Chilled Noodle Salad with Carrot-Ginger Dressing

• total time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

Dressing

1 large carrot, cut into 1/4-inch-thick half-moons (about 1 cup)

1 cup water, divided

1 teaspoon instant dashi granules (such as Ajinomoto Hon Dashi) or 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed

1/3 cup thinly sliced yellow onion

1/3 cup canola oil

1 (1 1/2-inch) piece peeled fresh ginger, thinly sliced (about 1/4 cup)

2 tablespoons white miso

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 tablespoon agave syrup

Salad

12 ounces uncooked soba noodles

1 (8-ounce) bunch radishes, trimmed, halved lengthwise, and thinly sliced (about 1/2 cup)

4 Persian cucumbers, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced on an angle (about 2 1/2 cups)

2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus cilantro leaves for garnish

2 (1/8-ounce) package Korean toasted seaweed, torn into small pieces

Directions

Bring carrots, 1/2 cup water, and instant dashi granules to a boil in a small saucepan over medium. Decrease heat to medium-low to maintain a simmer; cover and cook until carrots are fork-tender, about 5 minutes. (Most of the water will have evaporated.) Add onion; cook, stirring constantly, until just softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat, and let cool 5 minutes.

Transfer carrot mixture to a blender; add oil, ginger, miso, vinegar, agave syrup, and remaining 1/2 cup water. Process until smooth, about 30 seconds. Season with additional instant dashi granules or salt to taste, if desired. Make the salad

Cook noodles in lightly salted water according to package directions. Drain noodles, and return to pot; add cold water to cover by 1 inch. Swish noodles around in pot to quickly cool; drain well. Let stand until noodles are room temperature, 15 minutes.

Divide noodles evenly among 4 shallow bowls. Arrange radishes, cucumbers, tomatoes, and dressing evenly over noodles. Sprinkle evenly with chopped cilantro and toasted seaweed pieces. Garnish with cilantro leaves. Serve immediately, using a spoon and chopsticks to stir everything together.

Nutrition

• Calories: 215 kcal
• Total Fat: 13 g
• Saturated Fat: 1 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 0 g
• Cholesterol: 0 mg
• Sodium: 346 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 23 g
• Dietary Fiber: 2 g
• Total Sugars: 6 g
• Protein: 5 g