Chinese Buckwheat Noodle Salad (凉拌荞麦面, Cold Soba)

Buckwheat noodles have a long tradition across northern and northwestern China. In places such as Shaanxi, Shanxi, Gansu, and Inner Mongolia, cooks turn buckwheat flour into 荞面饸饹, or qiaomian hele, a softer dough pressed through a dedicated noodle press straight into boiling water so the strands come out thicker and a little irregular. Japanese soba is different, rolled and cut into thin even strands, but it shares that same earthy buckwheat character, which is why it slides so well into a cold dressed bowl like this or a plate of cold sesame noodles.

My grandparents came from Dongbei in northeastern China, where the cooking has long been shaped by the region large Korean community and the nearby Korean border. My grandma made her own kimchi at home, and through the summer she put out Korean style cold noodle soup, 朝鲜冷面, or cold buckwheat noodle salads, so buckwheat noodles were part of my childhood. Those summer bowls are still what I think of the moment the weather turns warm.

Because fresh Chinese buckwheat noodles like qiaomian hele are hard to find where I live in the US, I use dried Japanese soba instead, which is widely available and keeps that earthy buckwheat flavor in a cold salad dressed with soy sauce, vinegar, chili oil, and garlic. I boil and rinse the noodles, cook a quick thin egg crepe to slice into strips, whisk the dressing, then toss and pile on the toppings cold. When the kitchen is too warm to cook anything heavy, I recommend you to put this one together using the steps below for a cold noodle bowl that taste incredible.

Ingredients

The list splits into a bowl of noodles, a quick egg crepe, a pantry dressing, and a handful of fresh toppings, so almost none of it needs real cooking. Here is what I use:

Buckwheat noodles: I use dried Japanese soba because fresh Chinese buckwheat noodles are hard to track down here. I look for a soba with a good share of buckwheat flour so the noodles taste earthy rather than plain. Some brands are all buckwheat while others cut it with wheat, and either works here as long as the buckwheat flavor comes through.

Dressing: I whisk together light soy sauce, Chinkiang vinegar, Chinese chili oil with some of its flakes, honey, grated garlic, and grated ginger.

Egg: I beat a couple of eggs with a pinch of salt and cook them into one thin sheet.

Toppings: I use thinly sliced uncured ham, scallion, julienned Persian cucumber, and halved cherry tomatoes. I count on the cucumber and tomato for a cool crunch and a little juice, the ham for a savory bite, and the scallion for a fresh sharp finish.

How to Make

1. Cook the noodles: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the soba according to the package instructions until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold running water to stop the cooking, then drain thoroughly and transfer to a large bowl.

2. Cook the egg: Spray or drizzle a little oil onto a large nonstick skillet and wipe it with a paper towel so the pan is coated in a very thin film. Heat over medium heat until hot, about 20 seconds. Pour in the beaten eggs and swirl the skillet right away so they spread into a thin, even round.

3. Set and fold the egg: Cook until the eggs are mostly set, 1 to 2 minutes, then turn off the heat. Use a spatula to slowly loosen the egg and fold it over 2 to 3 times, then transfer it to a cutting board.

4. Slice the egg: Let the egg cool until it is easy to handle. Slice it into thin strips about 1/4 inch, or 1/2 cm, wide.

5. Make the dressing: Whisk the soy sauce, Chinkiang vinegar, chili oil with flakes, honey, ginger, and garlic together in a medium bowl.

6. Assemble: Add two thirds of the dressing to the noodles and toss until they are coated. Divide the noodles among individual bowls and top with the ham, egg, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, and scallion.

7. Serve: Drizzle the rest of the dressing over the top as you like and serve as a main dish.

How to Serve

At home this is a full lunch or a light summer dinner on its own, so I bring the undressed noodles and the toppings to the table in separate bowls, toss everything cold at the last minute, and let each person drizzle on extra dressing. My son likes his noodles dressed with a bit more sauce with a little egg and cucumber and skips the chili oil altogether, while my husband spoons more chili oil over his. A cold wood ear mushroom salad on the side is all I usually add.

When friends come over in the summer I set this out as part of a spread of cool dishes so nothing has to come off a hot stove at the last minute. A plate of Sichuan wontons in chili oil to share and a bowl of Chinese eggplant with garlic sauce served at room temperature round it out, and between the springy noodles, the silky eggplant, and the crisp cucumber, every bowl on the table tastes a little different but delicious.

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