Recipe: Chilled Soba Noodles

Pasta salad graces plenty of Southern tables in the summer, but cold noodle dishes don’t have to start with macaroni and end with mayonnaise dressing. Chilled buckwheat soba, for example, is common warm-weather fare in Japan, and pairs perfectly with shrimp for an ultra-quick supper.

Most shrimp, especially the peeled and deveined varieties available in the grocery store, have subtle flavor. To imbue more delicate brininess into the noodles, use the shrimp poaching liquid to boil the soba. (To make this a 5:60 Challenge, purchase shell-on shrimp, peel the shrimp, and use the shells to make a quick stock that will impart a deeper shrimp essence in the final dish.)

First bring a large saucepan or pot of salted water to a boil, then add the shrimp, tick the heat down to maintain a simmer, and cook just until they’re opaque. Medium to large shrimp can cook in as little as one minute, while extra-large and jumbo may need up to two. Keep an eye more on the shrimp than on the clock. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the shrimp out of the water and into a colander to reserve all the poaching liquid. Rinse the shrimp in cold water to chill and stop the cooking, then transfer the seafood to a bowl to make room for the noodles.

Soba, like shrimp, can go from perfectly cooked to mushy in a matter of seconds, so it is also important to pay close attention as they cook. Just like the shrimp, you’ll bring the water to a boil, add the noodles, and then reduce the heat — this time as low as possible. Cook the noodles at a very gentle simmer until they just go from hard to tender in the center.

To season the dish, I like a simple mixture of soy sauce, sesame oil, and a touch of sugar in a 4:2:1 ratio, but feel free to play around with amounts to suit your taste. Sliced scallions make for a lovely garnish if you’ve got them, but this simple supper is delicious all on its own.