Soba Noodle

This simply flavored noodle dish is good served with Asian-style tofu dishes. See the menu suggested on page 135 with Sweet and Savory Sautéed or Baked Tofu as well as the one given here. If you can’t find Asian noodles, substitute linguine.

Quick-cooking soba noodles are made from buckwheat, which means they provide more fiber than wheat or rice noodles.

Look for Asian noodles in natural foods stores as well as in the Asian foods section of well-stocked supermarkets.

During the summer you can grill the asparagus outdoors. The smoky flavor of a wood charcoal fire adds complexity to this substantial meal. While I call for green asparagus, try making the dish with a colorful array of asparagus—green, white, and purple. White miso, which is called shiro-miso in Japanese can be found in health food stores. Smooth rather than grainy miso is preferable for this recipe.

A bowl of these refreshing noodles—a riff on a Japanese classic that gets topped with silky tofu—is clean and light, yet still hearty enough to make a satisfying meal.

In this Asian take on summer pasta, noodles are tossed with a lovely orange-peanut dressing and tons of fresh vegetables.

Soba are buckwheat noodles and cook very quickly.

Korean hot-pepper paste gives this Asian-inspired dish not only heat but also full, deep flavor. Rich with umami, edamame and buckwheat noodles satisfy even the heartiest appetites.

It's no surprise that American cooks have adopted Asian peanut sauce as their own. The tantalizing balance of creaminess and heat has universal appeal.

For a heartier dish, add sliced grilled steak or chicken. Hoisin sauce can be found in the Asian foods section of many supermarkets and at Asian markets.

Hearty soba noodles and tangy feta cheese create a lightning-quick vegetarian dish that even meat eaters will flock to. Served cold or at room temperature, it's just what we want on a warm evening.

Japanese connoisseurs of the noodle hold soba, made primarily of buckwheat flour, in particularly high regard. Here the nutty taste of the soba noodles is set off by a restorative broth in which miso is a savory option. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 30 min

An Asian take on pasta salad. Soba, or Japanese buckwheat noodles, have a brown-gray color and nutty flavor.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. Editors' note: The original recipe calls for Chinese wheat noodles, but we also like this soup made with somen (Japanese thin wheat noodles) or soba (Japanese buckwheat noodles).

Whole-wheat spaghetti can replace the soba noodles used here.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.