Credit: ©2024 Galdones Photography
Haricot Vert and Soba Salad with Avocado, Radish, and Hibiscus Ponzu
FOR THE PONZU
Meyer lemon juice: 1/3 cup (from about 2 lemons)
White soy sauce: 1/3 cup
Dried hibiscus flowers: 1/4 cup (crumbled)
Mirin: 2 tbsp
Katsuobushi (bonito flakes): 2 big pinches
Sugar: 1 tbsp
Kombu: 1 large piece (about 4x8 inches coarsely crumbled)
FOR THE SALAD
Kosher salt
Haricots verts: 3/4 lb
Buckwheat soba noodles: 227 g
Extra virgin olive oil: 2 tsp
Toasted sesame oil: 2 tsp
Dried ogo or hijiki seaweed: 1/4 cup (rehydrated according to the package instructions)
Scallions: 3 (thinly sliced on an angle)
Watermelon radish: 1 (sliced into thin matchsticks)
Hass avocado: 1 (cubed)
Cilantro: Handful (coarsely chopped)
Toasted sesame seeds: 1 tbsp
(excerpt from Brooke Williamson's Sun Kissed Cooking)
I’m a big fan of soba salads that are all about the noodles. But I also like to flip the script and make a soba salad that’s all about the veg. Haricots verts, slim green beans with a lovely tender crunch, are the star of this dish, with crisp radishes and creamy pieces of avocado playing backup. The dressing makes a real splash: I tweak the classic ponzu, the Japanese condiment made from citrus and soy sauce, by opting for fragrant Meyer lemon rather than the more typical yuzu and adding highly nontraditional dried hibiscus flowers, which contribute another dimension of acidity as well as a striking fuchsia color.
How to make Haricot Vert and Soba Salad with Avocado, Radish, and Hibiscus Ponzu
- Combine the ponzu ingredients in a container, add 1/4 cup water, and stir well.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 12 hours.
- Pour the ponzu through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl, discarding the solids.
- Cover and refrigerate until chilled or for up to 5 days.
- Bring a medium pot of water to a boil and add a handful of salt. Fill a large bowl with ice and water.
- Add the haricots verts to the boiling water and cook for 1 minute, or until they’re no longer raw but still nice and snappy.
- Use a strainer to transfer them to the ice water (keep the pot at a boil).
- Let them cool completely, then drain well.
- Add the soba noodles to the boiling water and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender but not mushy, 4 to 5 minutes. Drain, run them under cold water to rinse off the starch and cool the noodles, then drain again really well and transfer to a large bowl.
- Add the olive oil, sesame oil, and seaweed to the noodles and toss to combine.
- Divide the noodles among shallow bowls and garnish with the scallions, radish, avocado, cilantro, and haricots verts. Sprinkle on the sesame seeds and pour in the ponzu so it pools at the bottom.
- Serve and have everyone toss well before they dig in.
