Last Updated on
A few weeks ago we watched the series Cooked, a documentary about the history of cooking that is based on Michael Pollan’s book by the same name. It’s a very interesting show that is also absolutely beautifully shot, if you haven’t seen it I definitely recommend it. One of the things I was at first surprised to learn from Cooked was that people in the U.S. cook less today than they have in at least 30 years.
I didn’t realize that this was the case, what with all the cooking shows and, yes, food blogs out there. But after thinking about it a bit I could actually understand it. Cooking is a job. It takes time, planning, thinking and energy. And with all the responsibilities each of us have in our daily life, time and energy to cook a homemade meal every evening are a luxury for many of us. And I have to admit that even though I love to cook and have time for it, I too usually prefer a quick and easy recipe.
That’s where this simple noodle dish comes in. It’s delicious, cheap, super easy and takes five minutes from start to finish.
How to make cold sesame noodles:
You start by simply whisking together sesame oil, natural peanut butter, honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sambal and coconut milk, and then toss freshly cooked soba noodles in. Then you mix in a few fresh vegetables like carrots or cabbage for some crunch and you that’s already all there is to it and have a perfectly satisfying meal.
Related Post:
Looking for more quick and easy Asian-inspired dishes? Check out these Spicy Edamame Beans:
Cold Sesame Noodles
Ingredients:
- 4 ounces soba noodles, uncooked
- 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons natural peanut butter (with peanuts as the only ingredient)
- 1/2 teaspoon honey
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sambal (more if you like it spicier)
- 2 tablespoons coconut milk
- mint leaves and sesame seeds, optional
- shredded cabbage and/or carrot
Instructions:
- Cook the soba noodles according to package instructions, then thoroughly rinse them with cold water.
- Whisk oil, peanut butter, honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sambal and coconut milk together until smooth.
- Toss the cold noodles with the sauce, sprinkle with mint leaves and sesame seeds (if using), add shredded vegetables and serve immediately.
- Whatever you don't eat you need to throw away, you cannot store this noodle dish.
Nutrition
Made this recipe? It would be awesome if you could leave a rating. No need to type anything, just tap or click the stars in the recipe card and you’re done. Thanks!
I have got to try these, Nicole. They look simple and delicious. And thank you for reminding me about ‘Cooked’ – I’ve been meaning to check it out…love Michael Pollan’s books.
That’s exactly what they are, simple and delicious. I bet you’ll love Cooked, it’s so beautiful (and interesting) but the beauty is what’s going to stay in my memory. :)
Ooohhh the lighting here and beautiful simplicity of this dish! I love it! Brown food is definitely a challenge photographically, but you make it look easy, as always beautifully done Nicole! <3 xx
That is soooo nice of you to say, Louise, thank you! I did have to play around with the set (and the food) for quite a while before I arrived at this photo… :)
Saw this recipe on Foodgawker and immediately recognized your style <3
Love this recipe because of its simplicity.
I thought about doing a similar dish this week with Shirataki and Peanut Sauce. But I really like your combination and probably will try it :)
With warmth, Sabrina
“Saw this recipe on Foodgawker and immediately recognized your style <3"
That is such an awesome compliment, thank you, Sabrina!!
Ahh, Nicole. You did the dish justice with your photography. It looks very Asian and classy. The ingredients sound wonderful together and like you said I have everything in my pantry, except soba noodles. But that can be fixed. It is going to be a hot week, I’m looking forward to a nice cold lunch. =D
Thank you, Melinda! This is the perfect hot weather lunch indeed. :)
Sounds delicious and really love the photo!
Thank you, Susan!! :)
I think it is so sad that people don’t take the time to cook. To me it’s a labor of love — now I’m trying to learn photography and I’m sure when I become more knowledgeable I will enjoy doing that too. It’s not just my daughter who loves to cook but my two sons also. Now your noodles may be brown but your photo is gorgeous. They draw me in and I want to dig in. Beautiful shot.
It is sad, I agree and I don’t know what the answers are. I think it would require a fundamental change in our society’s mindset toward attaching more value to the art of the homecooked meal before anything would change. And that’s not something I see happening anytime soon. :(