Soba Noodles with Crispy Seitan

January 20, 2021

This one-dish meal combines delicious flavor with tremendous energy.  Soba noodles made from strengthening buckwheat provide enduring stamina.  The rich protein of fried seitan gives us great vitality and just so things don’t get too heavy, there are loads of lightly cooked veggies for freshness. 

Makes 3-4 servings

Ingredient List:

  • 8 ounces soba noodles
  • 1 cup fresh/frozen organic corn kernels
  • several snow peas, trimmed, left whole
  • 1-2 carrots, thin matchstick pieces
  • 2 stalks broccoli, small florets, stems peeled and thinly sliced
  • 2-3 fresh shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
  • Organic soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon kuzu, dissolved in a small bit of cold water
  • 1 ripe pear, halved, cored, thinly sliced
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • 8 ounces seitan, thickly sliced
  • 1 cup (approx) whole wheat pasty flour
  • small handful tan sesame seeds, lightly pan-toasted
  • avocado or sunflower oil for frying
  • 2-3 fresh scallions, thinly sliced on the diagonal, for garnish

Step By Step Instructions:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook noodles al dente.  Drain and rinse well. Japanese noodles are coated with salt while drying and require rinsing for the best flavor.  

While the noodles cook, bring a small pot of salted water to a boil and begin cooking vegetables separately, in the order listed above.  You want them to be just crispy-tender, so don’t boil them to death here.  The shiitake will take a bit longer than the rest of the vegetables, so test them.  Combine the veggies in a large mixing bowl.  Do not boil the pear–just toss it with lemon juice and mix in with veggies, juice and all.  Transfer one cup of vegetable cooking water to another pot.  Warm through over

low heat.  Season lightly with soy sauce and stir in dissolved kuzu, stirring until mixture thickens.  Spoon mixture over cooked vegetables and stir well to coat.

While cooking noodles and veggies, heat about one inch of oil in a deep skillet.  Combine flour and sesame seeds.  Dredge seitan slices to coat well.  When oil is hot, fry seitan until golden on both sides, turning to fry evenly.  Drain well on paper.

To serve, toss cooked noodles with glazed veggies and pear and arrange on a serving platter.  Top with seitan and scallion slices.  Serve immediately.