cold soba with carrots & black sesame seeds

I LOVE cold soba. Love love love. I have been scouring the internet for a suitable recipe for months now. I wasn't able to find one that sounded perfect, so I pulled elements from these two recipes: Nigella's Soba Noodles with Sesame Seeds and Molly's Soba with Peanut-Citrus Sauce. To my utter delight (and surprise), the outcome was brilliant. Twill be a new staple in the Ghimire household.

I kinda threw everything in, tasting and adjusting as I went, so use the below as a guide. And if you don't like spicy food, go easy on the chili garlic sauce. It adds amazing flavor so definitely add at least one spoonful.

Cold Soba with Carrots & Black Sesame Seeds

Ingredients

1/2 - 3/4 lb. soba noodles
1 large carrot, sliced thin (we used our new veggie slicer. f-king life changing.)
1/3 cup black sesame seeds
6-7 t soy sauce
3 t honey
2-3 t sesame seed oil
4 scallions
juice of one lime
1-3 spoonfuls of chili garlic sauce (depending on spice preference)

Directions

First, make the sauce. In a large bowl, mix sesame seeds, soy sauce, honey, sesame seed oil, lime juice, and chili garlic sauce. Mix well.

Meanwhile, boil water in a large pot. When the water is boiling, add the soba noodles. Reduce heat and cook at a gentle simmer until noodles are al dente. They cook fast, so be careful. Drain noodles in a colander and immediately wash them in cool water. Keep the water running and using your hands, pick up small handfuls and separate them between your fingers, taking care to rinse each noodle. According to Molly, "washing" the noodles helps remove any starchy residues and keeps the noodles from clumping.

Drain any excess water from the noodles and then mix them in the bowl of sauce. Gently toss the noodles until they are evenly coated. Add the carrots and scallions and mix again. Next time I may add red peppers or English cucumbers.

We had ours with a side of sauteed Bok Choy. YUM.