Soba Noodle Bowl with Garlic Shrimp and Miso Dressing

I don’t know about you, but I’ve become absolutely obsessed with composed bowls. They could be rice bowls, noodle bowls, salad bowls or soup bowls — it doesn’t matter! You can’t get tired of them because each bite has a different taste and texture. Also, they’re so gorgeous; each element is dressed and cared for individually, then arranged in a beautiful way on the serving plate. It’s like having five dishes at the same time.

This noodle bowl is light and refreshing. You’ve got components that are steamed, marinated, fresh and sautéed, all on one plate. This is a great dish to eat at room temperature but you can eat it warm as well. It’s super easy to make and take for a work lunch. The dressing is tangy and great for salads too. A great way to kick off spring!

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Marinating Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

For the sprouts:
2 1/2 cups soy bean sprouts
1 1/2 Tbsp sesame oil
2 tsp rice wine vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
Pinch or 2 of gochugaru (Korean pepper flakes), optional

For the dressing:
1/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp white miso paste
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp grated ginger
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1Tbsp mirin
1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbsp sesame oil
1/3 cup grapeseed oil, or other neutral oil

For the soft boiled eggs:
4 eggs

For the noodles:
300 g (10.5 oz) package soba noodles
Salt for boiling water

For the garlic shrimp:
3/4 lb (340 g) shell-on shrimp (head removed)
Salt for seasoning
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic, minced

For the bowls:
12-15 steamed asparagus spears
2 radishes, julienned
1 avocado, sliced
Black sesame seeds, to garnish
Maldon sea salt, garnish

Directions:

For the sprouts:
1. Place the sprouts in a large bowl and season with sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, salt and gochugaru (optional).
2. Toss and marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes, tossing every 10 minutes.

For the dressing:
1. Combine the white miso, rice wine vinegar, minced garlic, grated ginger, lime juice, mirin and salt in a bowl and whisk.
2. While whisking, drizzle in the sesame oil and then the grapeseed oil until the dressing has emulsified.
3. Set the dressing aside in the fridge.

For the soft boiled eggs:
1. Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil and prepare an ice bath in a large bowl.
2. With a push-pin, make a small hole on the large end of each of the eggs. This will prevent them from cracking open.
3. Slowly lower the eggs into the boiling water and boil for exactly 6 minutes.
4. Immediately transfer the eggs into the ice bath and leave them in there for 4 minutes.
5. Peel the eggs carefully and set aside.

For the noodles:
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
2. Drop in the noodles and boil for about 4 minutes until the noodles are completely cooked through.
3. Drain the noodles into a colander and run cold water over them to stop the cooking.
4. Once the noodles are cool, transfer them to a large bowl and toss with 1/3 of the miso dressing. Set aside.

For the garlic shrimp:
1. To devein the shrimp with their shell on, use kitchen scissors to cut along the back and remove the vein with a small pairing knife.
2. Season the shrimp with a generous amount of salt on both sides.
3. Heat the olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
4. Once the butter has melted into the olive oil, add the shrimp in one layer. Do not over crowd the skillet! Do this in batches if needed.
5. Sear the shrimp for 1 1/2 minutes on each side until just cooked through. Remove them onto a plate.
6. Turn the heat down to medium-low and add the garlic into the residual oil/butter.
7. Sauté the garlic for 30 seconds until fragrant.
8. Remove from the pan onto the shrimp.

For plating the bowls:
1. Place the noodles into each serving bowl.
2. Beautifully arrange the steamed asparagus, radish, avocado, marinated sprouts, garlic shrimp and soft boiled egg around and on top of the noodles.
3. Drizzle some dressing over the avocado, asparagus and egg.
4. Garnish with black sesame seeds and Maldon sea salt and enjoy!

Notes, Substitutions, and Shortcuts:
– Gochugaru is used in making kimchi. It’s a bright red Korean pepper flake. This is optional for the sprouts.
– Alternative to whisking the dressing together, you can throw all the ingredients into a blender and purée until smooth.
– You do not have to use shell-on shrimp. I like the flavour it adds while the shrimp cooks.
– Lots of this can be made ahead of time including the sprouts, eggs, and noodles.

By Danielle Oron
Source: www.foodnetwork.ca