Rainbow Noodle Salad

The season of autumn has fully arrived. This Rainbow Noodle Salad recipe is just the right dish for the season. Today on my way to the supermarket, I observed that the leaves were starting to turn as I drove by. I arrived at the aforementioned supermarket to see a large bin stocked with pumpkins for sale at the front door, bags of Halloween sweets displayed near the checkout lanes, and a large rack of Frozen costumes being examined by a few first graders.

Given all that, I understand that sharing a recipe for a light summertime noodle salad may seem counterintuitive. However, there are still traces of summer everywhere, even if I’ve switched from pajama shorts to pajama pants and can once again wear my favorite plaid button-downs.

Exactly where you could inquire. The garden at my parents’ house.

Our hardy tomato, cucumber, and pepper plants have been consistently yielding for several months now. On my way out of the home on Sunday of last week, my mother virtually threw bags of yellow tomatoes, cucumbers, and bell peppers at me.

In addition, we have a plethora of herbs, such as fresh basil, scallions, and cilantro; this year, we got a bit herb-crazy and replanted almost all of our flowerbeds.

That left just one option for all that summer fruit and vegetables. Perfect for bidding farewell to summer, this dish captures the vibrancy of a home vegetable garden in all its colorful glory. More vegetables than noodles go into this salad, which is held together by a fruity vinaigrette of ginger, soy sauce, and coconut water, one of my favorite new ingredients.

INGREDIENTS:

FOR THE DRESSING:

• ½ cup of coconut water
• ¼ cup of olive oil
• 3 tablespoons of rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon of sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon of soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon of minced ginger
• 1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon of salt

FOR THE SALAD:

• 8 oz. of dried & uncooked soba noodles
• 2 julienned medium carrots
• 1 julienned red bell pepper
• 1 de-seeded and julienned cucumber
• 1 de-seeded and sliced yellow tomato
• ¼ shredded red cabbage
• 1/3 cup of chopped cilantro
• 1/3 cup of chopped basil
• 1/3 cup of chopped scallions

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Combine the dressing ingredients in a bowl with a whisk and put aside. Soba should be prepared as directed on the packet, then cooled quickly in cold water.
2. Mix the noodles, produce, herbs, and dressing together. Now serve the Rainbow Noodle Salad!