Soba Noodles with Celery and Mortadella
At the heart of this dish, we’re pairing the fanciest cold noodles with the fanciest cold cuts. Cool! The best part is that it totally makes sense. Soba noodles, made from nutrient-dense buckwheat flour, are most commonly eaten cold in Japanese cuisine. As the weather warms up, we want more cold noodle salads for lunch or dinner. This one is satisfyingly savory and portable to boot. We toss the chilled noodles and crunchy veg in a light, ginger-soy dressing, with tender Mortadella strips as an unexpected twist.
Directions
Bring a medium pot of water to boil for the soba noodles.
Meanwhile, put the celery, carrots, Mortadella, and scallions in a large serving bowl. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, rice vinegar, ginger, sugar, and oils.
When the water boils, drop in the soba noodles, stir, and cook for 1 minute less than the package directs. Immediately pour noodles into a colander (or strainer), rinse thoroughly in cold water, and drain completely.
Toss the cooled noodles with the vegetables and mortadella. Whisk dressing and drizzle all over. Sprinkle the sesame seeds over the salad and toss again.
Serve at room temperature, or chill, covered, in the refrigerator until serving time. Garnish with celery leaves, if desired.
Cook’s Notes
Soba noodles can be found in the Asian section of supermarkets and health food stores. If the soba package is larger than 1/2 pound, cook only three of the bundles of noodles that are in the package.
