Soba noodle, prawn and asparagus salad

Tamara West

This healthy Japanese-inspired salad is made with buckwheat soba noodles.

Ingredients

4 Tbsp	Sesame oil
90 g	Soba noodles
1	Flaky sea salt, 1/8 tsp
1 Tbsp	Rice wine vinegar
16	Prawn cutlets, black tiger (Main)
2 Tbsp	Grapeseed oil
8	Asparagus spears
½ cup	Spring onions, sliced
¼ cup	Japanese pickled ginger, (pink)
1 Tbsp	Black sesame seeds

Directions

1. Using the traditional Japanese method, cook soba noodles in boiling water.
2. After 5 minutes add a little cold water two or three times during the cooking process to reduce the temperature and help the noodles cook evenly.
3. Drain noodles and allow to cool on a flat tray (do not rinse in water to cool them down).
4. Season with sesame oil, rice wine vinegar and salt.
5. In a large frying pan, heat grapeseed oil until hot, add prawns and cook for 2 minutes on each side or until prawns are caramelised and cooked.
6. Peel the small pointed "leaves'' off the outside of the asparagus, break the bottom quarter off, then slice into three pieces.
7. Cook in a pot of boiling salted water for 2 minutes, then drain.
8. Arrange soba noodles on a platter or in a large bowl.
9. Scatter over the asparagus, spring onion, ginger and prawns, and finish with black sesame seeds.

Note: The prawns I have used are smaller and do not have the tail shell attached, which makes them great for use in salads. They are sometimes referred to as headless vannamei shrimps or black tiger prawn cutlets. Unlike pasta, it’s best to rinse dried soba noodles under cold water before cooking to remove excess starch.