Spring Green Soba with Asparagus and Crispy Garlic Recipe
By Helen Graves
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Easy
There’s something so elegant about soba noodles, and here they’re coated in a green sauce that’s rich with sesame paste and fresh with coriander. I love to add chopped grilled asparagus to this when it’s in season, but you could also use sugar snaps, mange tout (snow peas) or Tenderstem broccoli for a similar effect. Yes, I have a thing for crispy garlic.
This recipe is extracted from BBQ Days, BBQ Nights by Helen Graves (Hardie Grant, £22), Photography by Robert Billington
Try Helen's recipe for Smoky Pork Belly Tacos with Charred Pineapple and Drunken Salsa & BBQ Banana Split with Miso-Sesame Crunch!
Also check out Helen's BBQ Days and BBQ Nights, with Helen Graves here.
Ingredients for Spring Green Soba with Asparagus and Crispy Garlic
- 2 bundles of green asparagus, trimmed
- Neutral oil, for grilling
- 400g soba noodles
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
- Flaky sea salt
- Crispy garlic chips
- Vegetable or groundnut oil, for cooking
- 1 head of garlic, cloves peeled and thinly sliced
- Green sauce
- 6 spring onions (scallions)
- Large bunch of coriander (cilantro) leaves and stalks
- 120g tahini
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
Equipment needed
- Small blender
How to make Spring Green Soba with Asparagus and Crispy Garlic
- To make the crispy garlic chips, heat a 1 cm depth of oil in a frying pan (skillet) over a medium heat. Once hot, add the garlic slices and fry until just golden (don’t fry them any more than this as they will turn bitter). Drain on kitchen paper.
- If grilling the asparagus, prepare a barbecue for two-zone cooking. If using a griddle pan, make sure it’s preheated. Toss the asparagus with a little oil and season with salt, then grill over direct heat for a few minutes, or until blistered and softened. Chop into 2.5 cm (1 inch) pieces.
- Put the spring onions (scallions) and coriander (cilantro) in a small blender and process to a coarse paste. Add the tahini, lime juice, fish sauce and vinegar and process again – the texture will be a bit thick at this stage. Drizzle in 100 ml of very cold water, with the motor running, until the dressing is smooth. Stir through the sesame oil and season with salt.
- Fill a large saucepan with boiling water and season it. Use two saucepans if you don’t have a big one. Drop the noodles into the boiling salted water and cook for 4–5 minutes, giving them a good stir once they start to soften. They should still be al dente.
- Drain the noodles and transfer them to a bowl of cold water. Swoosh the noodles around with your hands for 1 minute. Drain.
- Combine the rinsed noodles with the sauce and the asparagus. Top with the garlic chips and sesame seeds just before serving.
- To cook indoors: Preheat a griddle pan over a high heat for 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium. Prepare the asparagus as above, then griddle for 5 minutes until charred and soft.
About the author
Helen Graves, a south London-based food and recipe writer/editor, specializes in cooking over live fire. She's the editor and co-founder of Pit, an indie food magazine, and Serious Sandwiches, a newsletter. Her work spans publications like Olive, The Guardian, and National Geographic Food. In 2022, Hardie Grant published her debut cookbook, "Live Fire".
