Sesame Noodle Salad with Seared Mushroom "Scallops" Recipe on Food52 (2024)

Author Notes

Perfect for warm days, this chilled noodle salad is slightly spicy and pairs perfectly with the warm seared mushrooms. I made this dish one night just cleaning out my fridge with what I had on hand! I used king oyster mushrooms for the "scallops," but this recipe would also be great with leftover grilled chicken or pork! —Jenny Goycochea

Test Kitchen Notes

WHO: Jenny Goycochea's bright recipes are a reflection of where she lives, in sunny San Diego.
WHAT: A springtime soba salad (slurping optional).
HOW: Toss cooked soba noodles with celery, bell pepper, carrots, cabbage, and jalapeño slices. Top with pan-seared mushroom caps, cilantro leaves, and a sesame dressing that has notes of rice vinegar, ginger, and lime.
WHY WE LOVE IT: The beauty in this salad is its adaptability. Use the noodles and dressing as a foundation, then feel free to sub in the leftover broccoli in your crisper for celery, or top the noodles with some sort of meat or vegetable you don't have mushrooms on hand. —The Editors

What You'll Need

Ingredients

• For the sesame dressing:
• 3 tablespoonstoasted sesame oil
  
• 2 tablespoonsrice wine vinegar
  
• 3 tablespoonssoy sauce or tamari
  
• 2 teaspoonshoney
  
• 1 teaspoonfreshly grated ginger root
  
• 2 teaspoonsSriracha
  
• 2 tablespoonslime juice
  
• ¹/₄ teaspoondried red chile flakes
  

• For the noodle salad:
• 6 ouncessoba noodles
  
• ¹/₂ cupsliced celery
  
• ¹/₂ red bell pepper, julienned
  
• ¹/₂ cupshredded carrots
  
• 1 cupthinly sliced purple cabbage
  
• 1 jalapeño, thinly sliced (optional)
  
• 2 king oyster mushrooms, tops removed and cut into 1-inch rounds
  
• 1 tablespoonolive oil
  
• 1 pinchsalt and pepper, to taste
  
• 1 pinchcilantro leaves, for garnish
  
• 1 dashtoasted sesame seeds, for garnish
  
• 1 lime, for serving