This recipe comes to you courtesy of my friend Carly. She sent it to me the other day via email with the subject line: “think you will love this.”

She was right. I love soba noodle salads, and this one is the perfect amount of sweet and savory. The miso and tahini dressing adds some tang, and the bell peppers give it a little crunch. It’s everything you need in a bowl…minus ice cream.

Let’s talk about the dressing for a second, though. Whoa. That’s all I can say. During my first year in D.C., Carly told me that she could eat the hummus I made for my birthday dinner on an ice cream cone. That’s how I feel about this dressing. I was eating it off the spoon, which feels weird to admit here but also liberating.

I had a moment the other day when I remembered that I have an iTunes library. I haven’t downloaded songs there since 2013, because when I moved to D.C. I became a Spotify convert. It was fun rediscovering songs that I used to listen to all the time. Here’s one of them.

Soba Noodle Salad with Miso Roasted Nectarines (slightly adapted from Citrus Tree Kitchen)

Ingredients

for the noodles:
1 tablespoon mild yellow miso paste
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 ½ teaspoons honey
2 nectarines (about 10oz), cut into ¼ in. wedges
2 bundles soba noodles (5 ½ oz, uncooked)
½ cup baby bell peppers, sliced into rounds or if using regular bell peppers sliced thin
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
½ cup cilantro, leaves and tender stems, loosely packed

for the tahini miso dressing:
2 tablespoons tahini
1 tablespoon mild yellow miso paste
1 ½ teaspoons honey
1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon ginger, peeled and grated
2 tablespoons water

Directions

Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. In a medium bowl, whisk miso paste, sesame oil and honey. Add nectarines to bowl and toss to coat well. Transfer nectarines to baking sheet and roast for 8-10 minutes or until soft (not mushy!) and slightly caramelized.

Cook soba noodles according to package directions and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking. Drain well and set aside.

To make the tahini miso dressing, whisk all ingredients except the water until fully incorporated. Slowly add the water and whisk until smooth. Add more water if needed 1 tablespoon at a time to reach desired consistency. Taste and adjust to your liking. You can also add all ingredients to a jar and shake vigorously.

In a large bowl, toss soba noodles with roasted nectarines, peppers, sesame seeds, cilantro, and dressing.