Remember that Katy Perry song, “Hot N Cold”? That was the JAM my junior year of high school. That and Coldplay’s “Yellow” and NPR’s “Fresh Air” podcast were the mainstays as I did homework in the library after school. Now is it really that surprising to learn that I was *not* Homecoming queen? ANYWAYS, Ms. Perry’s jam deftly describes how you can eat this spicy soba noodle salad—either very hot, fresh out of the pan, or chilled in the fridge for a few hours. It’s spicy, savory and slightly healthy because you’re cooking with soba, which is made out of buckwheat flour (most soba noodle brands are gluten-free) and packed with plenty of fiber. Add in your protein of choice and you’ll maybe be swoll by the end of the week.

Spicy Soba Noodles with Shrimp & Kale

Ingredients

1 bunch Dino kale, de-stemmed and chopped into 1-inch pieces
3 tbsp. soy sauce
3 tbsp. hot chili oil (Sambal Oelek, Tapatio, Dynasty, your choice)
2 tbsp. sesame oil
3 garlic cloves, pressed
1 tbsp. fresh ginger, grated
1 tsp. sesame seeds
3 cups soba noodles (after being cooked)
Salt and cracked black pepper to taste

1. Cook soba noodles according to package instructions. Rinse with cold water to prevent your noods from sticking together, then set aside.

2. Next, get your sauce made. In a small bowl combine your soy sauce, sesame oil, chili oil, garlic cloves, ginger and sesame seeds. You’ll be using 1/3 of this sauce to cook your shrimp/protein. 

3. Heat a skillet on medium heat and add in your shrimp/protein once your pan is hot. If you’re cooking with tofu or shrimp, coat the bottom of your pan with a little cooking oil, but if you’re going with ground meat, you can rely on the meat juice.

4. Once your protein has cooked solo for about 3 minutes, add in the 1/3 reserve of your sauce and your chopped kale. Stir fry to gether and make sure your protein is fully cooked (shrimp should be bright pink, ground meat should be a nice shade of brown, and tofu is yummy when it’s slightly golden). 

5. Turn the heat off and grab your noodles on the side and the rest of your sauce. Add it into the pan with your protein and mix together. Garnish with a little bit more chili sauce and sesame seeds. Enjoy!