I love chilled noodle salads. Adding noodles to salad makes it so much more fun and interesting, don’t you think? This salad is taken to the next level with a fabulous Green Curry Goddess Dressing from James Beard award-winning food writer Joe Yonan’s new cookbook, “Cool Beans” (although I adjusted the proportions somewhat).

What makes the dressing so creamy, you ask? TOFU! Seriously, though, my husband and I were both shocked at the creaminess and richness of this vegan salad dressing. Basil and lime zest add freshness, and green curry paste adds a spicy, garlicky kick. It’s soooooo good.

We used the dressing as a sauce for soba noodles and edamame. If you’re unfamiliar with soba, it’s a Japanese noodle made from buckwheat. It has great flavor, and it won’t induce a carb crash like enriched white flour noodles. Napa and purple cabbage form the base of the salad, and the whole thing is topped with pickled onions + carrots.

This Soba Noodle Salad with Green Curry Goddess Dressing has it all — so many different flavors and textures, plus a ton of plant based protein from tofu and edamame. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 Napa cabbage, cut into shreds

• 1/2 purple cabbage, cut into shreds

• 1 - 12 oz. bag of frozen shelled edamame

• 1 red onion, sliced

• 2 large carrots, peeled & cut into matchsticks

• 1 c. rice vinegar

• 1 c. water

• 1 T. salt

• 1 T. white sugar

• 8 oz. soba noodles

• 12 oz. silken tofu

• 1/2 c. lightly packed fresh basil leaves

• 1/3 c. olive oil

• 3 T. Thai green curry paste

• 2 garlic cloves

• Zest of one lime

• Juice of 1/2 a lime

• 1 T. agave nectar

• Salt & pepper, to taste

• Black & white sesame seeds, to garnish

STEPS

1) Add the red onion, carrots, rice vinegar, water, 1 T. salt and 1 T. white sugar to a bowl. Place in the refrigerator and allow to pickle for at least an hour (you could also prepare this the day before if you want).

2) Cook the soba noodles and frozen edamame according to package directions. Drain both, then add to a large bowl and place in the refrigerator to chill.

3) Add the tofu, fresh basil, olive oil, green curry paste, garlic cloves, lime zest, lime juice and agave to a blender or food processor and purée until smooth. Taste, then season with salt and pepper. Purée again to combine. Place in the refrigerator to chill.

4) After about 20 minutes, remove the bowl of noodles/edamame as well as the dressing from the refrigerator. Spoon the dressing over the noodles — there will be more dressing than you need, so add gradually, tossing to combine as you go.

5) Add a bit of each type of cabbage to a large bowl or plate for the base of your salad. Use tongs to place the noodle/edamame mixture on top of the cabbage. Garnish with the pickled onions + carrots and sprinkle with sesame seeds.