I made this cold soba noodle salad for a demo at Williams Sonoma Danbury CT store last Saturday. I hesitated to add it to this site because this photo, taken under florescent lights, is of rather poor quality and does not do this dish justice. However so many people who tasted this clamored for a recipe that I couldn’t refuse.

Basically this follows the same steps as any cold noodle salad: cook and drain the noodles; add your desired ingredients; toss with a complementary dressing. What makes this salad so flavorful and memorable is the magic melding of the ingredients themselves and the various techniques with which they were prepared.

Ingredients

16 oz soba noodles – cooked and drained according to package directions

8 oz fresh asparagus  – ends snapped at natural breaking point

8 oz. crimini (or your favorite) mushrooms

2 sweet onions – thinly sliced

1 jalapeno pepper – diced

1 yellow bell pepper – diced

4 oz. grape tomatoes – sliced in half

4 oz baby arugula

1 medium clove garlic – finely chopped

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

Pinch of red pepper flakes

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/8 cup balsamic vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Line asparagus on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast at 350 degrees until cooked but still a firm bite. 10 to 20 minutes depending on thickness of the asparagus. Remove from the oven. Cut into bite sized pieces and set aside.

In a medium skillet over low heat add onion and cook until softened and caramelized. About 15 minutes

In another medium skillet over high heat add enough olive oil to cover the bottom of the pan. Add mushrooms and jalapeño and cook until golden (about 5 minutes). Lower the heat to low and add the garlic, pepper flakes and ginger. Cook for about 30 seconds or until the garlic begins to color. Remove from the heat. Season with salt and pepper.

In a large bowl add the noodles, the roasted asparagus, the skillet ingredients and the fresh ingredients. Add the oil and vinegar, toss, and check the seasoning. Add more dressing if needed.