During the summer, I’m all about meals that come together quickly with the least possible effort. See: these soba noodles.

I love soba noodles in general. They’re versatile so you can use them in salads, pasta dishes, or really anything except dessert (although I’m sure there’s a way to use them there, too). But they are extra good in this dish, which takes about ten minutes to make but tastes like something you’d order in a restaurant.

The soba noodles are the foundation of the salad and the tahini sauce is what makes it shine. It’s nutty, fragrant, spicy, zesty, and not too heavy. It coats the noodles and the vegetables without weighing them down.

I wanted to spiralize the zucchini and carrot for this dish but my spiralizer is still packed away in a box somewhere. So I decided to shave the vegetables into thin slices instead. If you don’t have a spiralizer or a hand-held vegetable peeler, I would try to slice the vegetables as thin as you can with a knife. It will have the same effect.

I topped the noodles with cilantro and sesame seeds but feel free to get creative. I bet hemp seeds and mint would also be good.

This was the perfect dinner to make after a weekend recovering from a bad cold. I saved the leftovers for lunch today and I’m excited to eat them. I bet the sauce will taste even better on day two.

Here’s a song to get you started on your soba noodle journey. It’s a new single from one of my favorite bands, The Bad Bad Hats. I’m still reeling that I saw the lead singer in person while I was in D.C.

Soba Noodle Salad with Zucchini and Carrot Ribbons and Tahini Sauce

Ingredients

1 pack soba noodles
1 zucchini, shaved or spiralized
1 carrot, shaved or spiralized
2 Tbsp tahini
2 Tbsp soy sauce
juice of half a lime
1 Tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
1/2 clove garlic (minced)*
1 tsp fresh minced ginger
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 cup warm water
sesame seeds and cilantro for topping

Directions

Cook the soba noodles according to package directions. Drain and rinse them under cold water and place in a large bowl.

Shave the zucchini and carrot and add them to the bowl with the noodles. Make the tahini sauce in separate bowl by whisking together the tahini, lime juice, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes, and water. Add 1/4 cup more water if you want the sauce to be thinner.

Pour the sauce over the noodles and vegetables and toss to combine. Top with sesame seeds and cilantro. Enjoy!

*I used 1/2 clove garlic because I’m sensitive to garlic, but feel free to add another half (or more) if you like a strong garlic flavor.