RECIPE : chard & enoki mushroom miso soba noodles

the other day we bought these beautiful enoki mushrooms and soba noodles. it’s time for soba noodle bonanza – one of david’s favourite foods !
i’ve never cooked with fresh enoki before, and i’m over the moon with them.

lately, i’ve become a huge fan of sunflower seeds. they’re much cheaper than most nuts and other seeds, yet they’re so tasty and incredibly good for you. full of poly-unsaturated fat, vitamin E, manganese, B vitamins, and magnesium – what’s not to like !
like with all nuts and seeds, keep them in the fridge to make them last longer and prevent them from going rancid.

– gluten intolerant ? make sure to choose the 100% buckwheat soba noodles.
– can’t find enoki ? just use whatever mushrooms you want. shiitake is a good option for instance.
– not into miso ? use a mix of tahini and light soy sauce instead !
– can’t find soba ? why not try it with whole wheat spaghetti ?

chard & enoki mushroom miso soba noodles
about 2 servings
200 g uncooked soba noodles
noodle cooking water
a big bunch of chard, roughly chopped
100 g enoki mushrooms ( or whichever mushroom you prefer )
2 garlic cloves, grated
1-2 tsp ginger, grated
2 tbsp white miso
2 tbsp sunflower seeds
0.5 small red onion, sliced
salt and white pepper, to taste
chilli flakes, to taste
a wedge of lemon

– cook the soba noodles. don’t use too much water, we want the water to get thick and starchy. drain the noodles, but keep the cooking water.
– quickly sauté the chard in half of the garlic and some water, with salt and pepper, on medium high heat. the chard should still be crispy, just slightly softened. remove from the pan, and place in the oven on low heat to keep warm.
– repeat with the mushrooms. again cooking them quickly. remove from the pan and wipe it dry. keep mushrooms in oven.
– toast the sunflower seeds in a dry pan on medium heat for few minutes, until they start to brown and give off a nutty smell. remove half to be used as garnish later.
– add ginger and just enough noodle cooking water to cover the bottom of the pan. season with salt, pepper, and chili flakes to taste.
– remove from heat and stir in the miso paste, until completely mixed with the water. add the noodles and toss until covered with miso sauce and heat quickly. add more cooking water if needed.
– place the chard and red onion around the edges of your plate, and place the soba in the middle, cutely twirled if you enjoy styling your food. add enokis on top, with the remaining sunflower seeds and some chili flakes as garnish. yummy with a generous squeeze of lemon juice.