Meatless Monday: Cold Buckwheat Noodles with Pickled Plums

The most memorable cold soba dishes I’ve come across have played off the juxtaposition of varied textures and flavors.Top them with sweet, fresh fruit for example, and you’ve added a whole new dimension. Top them with sweet, pickled fruit though and you’ve really spiced things up.

Today’s recipe pits spicy chili paste against the sweet and sour jolt of pickled plums, and pairs soft buckwheat noodles with crunchy cucumber slices. The range of ingredients may sound a tad foreign, but that’s no reason to be discouraged, especially not when the result is as tasty as this. Go ahead, give it a try — it’s the perfect balance to these otherwise insufferablly hot summer days.

Pickled plums in cold buckwheat noodles

Yields 2 servings

Ingredients

For the pickled plums

2 cups rice wine vinegar

2 cups water

1 cup pomegranate juice

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup kosher salt

Peel of an orange

8 plums, halved with pit removed

For the cold buckwheat noodles:

4 ounces dry buckwheat noodles

1 tablespoon red chilli paste

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1 teapoon sugar

1 cup pickled plums, thinly sliced

1 cup seedless cucumber, thinly sliced

Directions

1. Place vinegar, water, sugar, salt and juice in a medium saucepot and bring to a roiling boil on the stovetop. Place plums and orange peel in a large container and pour the liquid over fruit. Allow to cool at room temperature, about 2 hours and then refrigerate.

2. Cook buckwheat noodles as per package directions in boiling water and rinse in cold water immediately when they are tender.

3. Bring all sauce ingredients together in a small bowl and lightly whisk together.

4. Dress noodles with spicy sauce and stir in sliced plums and cucumbers.

Preparation time: 10 minutes 
Cooking time: 10 minutes