Thai Steak Salad with Soba Noodles

Soba noodles!  Soba noodles are made of buckwheat flour.  Energizing and nutritious, it can be a great substitute for people sensitive to wheat and other grains that contain the protein gluten because it is gluten free.  Flavonoid phytonutrients found in buckwheat provide powerful antioxidant protection against damage from free radicals.  Yeah baby…thats what I like to hear!  It is also a very good source of manganese, that awesome trace mineral that helps protect our precious mitochondria… the energy production factories in our cells.   True soba noodles are made from 100% buckwheat flour so make sure to check the label ingredients as some brands also mix it with wheat flour. Here is a delicious recipe I make very often.   It is from Feeding The Whole Family cookbook written by our culinary director from Bastyr, Cynthia Lair.

Thai Steak Salad Over Soba

Ingredients:

  • 1/3 cup fresh lime juice
  • 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup packed chopped fresh cilantro
  • 2 cloves minced garlic
  • 1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
  • 3 teaspoons honey
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • freshly ground pepper
  • 1 lb. flank steak, 1 inch thick
  • 1 8 oz. package of soba noodles
  • 3 to 4 cups salad greens torn into bite size pieces
  • 1/2 small red onion cut into half moons
  • 1/2 cucumber cut in half lengthwise, then sliced 1/4″ thick, half moons

Instructions:

  1. Combine lime juice, oil, cilantro, garlic, hot pepper sauce, honey, salt, and pepper to taste in a small bowl.  Whisk together and set aside.
  2. Place steak between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound on both sides to tenderize.  Remove wrap and place sirloin in a shallow pan.  Pour half of the marinade over the meat.  Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or up to 12 hours.
  3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.   Heat a cast iron or over safe skillet with a teaspoon or so of oil.  Place marinated steak in skillet, season with salt and pepper on both sides, and brown for a few minutes on each side.   Transfer steak to the oven for 7-10 minutes.  Check center for doneness (red for medium rare, pink for medium) and remove from oven when it is redder than you desire; the meat will continue to cook once it is out of the oven.
  4. While meat is cooking, prepare the soba noodles as instructed on the package.  They will cook a lot faster than regular pasta so keep your eye on them and then rinse with cold water when done.
  5. Transfer meat to carving board and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing into thin slices on a diagonal against the grain of the meat.
  6. Toss the salad greens, onion, and cucumber with the rest of the remaining marinade.
  7. To assemble, place a small bed of noodles on each plate, then top with salad and an equal portion of steak slices.   Or you can just mix it all together in a big bowl and serve.  I usually prefer to do it the latter way, especially with kids.

Enjoy!  It’s delicious and super nutritious.

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