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| Cold Sesame Noodles |
Now that it is getting so hot outside, I have been craving cold Asian noodles. There’s something refreshing about eating cold Asian noodles in the summertime – light on the dressing, tossed with fresh vegetables. One of my favorite cold Asian noodle salads is a Cold Sesame Noodle recipe from an old Martha Stewart cookbook I’ve been making for years. Perfect for a summer barbeque or a picnic for the upcoming 4th of July weekend, this Cold Sesame Noodle salad can be prepared ahead of time and kept in the refrigerator overnight.
Recently, Gourmet Live came up with a list of 50 Women Game-Changers in food, the top three being Julia Child, Alice Waters and Fannie Farmer. A small group of food bloggers decided to celebrate these influential women in food by cooking a recipe from each of them over a 50 week period.
This week, the group is celebrating Martha Stewart, a business icon if there ever was one (making a successful comeback despite her brief hiatus during the InClone Scandal), and I am thrilled to be joining in on the fun. As a single mom who built a multi-media empire based on home, cooking and entertaining, gardening, weddings and more, Martha Stewart set the stage for perfection in the household.
I bought my first Martha Stewart cookbook in 1995 – it’s actually called just that, The Martha Stewart Cookbook. I’ve made more recipes from this cookbook than I can remember, and I can’t recall an instance when something didn’t come out just right. That’s one thing about Martha you can count on – perfection.
I can think of no better way to celebrate Martha’s comeback and earning the #4 spot on this prestigious list by making her Cold Sesame Noodle Recipe once again.
Please stop by and take a look at what the rest of the group made this week in celebration of Martha Stewart:
Mary from One Perfect Bite
Val from More Than Burnt Toast
Joanne from Eats Well with Others
Heather from girlichef
Claudia from A Seasonal Cook in Turkey
Miranda from Mangoes and Chutney
Susan from The Spice Garden
Taryn from Have Kitchen Will Feed
April from April’s Attic
Cold Sesame Noodles
Adapted from The Martha Stewart Cookbook. I halved the original recipe, used soba noodles in place of Chinese egg noodles, substituted balsamic vinegar for black Chinese vinegar, and eliminated the salt. Be sure to use black soy sauce (“dark soy sauce”), which is darker in color but less salty than regular soy sauce. If you can’t find black soy sauce, use 1/8 cup regular soy sauce. I like to add garnishes such as red bell pepper, cucumber and snow peas to give the Sesame Noodles some color and crunch. For non-vegetarians, shredded poached chicken may also be added.
Cold Sesame Noodle Ingredients:
- 1 pound soba noodles or whole grain noodles
Cold Sesame Noodle Sauce Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup sesame oil
- 1/4 cup black soy sauce
- 1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 1/2 tablespoon organic sugar
- 1 tablespoon hot pepper oil, optional
- 1/4 cup scallions, finely sliced
Garnishes:
- Julienned red bell pepper
- Julienned Cucumber
- Snow Peas, blanced, cut in to bite-size pieces
Directions:
- Cook soba noodles until al dente. Drain and rinse well until cold water until chilled; drain again. Place in a large bowl.
- Combine Sesame Noodle Sauce Ingredients.
- Stir half of Sesame Noodle Sauce into soba noodles and toss. Add more sauce to taste. Toss well so all the noodles are well covered.
- Chill overnight.
It has been hot and even humid here in the West so a refreshing salad from Martha is the perfect choice!
That sounds like such a fun group to be a part of. This recipe looks and sounds delicious. I love the crunch from the veggies in soba noodles. Yummy!
This sounds like a recipe that could become a quick favorite in my house…perfect for summer or lunch boxes! Great pick
ooo homemade veggie soba noodles!! this looks so good! i've actually never looked at any of martha's cookbooks before! and i'm gonna check out the other posts too
What a perfect recipe choice for this week's challenge. I love noodles of all sorts and these are perfect for holiday parties. I hope you enjoy the weekend. I'm thrilled you decided to join us. Take care. Blessings…Mary
What a fun concept! Beautiful photo of the noodles and great recipe adaptation. Happy 4th.
Jeanette, I am thinking that I would love, more than anything, to come and live with you and eat and cook together. There is not one thing that you post here that does not have me absolutely drooling!! I am going to make this! It looks perfect to bring to the beach, actually!
First of all, welcome! The group is growing … and 'that's a good thing'! Sorry, had to say that! Second, love the presentation of the noodles! So perfect! Like a little bouffant of carbs! Love it!
I love this type of dish. And this one sounds fabulous, especially with the black soy sauce!
I'm glad everyone is liking this cold noodle dish – it is perfect for a hot summer picnic!
Wish I lived near all of you so we could share all our favorites!
I can't tell you how much I love soba noodles. It's my go-to dish in both summer and winter.
Do people have picnics and barbecues on 4th July? I just realised that I will be spending 4th July in US,because of work. I'm actually looking forward to that
Happy July 4th !!
I like the changes that you mader to the original – just lovely and so healthy. Great summer dish!
'Tis the season — I've been craving sesame noodles, too, and tasted an amazing version this week while on vacation that I'm going to try to replicate. They are completely addictive, aren't they?
I love Martha, and cold noodle dishes like this!
I'm so glad you're joining in on the fun, Jeanette! and with such a great recipe! I adore sesame noodles and i'm sure that Martha's recipe would top all others!
Hi Jeanette,
The salad looks perfect for a hot, humid afternoon and I am willing to give it a try if you are the one vouching for MS. I have tried several of her desserts within the past year from her Living magazine and online. Somehow nothing turned out right in those recipes. It might be me!
I will save this recipe for a hot Saturday lunch!
I adore cold Asian noodles when the weather gets hot. The soba noodles probably don't stick when made ahead as much as Chinese egg noodles would. My kids actually love soba, so I think I'll make some soon!
There is almost nothing I love more than cold sesame noodles on a 90-degree night!
It is so hot right now, I think I might just make another batch of these cold noodles!
I've been looking for a good soba noodle recipe recently. So glad I found this! Thanks for the inspiration.
I had to pin this for later- this looks absolutely amazing!!
Thanks Clancy – this has been a warm weather favorite for years, and I’m looking forward to making it again soon.
Jeanette, I have yet to perfect the “pasta twirl” you have it down girl. These noodles look amazing!
Hi Jeanette! First time here and I love this noodle recipe! I can’t wait to try it!
Hi Sook, so glad you stopped by – this has been a favorite for BBQ’s and picnics for many years – enjoy!