Soba Salad with Spicy Rhubarb Ginger Tahini Dressing

Happy New Year! This year has got me feeling nostalgic. One thing I’ve never done on the blog is show how a recipe from the site has iterated over the years. This Otsu recipe from back in 2009 has been on heavy rotation in my kitchen ever since, slowly morphing into its present form that I make today. This may seem bizarre but there are recipes I love so much I consider them friends. This is one of them.

And to refresh your memory if you don’t remember my blog post from a decade ago:)…The Otsu recipe is a spicy ginger sesame dressing that flavors soba (noodles made from buckwheat flour), fried tofu, cucumbers, scallions and cilantro. I first discovered it from my friend Jo who had seen it on the blog 101 Cookbooks. Over time, I have adapted it using my Rhubarb Ginger Achaar from Brooklyn Delhi to save time in a pinch or to bump up the flavor if I didn’t have all of the ingredients. The flavors in this achaar replace the ginger and cayenne in the original recipe and boost the tart with rhubarb, umami with asafetida and heat with fresh green chili peppers.

This dressing is so complex and devastatingly addictive – fresh lemon juice, tart rhubarb, spicy ginger and chili peppers, nutty sesame oil, sweet rice vinegar and a spoon of tahini for a creamy finish. Then you toss soba noodles, fried or baked tofu and cucumbers in the dressing and top with cilantro and toasted sesame seeds. The flavors are robust and refreshing all at once. To make the dressing, I usually just throw all of the ingredients into my blender. I guarantee this will become one of your favorite recipes, possibly a close friend.

Soba Salad with Spicy Rhubarb Ginger Tahini Dressing, adapted from Otsu Recipe on 101 Cookbooks

Ingredients:
Dressing (makes more than what you need for the recipe, but you will like having extra around)

1 clove garlic
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1-2 tablespoons (or more;) Brooklyn Delhi Rhubarb Ginger Achaar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
1/3 cup soy sauce or tamari
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons pure sesame oil
1 tablespoon tahini paste

Soba noodle salad
8 oz. soba noodles, cooked according to package directions
6 oz baked tofu or 8 oz extra firm tofu or the whole block if you have more, cubed (directions below)
1 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 scallion, green and white part, cleaned and thinly sliced
1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeded and cut in half lengthwise then cut across into thin half-moons.
sesame seeds
more cilantro for garnishing

Method:
If using extra firm tofu: Add tofu to a large non-stick skillet without any oil and toss over high heat until all water has evaporated. Add canola oil, reduce heat to medium-high and fry, tossing frequently until tofu is firm and bouncy. Drain over paper towels.

In a blender, combine all the dressing ingredients. Blend well. Add tahini and blend together.

In a large mixing bowl combine drained soba noodles, cilantro, scallions, cucumber. Slowly add dressing and toss Add more dressing to your taste. Arrange salad in center of large plate and top with baked or fried tofu. Garnish with sesame seeds and cilantro sprigs. Serve with more dressing on the table just in case!