Somen Salad with roasted eggplant and edamame
SERVES: 4 DIFFICULTY: Hard
Edamame beands will give a great taste and pop of colour to the roasted eggplant salad and can be eated warm or cold.
INGREDIENTS
270g Hakubaku Organic Somen
2 Tbsp vegetable oil or peanut oil
4 Asian eggplants, cut into 2 cm discs (or 1 large eggplant, cut into 2 cm cubes)
1½ cups of edamame beans defrosted (found in the frozen section of supermarket)
1 Lebanese cucumber, peeled and finely sliced on the diagonal
4 radishes, finely sliced
Lime wedges to serve
Handful of chives, finely sliced, to serve
Dressing:
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tsp grated ginger
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
3 spring onions, finely sliced
1 red chilli, finely sliced (optional)
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 200°C
Bring to a boil a large pot of water to the boil. While the water is boiling, whisk all of the dressing ingredients in a small mixing bowl and set aside.
When the water is at a rolling boil, add the Somen noodles and boil for two minutes. Drain, rinse and place in a large bowl to cool and set aside.
Take a medium heavy based baking dish heat oil until very hot, carefully place in the eggplant pieces and cook on each side for 5 minutes or until golden brown using a spatula to turn the eggplant, when the eggplant is cooked through. Remove from oven when cooked, allow to cool.
Now add the eggplant and beans to the cooled Somen noodles, followed by the cucumber and radishes then pour over the dressing taking care to toss well and mix through.
Can be eaten warm or cold. Serve on a large platter with wedges of lime topped with the chopped chives.
