Cold Noodles for Hot Nights

When the weather is as hot and humid as it currently is in New York we don't want to eat anything other than cold, light, and refreshing meals. Summer salads of all sorts have been on the menu the past few weeks including the one for the cold Asian noodle salad just whipped up today.
The occasion for today's salad is for a yoga class potluck of ours so this recipe has been kept vegetarian although adding grilled chicken or beef to this would be a wonderful addition to this easy dish.

 We used buckwheat noodles purchased at an Asian market in Chinatown here in New York but any well stocked supermarket is bound to have all the ingredients needed for this dish.
The garnish, or add-ins to the salad can be changed depending on your mood, tastes, or what's in season. Today we used cucumber, carrots, and edemame. Other favourites are cabbage and bell pepper. Have fun with colour combinations!

 The sauce for this salad is most easily made just by taste. We start with soy sauce and then add others like rice vinegar, a little bit of fish sauce (you don't want to make it too salty) some sesame oil, and chili sauce. Peanut butter is also a great addition and can be used for a thicker sauce.



Cook the noodles on a high heat until soft and then once drained transfer to the bowl of ice water. (This stops them from continuing to cook and becoming too soft.) Transfer them to the bowl you will be combining the other ingredients and carefully mix in the sauce that you have prepared. Once the sauce is incorporated well mix in the shredded carrots, cucumbers, or other veggies you have prepared for the salad. Garnish with the edemame and you're ready to go!

Enjoy with a refreshing glass of iced green tea and stay cool!