There’s a limit to how many lettuce-based salads one can eat in the course of a week. It was time to add a new healthy, flavorful salad to the rotation. My industrious intern wanted to try this recipe and it turned out to be a winner. You can modify both the salad and the dressing to suit your mood. Roast chicken left over from a previous meal, combined with the soba noodles and some seasonal vegetables made the perfect cold salad. This dish is terrific for a summer lunch, as an appetizer or as a side dish with dinner.

• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce (or tamari- certain brands are gluten-free)
• 3 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 2 tablespoon creamy peanut butter
• 1-2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger (use a microplane for this)
• 12 ounces buckwheat soba noodles
• 1/4 cup scallions, finely chopped
• 1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
• 1 bunch radishes, trimmed and cut into wedges
• 1/2 an avocado, diced
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds, lightly toasted
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
• Optional -protein of your choice

In a large bowl, combine the rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, peanut butter, garlic and ginger. Whisk together well.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, over high heat. Cook the soba noodles as directed on the package, careful not to overcook them. Drain the noodles and run them under cold water or blanch in a bowl of ice cold water. Sprinkle some toasted sesame oil on the noodles to prevent them from sticking together.

Mix the noodles with the dressing in a large bowl. Add the scallions, cucumber, radish, avocado and gently toss to coat. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and add the lime juice. Serves 4.

Recipe adapted from Love and Lemons