In Near & Far, Heidi Swanson provides a collection of nourishing vegetarian recipes inspired by her travels.
A favorite side project of mine is a little online culinary boutique named QUITOKEETO. No matter how many boxes there are to ship or honey jars to be wrapped, we always clear the packing table, take a break, and sit down for a proper lunch. This was an early favorite—cold soba noodles, tiny radishes (and greens), and a beautiful crushed sesame, fresh coriander seeds, and paprika drizzle. Radish sprouts (or other sprouts) in place of the sliced radishes are a fine substitution. Use fresh coriander seeds if you come across them late in summer at your local farmers’ market; otherwise substitute dried. If using dried coriander seeds, toast them in a dry skillet until fragrant before using.
4 servings
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt, and cook the soba noodles per the package instructions. Drain and rinse under cold water until cool. In the meantime, place the radishes in a small bowl, toss with 1/8 teaspoon of salt, and set aside. Place the shallot in a separate small bowl with the vinegar and 1/8 teaspoon of salt. Set this aside as well.
- Place the garlic in a mortar, sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and mash into a paste with the pestle. Add the sesame and coriander seeds and pound into a paste. Work in the honey and olive oil very gradually, then both paprikas. Blend until uniform.
- To serve, place the soba noodles in large bowl along with the radishes. Stem the radish tops, and if they look good, slice into a chiffonade (you’ll get about 1/2 cup) before adding to the bowl. Add the shallot and vinegar mixture and toss. Drizzle with the sesame-paprika paste, toss well, and garnish with a generous sprinkle of sesame seeds. Taste and season with more salt or honey if needed.
- Optional: Serve topped with soft-poached eggs or an omelet sliced into a whispery-thin chiffonade.
Reprinted with permission from Near & Far by Heidi Swanson, copyright © 2015. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC
