Sesame-Crusted Salmon with Soba Noodle Salad
Pan-seared salmon with a sesame seed crust, paired with chilled soba noodles tossed with bell peppers, carrots, and edamame in a ginger-garlic tamari butter sauce. Quick weeknight dinner combining protein and vegetables in one bowl.
Ingredients
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoon white sesame seeds
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced
- 6 ounce soba noodlesbuckwheat noodles1:1same base ingredient
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- 2 salmon fillet
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 ½ ounce carrot, matchsticks
- ½ teaspoon sesame oil
- ¼ ounce fresh ginger, peeled and minced
- ½ cup edamame
- 2 tablespoon tamari soy saucelow-sodium soy sauce1:1umamisaltiness
standard soy works, adjust salt
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- 1
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- 2
Peel and cut carrot into matchsticks.
- 3
Bring four cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Peel and finely chop ginger and set aside. Finely chop garlic and set aside.
- 4
Remove stem, pith and seeds from red bell pepper. Slice into half inch slices and set aside.
- 5
Add soba noodles to boiling water and cook for 4 minutes.
- 6
Drain in a colander and rinse thoroughly with cold water for 1 minute until noodles are cold and starch is rinsed away. Drain well.
- 7
Place noodles in a large bowl and add bell peppers, carrots and edamame. Mix to combine.
- 8
In a small saucepan over medium heat, add tamari soy sauce, garlic, ginger, sesame oil and crushed red pepper flakes.
- 9
Heat sauce for 2 to 3 minutes and then add butter. Remove from heat and add sauce to soba noodle mixture. Mix well to combine.
- 10
Pat dry salmon fillets with paper towels and season each with salt and ground black pepper. Evenly coat one side of each salmon fillet with sesame seeds.
- 11
Heat olive oil in a medium oven-proof saute pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add salmon with sesame seed side down. Sear for 1 minute. Do not turn.
- 12
Place in oven for 6 minutes. Remove and turn salmon over crust side up.
- 13
Place soba noodle salad in center of bowls. Top with salmon and drizzle with sauce. Serve immediately.
Tips
Rinse soba noodles thoroughly with cold water to remove excess starch and prevent clumping.
Do not skip patting salmon dry before seasoning to ensure proper searing and crust formation.
Coat only the top side of salmon with sesame seeds for textural contrast and visual appeal.
Good to Know
Store leftover soba noodle salad and salmon separately in airtight containers for up to 2 days. Reheat salmon gently in a 300 degree F oven to avoid drying out.
Prepare soba noodle salad up to 4 hours ahead. Prepare all vegetables and sauce components ahead. Cook salmon just before serving for best crust texture.
Divide soba noodle salad between two bowls. Top each with one salmon fillet, sesame seed crust facing up. Drizzle reserved sauce over salmon and noodles. Serve immediately.
Common Mistakes
Do not skip the cold water rinse of soba noodles to avoid a gummy, starchy texture.
Do not turn salmon while searing to avoid breaking the sesame crust.
Do not overcook salmon in the oven to avoid dryness; 6 minutes at 375 degrees F yields medium doneness.
Substitutions
standard soy works, adjust salt
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