Unfortunately I live thousands of miles away from their food truck and my friends have since moved from the San Francisco area to Los Angeles, so I have no idea when I'm going to be able to eat their food again. But that's not stopping me from trying to make everything I loved about that meal to get as close to that feeling as I can.
The Bodega posted a cold soba noodle salad on their Instagram (@thebodega_ca) a few days ago and it looked so good I had to try making it for myself. I'm sure theirs is better since they've made it enough to perfect it, but this one was refreshing and tasty on a hot day.
It also brings to mind a number of zaru soba meals I had in Japan, but that's a dish for another day.
Notes:
- Other vegetables that I think might taste good in this: kohlrabi, celery, daikon
- Adding some kind of salad greens to this might be yummy too!
- You could substitute some marinated grilled chicken for the tofu. Marinate the chicken in the dressing for 1-2 hours before cooking it.
- You will likely have extra salad dressing left over. It goes great on all kinds of vegetables.
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RECIPE:
Soba Noodle Salad
by The Matcha Chronicles, inspired by The Bodega in Petaluma, CA
Dressing recipe from Just One Cookbook
Serves 4
15-19 oz medium firm or firm tofu, drained
3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into thin coins
About 6-8 small or 5-6 medium radishes, sliced thinly into rounds
2 cucumbers, sliced thinly in rounds and cut in half
Juice of 1 lime
1/4-1/2 tsp salt
12 oz dried buckwheat (soba) noodles
6 tbsp tahini
4 tbsp Japanese mayonnaise (Kewpie brand)
1/4 cup rice vinegar
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp mirin
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
Fresh cilantro, for garnish
Black or white sesame seeds, toasted, for garnish
Drain tofu and pat dry with paper towels. Slice into pieces about 1 by 2 inches by 1/2 inch thick. Dry fry in a single layer in a nonstick pan over medium-high heat until lightly browned. Set aside.
Place carrots, radishes, and cucumbers in a medium bowl. Sprinkle lime juice and salt on and toss to combine. Let stand for about 15 minutes, then drain the liquid.While vegetables are standing, cook the soba noodles in boiling water according to package directions, then drain and rinse in cool water until they are chilled. Set aside.
Make the dressing by whisking or blending tahini, Japanese mayonnaise, rice vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, mirin, and sesame oil together until smooth.
Divide soba noodles, tofu, and vegetables among 4 plates. Drizzle salad dressing over the top of each salad, and garnish with cilantro and sesame seeds. Serve immediately. If saving for later, keep the prepared ingredients separately in the refrigerator, and assemble immediately before serving.
