Welcome to this new “food kids like” blog. If your kid is reluctant to try new foods, this is the place to look. I can’t guarantee your kid will eat this stuff, of course – but I can promise you that mine, six-year-old Harry, does. He’s not the pickiest eater in the world, mind you. That title belongs to his friend Clara, who to all appearances lives on a three-food diet consisting of bread, black olives and cucumbers. But Harry does turn up his nose at anything new, and getting him to eat a novel dish – particularly if it’s vaguely exotic – is a victory.
About this soba salad. There are many noodle salads, but this is particularly tasty. The soba noodles – which you can find in some grocery stores and all health food and Whole Foods stores – add a slightly nutty flavor. You can substitute regular or whole wheat thin spaghetti if you like, but if you do you’ll sacrifice a certain je ne sais quoi.
Imagine offering to bring a dish to the home of a friend who is treating you to dinner. “I’ll bring my soba salad,” you say casually.
“Wow! Thanks!” says friend, impressed with your worldliness.
Contrast that with you offering, “I’ll bring my spaghetti salad.”
“Peasant!” sniffs your friend.
By way of other modifications, you can cut down on the sesame oil – I’ve seen recipes that call for as little as a teaspoon – and you can increase the dressing and add other vegetables, like bean sprouts. You know better than me how many vegetables you can foist on your kid, after all.
SOBA SALAD
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1-8 oz package soba noodles (or whole wheat or white thin spaghetti)
¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup rice vinegar (plain, not seasoned; seasoned rice vinegar is very sweet)
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons sugar
A handful of sugar snap peas or snow peas, de-tipped, de-stringed if it matters to you and you’re not lazy, and sliced on the diagonal
A handful of julienned carrots (you can find them by the bag in the salad section of the grocery store, or you can cut two large carrots into matchsticks)
1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
Salt to taste
Toast the sesame seeds: over medium heat, toast the sesame seeds in a dry skillet, shaking the skillet periodically. (Be careful; for a few minutes they won’t do anything, and then in rapid succession they will go from tan to brown to bursting into flame. Trust me; this I know from bitter experience.) Set the sesame seeds aside.
Cook the soba noodles just until tender, per package directions. While the noodles cook, prepare the dressing. Combine the soy, vinegar, sesame oil and sugar. I whisk them together with a fork in a glass measuring cup to minimize dirty dishes and for ease in pouring. Set aside.
Drain the noodles in a colander. Put in a large bowl and add the peas, carrots and red pepper. Toss to combine. Add the dressing; toss. Taste and add salt if you like. We find the soy makes it salty enough, but you might prefer it saltier.
Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve.
Serves 4, or 3 people who love it as much as my family does.
