepper flakes, and juice from 1/4 of the lime in a blender, then blend until smooth. Taste and add additional lime juice if desired. Pour the sauce over the warm noodles and toss to combine. The mixture will look quite soupy at this point, but the noodles will absorb the sauce as they chill. Refrigerate noodles for at least 1 hour, and up to 24 hours.
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Layer the scallions, cucumbers, spinach, mint, and peanuts over the noodles. At this point, the salad can be covered again and refrigerated for an additional 4 hours, or it can be tossed together with tongs and served. For a picnic, divide the salad into individual serving containers, pack them in a cooler or backpack, and hit the road!
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