Soba Noodles With Tahini Veggie Sauce

Quick Easy Vegan Recipe, Technicall A Pasta Recipe, With Asian Flavors

Ingredients:

• 1 8 oz pkg soba noodles (buckwheat preferred)
• 2 - 3 Tbsp toasted sesame oil, olive oil or other favorite cooking oil
• 1 leek
• 1 small zucchini
• Two small or one large shitaki mushroom, stems removed for stock
• Dulse flakes or toasted nori
• Tahini Sauce:
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 Tbsp tahini
• 2 Tbsp cashew butter
• Stock:
• 2 cup water
• 2 inch strip kombu
• Stems from shitake mushrooms

Directions:

1. Make the stock with two cups water, mushroom stems and kombu, simmer 10 - 15 minutes
2. Boil two quarts water to cook the noodles
3. Meanwhile:
4. Cut off the tough top of the leek and the stem end. Slice in thin rounds
5. Slice the mushrooms in thin strips
6. Sauté the leek, zucchini and shitaki lightly in oil
7. Blend the stock, tahini, cashew butter, lemon juice and apple cider vinegar
8. Add to the sautéed veggies and simmer gently while the noodles cook
9. Cook soba noodles 5 minutes
10. Add pepper & salt or soy sauce and more water as needed
11. Serve over soba noodles, sprinkled with dulse flakes or toasted and crumbled nori

A Few Variations (there are endless possibilities):

• Substitute a veggie bouillon cube and a bay leaf for the kombu & mushroom stems in the stock
• Substitute 1 cup cauliflower or broccoli florets, frozen peas and thinly sliced carrots, simmered in the stock
• sauté one or two cloves garlic, ginger, jalapeno, red pepper
• Add a little paprika & cumin to the sauce
• Leave out the apple cider vinegar
• Garnish with chopped cilantro or scallions
• Use different noodles
• Serve the noodles in a clear broth with veggies and tofu strips, flavored with 1 Tbsp soy sauce or miso