Soba Noodle Salad

What size soba noodle package is used here. I have a package that is 9.5 oz or 3 bundles. It would make sense, but wanted to clarify. This looks great. I am making it to go with the sweet sour tofu.

Thank you for this question. I have made the addition to the recipe to call for a 9 ounce package of soba noodles. The one we used for this recipe was actually an 8.8 ounce bag. Hope that is helpful and you enjoy the dish. Cheers, Chad

Once put together how long will this salad keep in the fridge? or if you want to make it in advance is it best to leave undressed?

Correct. With most salads, it will last longer if left undressed and dressed before consuming. Due to the salt in the dressing, when paired with the delicate shaved vegetables and herbs these will soften quickly and not give the freshness you want with the salad, so this is best to keep these ingredients fresh and crisp for best results dressing to order. Enjoy. - Chad

I bought some soba noodles and made a similar salad but with an orange-miso dressing. We didn't finish it all...so I thought I would save it for the next day but when I went to eat it I found that the noodles had almost completely disintegrated into the sauce. Could this be because the soba noodles I bought were marked "gluten free" or does this happen with all soba noodles? I am not gluten free, but I didn't consider that it would matter that much because I thought buckwheat was a gluten free grain anyway. Can you clarify? Thanks!

It's hard to say, as I'm not sure what you mean exactly by disintegrating noodles. As they sit, noodles will swell and expand to absorb any liquid, for sure - and this may cause them to stick together and appear as a solid mass. It may be that your noodles were a bit overcooked and/or too soft to start with. Soba is most traditionally gluten free (100% buckwheat) and this does make it more delicate than other noodles. Most commercially available soba is made from a blend of buckwheat and regular wheat flour to reduce cost and add structure/durability to the noodle. Have another try with another noodle and cooking times. ~Ken

It just calls for chile. What type of chile (isn't the spelling chili?) should be used?

Sheila - The recipe calls for fresh chilies (chile is also a correct spelling) - so you might choose a serrano, jalapeño, or Thai bird. It all depends on how much heat/piquancy you like. ~Ken

Thank you so much Ken! For both the correction of spelling (apparently many people and recipes spell it wrong) and for the clarification. For beginners like me it is helpful to have this information. Sheila

I found this article useful for both heat levels and spelling. :-) . https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/27/how-spicy-are-chile-peppers_n_1456385.html

This recipe turned out really great, the first time too. I was pleasantly surprised when my kids ate it all too, including "the greenery" as they call it. Really nice! Thank you.

what if i dont have access to all the ingredients? should i skip this recipe. I dont have access to mint or daikon or likely to thai basil. Not sure if skipping these ingredients will make it not taste right. Thanks

Hi Claudia. That is an excellent question. Some dishes are reliant on a specific ingredient to hit the mark. Some can be more flexible. I usually look at what are good substitutions. In this case: Daikon is a radish so you can substitute a different radish. Thai basil can be replaced with regular basil. Mint is in its own category but this dish will still be successful without it. I like to think within categories. Replace fresh herbs with other fresh herbs, oils with other oils, vegetables with other veg in the same family (roots, leaves, stalks) and grains with other grains....etc. When you work like that you can sometimes create something totally new! Lauren

This was a first for me in using tofu. It's a win! Loved the final result. Yum! I didn't have a daikon but did use my radishes, added zucchini to the stir fry, and red bell pepper, and brown rice noodles in place of the soba noodles.

Sauces, Glazes- Can these be made in bulk and frozen? Once out of the freezer, how long can they stay in the fridge before needing to be tossed

If Sauces and Glazes can be frozen, can you freeze in a rubbery squeeze bottle or small pint Mason/ball jar? Any other suggestions that can go from freezer to fridge to table? Thank you

Hi Nancy, yes, the sauces can be frozen and almost any container should be fine, including glass jars. As for plastic squeeze bottles, it depends on the type of plastic and the state of the bottle. Initially, it should be fine, but some bottles become slightly brittle when they get cold and are susceptible to cracking. Otherwise, ensure air-tight packaging and label and date the product, so it's easier to keep track of. ~Eric