Spring Onion Sesame Soba Noodles

I don't know about you, but as much as I love summer side dishes, I'm ready for a change. There's only so much mayonnaise that one person can take! (And I LOVE mayo, especially when it's homemade!) I'm ready for something light and cool to fill that place on my plate where macaroni salad and potato salad usually reside.

I had a huge grocery bag overflowing with spring onions from a friend's garden. Spring onions are great because they're so mild - kind of like a scallion but less delicate.

I had so many spring onions that I decided to make a sauce using a whole bunch of 'em... kind of like an Asian-style pesto, with spring onions instead of basil and sesame oil as opposed to olive.

I basically sliced up the entire spring onion - white, light green, and dark green parts.

I threw the onions into the food processor and gave it a quick pulse before drizzling in the oil and spices.

Just like a traditional pesto, the sauce was paired with noodles - in this case, I used soba noodles. Soba is the Japanese name for buckwheat, so these noodles are whole grain... something my body  would certainly prefer after all of those mountains servings of potato salad.

 

Spring Onion Sesame Soba Noodles

4 spring onions

2 cloves garlic

2 T freshly grated ginger

4 T sesame oil

2 T rice vinegar

4 T soy sauce

2 t honey

1/2 c toasted sesame seeds

4 c shredded carrots

8 oz soba noodles (whole wheat spaghetti works too)

spring onions (optional garnish)

 

-Cook soba noodles according to package directions. Rinse and set aside.

-Roughly chop onions. Put all parts in a food processor and pulse lightly.

-Add garlic and ginger. Pulse all.

-In a small jar or cup, mix sesame oil, rice vinegar, soy sauce and honey. Turn food processor on and slowly drizzle the liquid into the onions, making a paste (just like pesto).

-Add onion "pesto" to soba noodles along with carrots and sesame seeds; chill before serving. -Garnish with sliced scallions if desired.