Yakisoba brings an eclectic mix of oriental dining to the heart of your table. Yakisoba, literally ‘fried buckwheat’, is a Japanese noodle stir-fry dish. Although soba means buckwheat, yakisoba noodles are actually made from wheat flour. Whether in the form of udon, soba, yakisoba, somen, the universally popular ramen or other forms, Japan’s love affair with noodles is rich and varied.
For the sauce
2 tbsp shoyu
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp filtered water
2 tsp ginger juice
1 tbsp mirin
Make sauce by combining the ingredients in a small bowl, and set aside.
Yakisoba
1 pack soba noodles
1 cup sliced onion (thin half-moons)
Few pinches sea salt
½ cup fresh shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
½ cup carrots, sliced into thin matchsticks
1 cup sugar snap peas
1 cup celery, thinly sliced on the diagonal
1 cup mung bean sprouts
Fresh coriander
In a large pot, cook the soba noodles according to the directions on the package. Drain and wash well with cold water. Set aside. In a large wok, heat a splash or two of water and sauté the onions with a few pinches of sea salt for 4–5 minutes, until translucent.
Add the mushrooms, carrots and celery and keep sautéing for 3–4 more minutes. Add the sugar snap peas and continue sautéing, mixing all the vegetables well in the wok. Add the soba noodles on top of the vegetables, cover and steam for a few minutes on a medium-low flame. If the bottom of the wok is dry, add a little water before covering. Open the cover, pour in the sauce, and toss the bean sprouts over the vegetables. Still over a low flame, mix the noodles and vegetables together using tongs. Mix gently so that the noodles don’t break, but the sauce penetrates all the ingredients. Adjust the flavour if necessary by adding a splash or two of shoyu. Garnish with fresh coriander. Makes 4–6 servings.
Variations – You may also use udon or other types of noodles. If you are gluten-sensitive, use brown rice or quinoa noodles.
Marlene Watson-Tara
