People like to ask me “what’s your favorite recipe?” and I never have an answer. My “favorite” is often what’s most recent and/or what’s coming up next…

But this one combines two definite favorites – blistered shishito peppers (which I usually make as an appetizer), and one of my go-to simple soba noodle recipes. Because my “favorites” are almost always the simple things.

I brought home a bunch of shishito peppers from the farmers market, but the base of this recipe is so versatile – feel free to sub in a star vegetable of your choice.

The noodles get tossed in a light sesame-soy dressing, and topped with avocado and sesame seeds. Sometimes I add sliced miso-broiled eggplant, or dengaku glazed cod or salmon. Other times, I pack it with sautéed greens and other veggies. I’ve probably never made this exactly the same way twice.

In other news – (holy crap!) check out my interview on Food & Wine! I talk about vegan food, beefy Chicago, matcha, and of course, tacos…

Ingredients

• 6 ounces soba noodles
• a big handful of shishito peppers
• 2 tablespoons thinly chopped scallions
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 small ripe avocado + (optional) squeeze of lime
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
• (optional) add a protien: tofu, edamame, salmon, etc

Instructions

1. Boil a medium sized pot of (salted) water and preheat a cast iron skillet or broiler.
2. Cook soba noodles until al dente (about 8 minutes). Drain, shake out excess water and transfer to a medium bowl.
3. While your soba boils, roast shishito peppers in a (dry) preheated cast iron skillet or under the broiler. Let them roast until black and blistered (usually 8-10 minutes). Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Slice off the stems and coarsely chop the peppers, before tossing them in the bowl with the noodles.
4. Toss noodles with scallions, chopped shishitos, sesame oil, soy sauce, and rice vinegar. Top with sliced avocado (see tip below) and sesame seeds. Taste and adjust seasonings.
5. Add tofu or a protein of your choice to make this a bigger meal. Add a squeeze of sriracha to spice it up. Serve warm or at room temp.

Notes

From: http://www.loveandlemons.com/