Name: Cold Miso Shrimp & Tofu Soba Noodles
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: For the Tofu & Sesame Miso Dressing; 2 tablespoons tamari; 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil; ¼ cup tahini; ¼ cup fresh orange juice + 1 teaspoon orange zest; 1½ tablespoons white miso paste; 1 tablespoon honey; 1 tablespoon rice vinegar; 1 teaspoon fish sauce; ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper; 2 large cloves garlic, minced; A 1-inch piece fresh of ginger, minced (about 1 tablespoon); 8 oz extra-firm tofu, pat dry; 1 pound small or medium shrimp (about 40 to 50 shrimp), raw, peeled and deveined; Neutral oil for frying; 10 ounces buckwheat soba noodles; 2 teaspoons sesame oil; 1 cup shelled edamame, steamed or thawed; ¼ cup chopped roasted & salted peanuts; ½ cup raw sweet corn (shaved fresh off the cob); 2 scallions, finely sliced on the bias; 2 tablespoons black sesame seeds; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro; 6 lime wedges

Mains

Cold Miso Shrimp & Tofu Soba Noodles

Author: Mary DiSomma

I grew up Italian—so you know I love pasta. A perfectly cooked spaghetti, abubbling baked ziti, or atortellini pasta salad, and I’m a happy woman. But when I’m craving something a little lighter—especially once the weather warms up—I go for some cold soba noodles. If you haven’t cooked with soba before, this recipe is a great place to start.

Ingredient Tips

Soba noodles are delicate Japanese noodles, traditionally made with buckwheat. Buckwheat has a unique earthy and nutty flavor. When buckwheat noodles are prepared correctly, they have a wonderfully chewy bite. This dish is colorful, fresh, and satisfying. You’ve got tender shrimp, crispy caramelized tofu, sweet corn, edamame, fresh herbs, and a creamy sesame-miso dressing to bring it all together.

Preparation + Preservation Tips

One of the things I love most about this cold soba noodle recipe is how flexible it is. Because this dish already has protein, vegetables, and those satisfying buckwheat soba noodles, it makes a great lunch or a delicious light dinner. It’s also good for picnics if you don’t mind bringing some extra dishes along. If you’re entertaining, it’s easy to pair with other dishes, too!

I recommend serving your chilled soba noodles with crispy vegetable spring rolls, a simple sesame cucumber salad, some steamed dumplings, or even a platter of grilled skewers. A crisp cabbage slaw with rice vinegar would make a great pairing too. If you’re doing a summery dinner spread, these cold Japanese noodles also pair wonderfully with salmon or another miso-glazed fish.

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If you’re planning ahead, you can approach this recipe in stages. You can cook the shrimp, prepare the tofu, steam the edamame, and mix the dressing earlier in the day. The noodles can also be cooked ahead—but make sure you rinse them thoroughly with cold water after cooking! This stops the cooking process and removes excess starch. Then toss lightly with sesame oil so they don’t clump and stick together.

I recommend assembling everything within a few hours of serving for the freshest texture. The herbs will taste brighter, the peanuts stay crunchier, and the vegetables keep their bite. The noodles will also hold up better because remember—they are delicate. That being said, the leftovers are still good for lunch the next day!

For the best results, I recommend serving soba noodles cold. Traditional zaru soba and hiyashi soba are meant to be served cold, and there’s a reason for that. Chilling the noodles gives them their signature springy chew and keeps the dish refreshing—especially with my sesame-miso dressing (recipe included) drizzled on top.

If this dish sits out for 20 or 30 minutes while guests gather, nobody’s going to complain. It’s still delicious at a cool room temperature. Just follow the directions and don’t serve it warm!

Extra Tips

This creamy miso dressing is an ideal cold soba noodle sauce, but once you taste it, you might want to try it on everything. The combination of white miso, tahini, orange juice, ginger, garlic, tamari, and sesame oil strikes a perfect balance of salty, nutty, tangy, and sweet.

Drizzle it over grain bowls, spoon it onto roasted vegetables, or try it as a sauce for grilled chicken, salmon, or shrimp. Thin it out a little bit and it makes a tasty salad dressing. It would even be delicious as a dipping sauce for dumplings or steamed veggies.

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I want to encourage people to feel confident to try new things in the kitchen and to be inspired to share more meals with friends and family.

It’s easy to collect recipes and save them for “some day.” I believe recipes are for making. Let's do it together. Join me in exploring the world through food!