Kale and Soba Noodle Salad with Peanut Dressing

By the Gracious Vegan

I’ve discovered that I really like kale, raw or cooked, in very small pieces, the kind of pieces a food processor produces. I rinse the kale, shake out the water, cut it into large pieces, and process it until the pieces are small, like the size of your pinky nail. It mixes well with other ingredients this way, and I find it easier to chew. The peanut dressing on this salad is addictive. I could eat it on lots of things, not just this salad. Maybe on baked potatoes, in a bowl, or on broiled or baked tofu or tempeh. There’s so much to like about this recipe.

Cook the noodles according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water. Put them in a large bowl.

• About 3 ounces dry noodles (e.g., soba, ramen) (or you can buy a 7-8-ounce package of pre-cooked soba noodles and follow the package directions for heating them with boiling water)

Add the following vegetables and dressing to the bowl and gently toss the salad together.

• 3-4 green onions, green and white parts, sliced into thin rounds

• 1 small or half a large red pepper, thinly sliced or diced

• 4 ounces kale (any kind), thinly sliced or processed in a food processor into small pieces

• 2 small or 1 large carrot, grated

• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro

• Peanut-Ginger-Sesame Dressing (start with 1/2 cup and add more as needed)

The salad is ready to serve or can be refrigerated for up to a few hours (or more, but the dressing begins to soak into the noodles). Optional to garnish salad with:

• Coarsely chopped peanuts

• Chopped cilantro leaves

Timing: around 30 minutes

Gluten-free if you buy 100% buckwheat soba noodles