The last time I made soba noodles I forgot to document it, but I believe I used this recipe from Smitten Kitchen for the sauce. It ended up being a little too peanut buttery for my taste. The first time I ever made soba noodles (which I just realized was almost exactly a year ago) I absolutely loved them, but I haven't made that recipe since. One of these days (if my cilantro ever grows) I'll have to make it again.

This time, though, I didn't use a recipe. I was hungry and wanted a quick, healthy lunch, so I cooked a serving of noodles (then rinsed them under cold water), chopped some vegetables, and whisked together an improvised dressing.

First, there was a generous grating of fresh ginger, then a bit of sesame oil and flaxseed oil. After that came some reduced sodium soy sauce and a splash of rice vinegar. I tasted it and thought it still needed something so I added a little peanut butter, just enough to give the dressing a hint of peanut taste. I poured in a splash of orange juice, tasted, and tweaked a little more.

My resulting lunch was good, but nothing too extraordinary. The sauce would have benefited from a kick of red pepper, a bit of sweetener (honey?) and definitely some cilantro. Someday I will have a plentiful bunch of cilantro growing. Someday. I hate buying herbs.