Soba Noodles with Kale, Miso, and Avocado

When I was gifted a few avocados from the California Avocado Commission, I knew that I wanted to try one of the recipes I’d seen and pinned a while ago from A House In the Hills: Soba Noodles with Kale, Miso, and Avocado.

I added ginger and red pepper flakes for mine for a little more heat and burn, and used the kale that I could find even though she had recommended dino kale. After prepping and mixing it, I then put it in the refrigerator to chill for a couple hours to make for a refreshing lunch on a hot summer day that is also healthy!

Make sure you taste your miso avocado sauce several times- the guidelines here may vary based on how salty your miso may be and your preference levels. Serves 4.

Ingredients:

• 2/3 package of buckwheat soba noodles (enough for 4 servings – usually 1/2 a bunch is 1 serving. I used King Soba Organic Sweet Potato and Buckwheat Noodles)
• 1 teaspoon of sesame oil
• 1 small bunch of kale – mine came out to about 4 cups
• 1 ripe avocado
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 tablespoons miso – I used shiso miso
• Juice from 1/2 lime (about 1 tablespoon)
• 3/4-1 cup of water
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon of sesame seeds plus additional to garnish
• freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Cook the soba noodles according to directions in unsalted boiling water. Be careful that you do not overcook them as when you add the avocado miso dressing later it will be adding a lot of moisture and can make them soggy (unfortunately I made that mistake with this batch, but I’m warning you not to!). After they are ready, drain and rinse with running water at least twice to wash off the extra starch. I might even recommend using chopsticks or a fork to lift and swish the noodles a little bit in the new water to make sure the starch is washed off all the noodles. Then mix with 1 teaspoon of sesame oil, distributing well so the noodles will not stick together. Let cool.
2. While the soba noodles are cooking, cut the kale leaves from the stalk and into either ribbons or small bite size pieces. I then mixed in the kale leaves with the still steaming hot noodles and sesame oil so they did wilt a little. Depending on how much you like kale, you could also consider a quick blanch to soften it further, but the mixing with the hot soba for me was enough.
3. In a food processor, combine the pitted avocado, 1 clove of garlic, 1 tablespoon olive oil, juice from the 1/2 lime and 1/2 cup of water. Puree, and then taste and continue to add the water and mixing until to your taste. The consistency should be a silky sauce. I happened to have used 1 cup or so to balance out the saltiness of my miso. bring large pot of salted water to boil, add noodles and follow the package instructions to cook
4. In a large bowl, mix the soba noodles, kale, and avocado miso dressing until well combined. This is when I also added the ground ginger, red pepper flakes, and tablespoon of sesame seeds and ground pepper to taste.
   
5. When well mixed, chill in the refrigerator for a couple of hours if you can, and enjoy cold! When serving, feel free to garnish with another little sprinkle of sesame seeds. You could also add tofu or fish or other protein of your choice on top!

This goes well with a crisp white wine and sitting outside on a summer day.