Summer Cookout
Soba Noodle Summer Rolls
There is so much goodness in these mouthwatering summer rolls—bright antioxidant-rich
vegetables, creamy avocado loaded with vitamin E, powerful immune-supporting shiitake
mushrooms, protein-rich tofu, and satisfying buckwheat noodles! The rice paper wrappers are
very sticky, so they hold the rolls together beautifully.
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10 shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
1/3 cup tamari
3 oz 100 percent buckwheat soba noodles
1⁄2 cup sesame seeds
12 rice paper wrappers
14 ounces tofu, cut into thin rectangles
1 small cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
1 medium carrot, peeled and julienned
1. In a small bowl, combine the mushrooms
and tamari to marinate.
2. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil and
then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook the
noodles for 8 minutes. Drain and rinse the
noodles under cold water. Slice the noodles
into 2-inch lengths.
3. In a dry skillet over medium heat, roast the
sesame seeds until they brown slightly and
smell fragrant.
4. Prepare a large container of cold water to
soften the rice paper wrappers. (I use a large
sauté pan because the size and shallow depth
work well.) Assembling 1 roll at a time, lay
1 paper in the water until softened, about 2
to 3 minutes. Put the softened wrapper on
a flat surface and arrange the mushrooms,
noodles, tofu, cucumber, carrots, avocado,
basil, cilantro, onion, and the sesame seeds
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1⁄2 avocado, cut into thin slices
1 cup fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped
1⁄2 small red onion, minced (about 1⁄2 cup)
2 teaspoons chile oil
1 cup rice wine vinegar
1 green onion, minced
in a line down the center of the wrapper.
Sprinkle with oil and, working with your
hands, lift up the edge of the rice paper
below the filling and fold it over the filling
toward the center. Next, fold in the sides of
the rice paper toward each other. Finally, roll
up the roll. Continue in this way with the
remaining filling and rice papers.
5. To make the dipping sauce, in a small bowl,
combine the vinegar and green onion. Slice
each roll in half to expose the vibrant colors
of the filling. Serve with the dipping sauce
on the side.
Note: Softened rice paper wrappers are very
sticky, so to keep the rolls from sticking to
one another in a packed lunch, wrap a bit of
parchment paper around each before packing
snugly in a container.