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As summer heats up, the beauty of soba salad—the classic Japanese dish made with buckwheat noodles—is that it’s served cool. Here, we’re making a soba salad that’s perfect for the weather, using the season’s finest produce: fresh cherry tomatoes, sliced cucumber and a savory sauté of corn and aromatics. And for a vibrant, herbaceous finish, we’re garnishing the dish with Thai basil, a uniquely flavorful, purple-stemmed variety native to Southeast Asia. Stay cool, chefs!
Get PlansWash and dry the fresh produce. Heat a medium pot of salted water to boiling on high. Remove and discard the husks and silks of the corn. Cut the corn kernels off the cobs; discard the cobs. Peel and mince the ginger. Cut off and discard the root ends of the scallions; thinly slice the scallions, separating the white bottoms and green tops. Halve the cucumber; using a spoon, scoop out and discard the seeds. Thinly slice the cucumber. Pick the Thai basil leaves off the stems; discard the stems. Halve the cherry tomatoes.
In a medium pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat 2 teaspoons of oil on medium-high until hot. Add the corn; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes, or until slightly softened. Add the ginger and white bottoms of the scallions; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 1 to 2 minutes, or until the aromatics are softened and fragrant. Remove from heat.
While the corn and aromatics cook, in a small bowl, combine the vinegar, soy glaze and mirin. Whisk until thoroughly combined.
Add the soba noodles to the pot of boiling water. Cook 4 to 6 minutes, or until tender. Drain thoroughly and rinse under cold water for 30 seconds to 1 minute to stop the cooking process. Transfer to a large bowl.
To the bowl of cooked soba noodles, add the cherry tomatoes, cucumber, cooked corn and aromatics, soy mirin dressing, half the Thai basil and (reserving a pinch) as much of the spice blend as you'd like, depending on how spicy you'd like the dish to be. Toss to coat and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Divide the salad between 2 dishes. Garnish with the green tops of the scallions, remaining Thai basil and remaining spice blend, if you'd like. Enjoy!
Tips from Home Chefs