Quick & Easy

Grilled Eggplant & Soba Noodle Salad With Nearly Nuoc Cham

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Description

This recipe is inspired by the lively, fragrant grilled eggplant dishes in Vietnamese cuisine. Here, spongy eggplants are grilled until silky and tender, and then tossed with nearly nước chấm, my piquant, vegan take on this foundational Vietnamese sauce. If you are grilling, the eggplant could also be cooked on a griddle for a smoky edge.

Ingredients
  • 7 ounces (200 grams) soba noodles
  • 2 large eggplants (about 1 ¾ pounds/800 grams)
  • extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 -inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated
  • sea salt, to taste
  • ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1/2 cup (120 milliliters) nearly nước chấm (see below)
  • 1 cup asian herbs, such as thai basil, vietnamese mint, cilantro, green onions, or perilla leaves, finely sliced
  • toasted sesame oil, for drizzling
  • 1/2 cup roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
  • 1/3 cup (80 milliliters) lime juice
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 4 teaspoons soy sauce or tamari
  • 1 garlic clove, grated
  • 1 fresh thai red chile, finely sliced
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Directions
  1. Position a rack so the food will be about 2 inches (5 centimeters) from the heat source and heat the broiler to high.
  2. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the soba noodles and cook according to the package directions, until al dente. Drain immediately and run under cold water until the noodles are completely cold. Set aside to drain.
  3. Slice the eggplants into discs ½ inch- (1 ¼ centimeters-) thick, then lay them flat and slice them into batons. Place the eggplant on a sheet pan, drizzle with 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil and add the ginger and garlic. Season well with sea salt and broil for 5 minutes, watching the eggplant closely so it doesn’t burn. Flip the eggplant over and broil for another 4 to 5 minutes, again watching closely, until the eggplant is tender and golden. Remove from the broiler and transfer to a plate. While still warm, pour over the nearly nước chấm and toss to coat.
  4. Combine the eggplant, noodles, and herbs in a large bowl and season with sea salt and black pepper. Toss well. Drizzle with sesame oil and serve with the peanuts scattered over the top.
  5. For the nearly nước chấm:
  6. Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl.

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