It’s summertime and here’s another buckwheat noodle recipe, this time dressed in irresistible Sichuan flavors. The cold soba noodles are tossed in a zingy, spicy sauce of black vinegar and smoky red chili oil and served with shredded cucumber, chopped scallions, and pressed tofu. It’s fresh, satisfying, and only takes fifteen minutes to whip up.
Ingredients in Spicy Sichuan-Style Buckwheat Noodles:
- Soba noodles, made with a blend of wheat and buckwheat.
- Sauce: soy sauce or tamari, Chinkiang black vinegar, Sichuan chili oil, sugar or maple syrup, minced garlic, minced garlic.
- Scallions, finely sliced and red chili pepper, seeded and sliced thinly (optional).
- Cucumber, peeled and julienned.
- Pressed tofu, sliced thinly to match cucumber strips.
How to Make These Noodles:
- Cook noodles according to package instructions, then rinse with cold water and drain.
- Combine & chill. Place noodles in a bowl, add soy sauce, vinegar, chili oil, sugar, minced garlic, and chili pepper, and toss well. Chill in refrigerator.
- Serve in bowls topped with sliced scallions, julienned cucumber and cold pressed tofu.
tips and notes:
- I use these buckwheat noodles, made from a combination of wheat and buckwheat. If you need the recipe to be gluten-free, use GF tamari instead of soy sauce and 100 percent buckwheat noodles (can be found here).
- You can find chili oil in most Asian grocery stores, but most of them are Cantonese, and generally much spicier than the Sichuanese version with sediment. A brand I recommend that’s found online and in some U.S. grocery stores is Mom’s Mala.
- That being said, I highly recommend making your own chili oil, as it keeps indefinitely and adds wonderful color and authentic flavor. To make: heat 1 cup heat-tolerant oil over high heat and then let cool to around 275F, or until bubbles form around a wooden chopstick dipped into the oil. Combine ¼ cup Sichuan chili flakes (sub Korean chili flakes or crushed red pepper flakes), 1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns, 1 clove minced garlic, 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, 2 bay leaves, 1 small piece of unpeeled ginger (optional), and 1 star anise (optional) in a heat-proof ceramic bowl. Ladle in the oil (it should bubble and start to sizzle), stirring gently as the spices toast. When cool, scoop out bay leaves, star anise and ginger. Stores for up to 6 months in the fridge in an airtight glass container.
other soba noodle recipes (can you tell I really love soba noodles)
Soba Noodles with Pan-Seared Tofu
Soba Noodle Bowl with Tempeh and Roasted Vegetables
Soba Noodle Salad with Spicy Sesame Dressing
Print📖 Recipe
Spicy Cold Buckwheat Noodles
Sichuan-style cold noodles with thinly sliced cucumber and pressed tofu. It’s simple to make and irresistibly delicious, with the perfect amount of acidity and heat.
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 10
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 3 1x
- Category: Main
- Method: Cook
- Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients
Scale
- 8 oz soba noodles
-
2 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
-
3 tablespoon Chinkiang black vinegar*
-
4 tablespoon Sichuan chili oil, with sediment*
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¾ teaspoon sugar or maple syrup
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3 cloves garlic, minced
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4 scallions, finely sliced
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1 small fresh red chili pepper, seeded and sliced thinly (optional)
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1 small cucumber, peeled and julienned
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4 oz pressed tofu*, sliced thinly to match cucumber strips
Instructions
- Cook noodles according to package instructions, then rinse with cold water and drain.
- Place noodles in a bowl, add soy sauce, vinegar, chili oil, sugar, minced garlic, and chili pepper, and toss well. Chill in refrigerator.
- Serve in bowls topped with sliced scallions, julienned cucumber and cold pressed tofu.
Notes
- *Chinkiang vinegar can be found in any Asian grocery store; it’s a deeply colored, full-bodied black vinegar made from fermented rice. If you can’t find it, substitute with clear rice vinegar or lime juice + a dash of balsamic vinegar.
- I used five-spice pressed tofu, but any kind of baked or marinated firm tofu will work.
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