Soba Noodle and Beet Salad

I serve this salad most often with the Wasabi Pea–Crusted Salmon. But it is so useful as a salad with other main courses (try it with grilled shrimp), that I am offering it here as a stand-alone recipe so it is sure to catch your attention. Ginger juice is a great ingredient as it adds spicy flavor without the tough texture of the chopped root. You’ll be glad to have the left over pesto to add zest to plain rice or noodles.

Ingredients

Asian Dressing

• 2 tablespoons Asian Pesto

• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger juice

• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

• 1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil

• 1 teaspoon Japanese soy sauce

Soba

• 1/2 cup Japanese soy sauce

• 1 (8-ounce) package soba

• 1 medium carrot, julienned with a mandoline, V-slicer, or large knife

• 1/2 red bell pepper, cored and cut into thin strips

• 1/2 yellow bell pepper, cored and cut into thin strips

• 1 small beet, roasted, peeled, and cut into ¼-inch dice

• 1 tablespoon finely chopped roasted unsalted cashews

• Kosher salt and freshly ground

• black pepper

Directions

1. To make the dressing: Whisk the Asian pesto, ginger juice, lime juice, sesame oil, and soy sauce together in a large bowl; set aside. (Save the remaining pesto for another use.)

2. To cook the soba: Bring 4 quarts water to a boil in a large saucepan over high heat. Add the soy sauce and return to a boil. Add the soba and cook according to the package directions until barely tender. Drain in a colander and rinse quickly under cold running water just to stop the cooking.

Add the warm noodles to the dressing and let cool. Stir in the carrot, red and yellow pepper, beet, and cashews. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (The salad can be covered and refrigerated for up to 8 hours. Season again before using.)

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Excerpted from the book Share by Chris Santos. Copyright © 2017 by Chris Santos. Reprinted with permission of Grand Central Life & Style. All rights reserved.