Soba Noodles Salad with Grilled Eggplant

Thai themed soba noodles by OneWholesomeMeal

This soba noodles salad is inspired by the flavours of the Thai cuisine.

When one thinks of Thai food, what instantly comes to mind is a blend of sweet and spicy flavours. On one hand, you have the fresh herbs and a tropical medley which lingers long after the meal is over. And on the other, the Thai curries loaded with coconut are absolutely delectable. However, when one doesn’t want to indulge in heavy meals like that a Thai salad is a good option.

My love for Thai food is second only to our Indian. This may be because the two cuisines (and the cultures) have so much in common. Until a few years ago, like most of us, whenever we wanted to enjoy a good Thai meal at home, our instant resort would be the readymade curry pastes. A lot of us also, are put off by the usage of fish sauce in Thai food and again are restricted to just the curries.

With time I have learned however to enjoy similar flavours. Without the heaviness of coconut cream or the addition of fish and oyster sauce. A few simple ingredients which one can store in their pantry for an extended period of time without the fear of them going bad can be used to put together a simple, healthy, and delicious Thai meal. Want to know how? Then follow my soba noodles salad recipe below 🙂

Yum

Soba Noodles Salad with Grilled Eggplant

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Yield: 100

Serving Size: 3

Calories per serving: 125

This is an extremely forgiving recipe and you could add other roasted veggies like carrots and pumpkins too. If mangoes are not in season, you could add grilled or fresh peaches too.

Ingredients

Soba noodles boiled as per package instructions-2.5 cups
Egg plant cut into 2X2 inch cubes-2 cups
Baby potatoes,cubed-1/2 cup
Dried basil-1.5 teaspoon
Fresh Rosemary-2 sprigs
Rice vinegar- 1/2 cup
Honey-1.5 tablespoons
Salt- 1/2 teaspoon or to taste + 1 teaspoon for grilling eggplants and potatoes
Sesame oil-1 teaspoon
Lime juice-1.5 teaspoon or to taste
Garlic pods crushed-2
Cajun spice-1/2 teaspoon
Chopped green chilli (optional)-1
Sriracha chili- 1/2 teaspoon
Cayenne pepper (optional)- 1/2 teaspoon
Olive or sesame oil for grilling eggplant and potatoes-1 tbsp
Red onions , thinly sliced-1/2 cup
Fresh or canned ripe mangoes, cubed if available -1/2 cup
Fresh basil and/or cilantro, chopped fine-2 tablespoons
Roasted and salted peanuts-2 tablespoons

Instructions

Mix rice vinegar, honey, 1/2 teaspoon salt, sesame oil, lime juice, garlic pods, cajun spice, green chilies, sriracha chili and cayenne pepper well till the ingredients dissolve and keep aside.
Boil the noodles as per package instructions adding a teaspoon of oil while boiling to avoid clumping. Once cooked place under cold running water to stop cooking process, drain and keep aside
Wash and chop eggplant to desired size pieces (preferably 2X2 inch squares) ; soak in salt water for approximately half hour then drain and dry with a paper towel to wipe off excess moisture. Place the chopped eggplants in a deep bowl and drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1.5 teaspoon dry basil.Mix well. Preheat oven to 180 degrees and grill the eggplant for 15-20 minutes or until soft
Wash, dry and half the baby potatoes , drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil, add 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary or 1.5 teaspoons of dried rosemary and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Mix well. Preheat oven to 180 degrees and grill the potatoes for 25-30 minutes or until soft
Cut mangoes to small cubes and keep aside
Slice red onions as thin as possible and keep aside
Chop fresh basil (optional) and cilantro and keep aside
Once the noodles have come to room temperature add all the above ingredients to it in a deep bowl,add dressing, mix gently so the dressing coats the ingredients well; test for salt, garnish with chopped herbs, and peanuts and serve.

https://onewholesomemeal.com/soba-noodles-salad-with-grilled-eggplant/

[kkstarratings]