Soba Noodle Salad with Curried Chicken and Wontons

In the past I?ve talked about make-ahead meals. These can take many forms. This soba noodle salad has a long ingredient list, but is super simple to make. Plus it can be made in advance and chilled until ready to eat. It makes a great dish for summer picnics or potlucks and the flavors only intensify as it sits. Because I was eating with other people, I also made wontons. I like to make my own dough, but using store bought wrappers saves time. I love the texture of steamed wontons, but Matt likes crispy pan-fried ones, so we made both.

Soba Noodle Salad with Curried Chicken and Wontons



Served 2.

Leftover Potential: You can make just as many wontons as you need and save the rest of the filling for another use. The soba noodle salad keeps well for up to a week.

Soba Noodle Salad

1 Tbsp sesame oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbsp ginger, minced

1/8 cup peanut butter

2 Tbsp fish sauce

1/8 cup soy sauce

3 Tbsp cilantro, chopped

1/4 package soba noodles

3 chicken breasts

salt, as needed

pepper, as needed

1-2 tsp curry powder

1 Tbsp sesame oil

1/2 cup carrots, shredded

1/2 cup snow peas, halved

1/2 cup shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced

1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced

3 Tbsp peanuts, toasted, chopped

2 Tbsp sesame seeds, toasted, chopped

1. Heat the sesame oil in a small skillet. Add the garlic and ginger and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Transfer to a large bowl. Add the peanut butter, fish sauce, soy sauce, and cilantro. Mix to combine.

2. Cook the soba noodles in boiling salted water until tender, 7-9 minutes. Drain and reserve.

3. Season the chicken breasts with salt, pepper, and curry powder. Heat the oil in a medium skillet and cook the chicken until nicely browned and cooked through, 4-6 minutes. Allow the chicken to cool slightly then shred.

4. Toss the cooked noodles and chicken with the dressing. Add the carrots, snow peas, mushrooms, and scallions. Toss to combine. Add the peanuts and sesame seeds. Garnish with more cilantro if desired.

Wontons

1 Tbsp sesame oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbsp ginger, minced

1 pound ground pork

1 cup soft tofu

1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced

3 Tbsp soy sauce

2 tsp dish sauce

wonton wrappers, as needed

1. Heat the oil in a small skillet. Add the garlic and ginger and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Transfer to a large bowl.

2. Add the remaining ingredients and mix to combine completely.

3. Place about 1 1/2 Tbsp of filling in the center of each wonton. Dampen the edges slightly and use your fingers to seal the wonton, gently pressing to remove any air. Repeat with remaining filling and wonton wrappers. Panfry or steam until tender, about 4-5 minutes.