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Long, like a noodle. Long, like a river.

Good day, all. Today’s recipe, for Hot-and-Sour Sesame Soba Noodles, hits a remarkable number of flavor notes in each bite: nutty (soba noodles, sesame), hot (red pepper flakes), sweet (maple syrup), sour (lime juice) and umami (miso). 

Every time I eat a long-noodle dish, I am reminded of Long-Life Noodles, a traditional Chinese birthday meal that features very long noodles meant to symbolize longevity and prosperity. I have been thinking a lot about time, about our perception of its passing, and how this changes depending on our situation or state of mind, sometimes within minutes.

A few weeks ago, when I asked readers to share glimmers of hope, a longtime reader, Elspeth N., wrote me a lovely note:

“I’m a Canadian, but I have feet and family on both sides of what is currently the ‘longest undefended border’ in the world. ... But I’m lucky — really, really lucky, because I live in the best place in the world: the St. Lawrence River. 

The river is always there. It gets into your blood. It rolls on its way to the Atlantic, never stopping, always present, but always different. It calms and soothes. The waves gently wash the shore and then carry on downstream. The river changes minute to minute, but it is unchanging.”

Elspeth’s words hit me like a warm rush of water. What a brilliant metaphor for time, for life. 

Today's Recipe

Hot-and-Sour Sesame Soba Noodles

Find substitution suggestions and other tips below the recipe.

Storage: Refrigerate for up to 3 days. Refrigerate any leftover dressing for up to 5 days.

Servings: 3
Total time: 25 mins

Ingredients

For the dressing

• 3 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons shiro (white) miso
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon tahini
• 1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon peeled and finely grated fresh ginger 
• Pinch ground cayenne pepper

For the noodles

• 1 tablespoon black or white sesame seeds, or a combination
• 8 ounces dried, 100 percent buckwheat soba noodles, such as Eden brand
• 1 1/2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1/2 seedless cucumber, cut into small dice (about 1 cup)
• 1 small carrot or 2 to 3 baby-cut carrots, cut into small dice (about 1/4 cup)
• 1/4 red bell pepper, cut into small dice (about 1/4 cup)
• 1 scallion, white and light green parts, thinly sliced on diagonal
• Leaves from 4 to 6 stems cilantro, coarsely chopped
• Leaves from 1 small bunch mint, coarsely chopped

Steps

1. Make the dressing: Whisk together the unseasoned rice vinegar, miso, lime juice, maple syrup, tahini, tamari or soy sauce, lemon juice, ginger and cayenne pepper until smooth. The yield is about 3/4 cup. (You need 1/2 cup for this recipe.)

2. Make the noodles: Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat.

3. In a small, dry skillet over medium-low heat, toast the sesame seeds until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.

4. Add the noodles to the boiling water and stir. Reduce the heat to medium; cook for 5 minutes or until just tender (see tips, below).

5. While the noodles are cooking, combine 1/2 cup of the dressing with 1 teaspoon of the toasted sesame oil, the crushed red pepper flakes, maple syrup and lime juice and mix until well-combined.

6. Drain and rinse the noodles, then transfer them to a large bowl or sheet pan. Drizzle with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of toasted sesame oil and toss to coat, then add the cucumber, carrot, pepper, scallion, cilantro, mint and dressing mixture.

7. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds; serve warm.

Adapted from “The Longevity Kitchen: Satisfying, Big-Flavor Recipes Featuring the Top 16 Age-Busting Power Foods,” by Rebecca Katz with Mat Edelson (Ten Speed Press, March 2013). Tested by Bonnie S. Benwick.

Nutrition information per serving (1 1/2 cups): Calories: 380; Total Fat: 7 g; Saturated Fat: 1 g; Carbohydrates: 70 g; Sodium: 550 mg; Cholesterol: 70 mg; Protein: 11 g; Dietary Fiber: 6 g; Sugar: 9 g.

Substitution suggestions + other tips and ideas:

• Buckwheat soba noodles >> whole-grain or multigrain pasta.
• Instead of making the dressing >> use a store-bought sesame dressing (just be mindful of the sodium and sugar content).
• The vegetables listed here >> any other combo you like or have.
• Cilantro >> parsley or more mint.
• Maple syrup >> honey or agave.
• Tahini >> peanut butter.
• A helpful note from the authors of “The Longevity Kitchen”: Most packages of buckwheat soba call for 8 minutes of cooking, but that will create gummy, mushy noodles. Start testing after 4 minutes and have a colander ready to drain them a minute later.

Dessert