Soba Noodles with Mushrooms and Bok Choy
Try these soba noodles with mushrooms and bok choy for a simple stir-fry with plenty of ginger, garlic and scallions. You can even eat the leftovers cold.
This week is the last of my fruit and vegetable boxes for the year. While I love having a CSA and supporting a local farm, I am sort of relieved.
It’s a lot to keep up with and at times I’ve been overwhelmed. Despite that, I would say if you have enough people in your house that are obsessed with veggies, then you should do it. Having a carb-loving 7-year-old doesn’t do much for our vegetable consumption and eating through a box.
One of the things I have enjoyed most about the weekly assortment is that certain vegetables have made it back into my regular rotation. One of those is bok choy, especially in stir-fry.
There are so many reasons to get excited about stir-fries: They are fast and easy and use up lots of veggies. And with bok choy, you can use the stem and the leaves.
I pair bok choy and mushrooms in this stir-fry with soba noodles, ginger and garlic.
What is Bok Choy?
This leafy green vegetable is a variety of Chinese cabbage that’s also known as pak choi. It is related to cabbage, broccoli, kale and turnips, which are all cruciferous veggies.
You can eat the stems and the leaves. No surprise, they have very different textures. The stems are crisp, and the dark green leaves are soft and similar to spinach.
How To Cut Bok Choy
For this recipe, I trim the root end of each head of bok choy and slice the stems crosswise into 1/2-inch wide pieces. After that, I just tear the leaves.
Then I separate the stems from the leafy greens. That’s because I sauté the stems with the scallions, garlic and ginger. Then I wait to add the leaves until after I have stirred in the noodles and sauce. The heat will gently wilt the greens.
Buckwheat Soba Noodles: Yes, They’re Gluten-Free!
Soba noodles are made from buckwheat. When you see the word wheat, it only makes sense to think gluten. But buckwheat is naturally gluten free because it is a flowering plant that’s a cousin to rhubarb and sorel.
If you do have gluten sensitivities, make sure to check the ingredient list on the package to see if the manufacturer used other flours in addition to buckwheat. They’re a good source of fiber.
The Ingredients
You will need these ingredients for this mushroom bok choy stir-fry:
- Soba noodles: You can find soba noodles in the Asian section in the international aisle in the grocery. Always read the package to double check the flour listed in the ingredients to make sure it is all buckwheat flour and not a blend if you need them to be gluten-free.
- Mushrooms: I love cremini mushrooms in a stir-fry. They have a wonderfully earthy taste and are a slightly more mature version of white mushrooms.
- Bok choy: The recipe calls for 2 heads of bok choy.
- Soy sauce: I recommend using low-sodium soy sauce, so the stir-fry doesn’t turn out too salty.
- Sesame oil: A little sesame oil adds a nutty, toasty flavor to the sauce.
- Rice Vinegar: Made from fermented rice, this vinegar has a nice mild acidity.
- Scallions give the noodles a nice green onion flavor.
- Ginger that’s fresh and minced is a must for this recipe like so many other stir-fries.
- Garlic: To go with the aromatics, I also include a minced garlic clove.
- Red pepper flakes: For a touch of heat and spice, I include red pepper flakes.
- Salt & pepper: I season every stir-fry with salt and pepper no matter the other ingredients because salt and pepper really help to bring out the flavors of everything else in the dish.
- Vegetable oil: Neutral oil is my go-to for stir-frying.
How To Make This Soba Noodle Recipe
- Cook the soba noodles according to package instructions in a large pot of water. Then transfer the noodles to a colander and rinse them in cold water to prevent them from sticking.
- Whisk together the soy sauce, sesame oil and rice vinegar in a small bowl.
- Heat the oil in a skillet or wok over high heat.
- Sauté the mushrooms until they start to brown.
- Add the bok choy stems, the white parts of the scallions, garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Continue sautéing until the vegetables are fragrant and the bok choy stems are cooked but still crisp.
- Stir in the soba noodles and pour in the soy sauce mixture letting it bubble.
- Fold in the bok choy leaves and the green parts of the scallions.
How To Serve Soba Noodles with Mushrooms and Bok Choy
These soba noodles are a great weeknight main dish. You can’t go wrong with a quick-cooking stir-fry. You can add shredded rotisserie chicken if you want.
And if you want a salad to serve with it, try this Asian cucumber salad with peanuts and carrots or this Asian cabbage salad with almond ginger vinaigrette.
Leftovers can be eaten cold straight from the fridge, and it becomes a soba noodle salad.
Try These Other Soba Noodle Recipes
Sesame Soba Noodles
Tofu Peanut Vegetable Stir-Fry
Soba Noodles with Mushrooms and Bok Choy
Ingredients
- 6 ounces soba noodles
- 1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms sliced
- 2 scallions thinly sliced, white and green parts separated
- 2 bok choy stems sliced crosswise 1/2-inch wide and leaves torn
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Cook the soba noodles according to package instructions in a large saucepan of salted boiling water, stirring occasionally to prevent the noodles from sticking together. Drain the noodles in a strainer and rinse with cold water.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, sesame oil and rice vinegar.
- Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat. Add the vegetable oil, swirling to coat. When the oil is shimmering add the mushrooms and sauté for a few minutes until they start to brown.
- Add the bok choy stems, white parts of the scallions, garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Continue sautéing until fragrant and the bok choy stems are cooked but still crisp, about 3 minutes.
- Stir in the soba noodles and pour in the soy sauce mixture letting it bubble.
- Fold in the bok choy leaves and green parts of the scallions.
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