Hot summer days call for cool, simple cooking. Making a nourishing and delicious dish of soba noodles is my go-to.

Here I’ve served it with a simple dashi (stock) made with kombu and katsuobushi (bonito flakes) and flavoured with soy sauce and mirin. I’ve chosen New Zealand King salmon, which is sustainably farmed, to accompany the noodles and broth, but chicken, prawns or tofu would be great too. Choose whatever vegetables you have on hand — some blanched spinach or steamed snap peas are also a favourite.

If you can’t find green tea soba noodles, simply use regular soba noodles. Although it really only takes a few moments to make from scratch, dashi tea bags or dashi powder is readily available from Japanese grocers and can be used instead.

Green Tea Soba Noodles With Salmon + Broccolini

(Serves 4)

2 x 150g King salmon, halved
Light olive oil or neutral vegetable oil, for pan frying
400g green tea soba noodles
1 bunch broccolini, steamed
2-3 radishes, thinly sliced
2 spring onions, finely sliced
Toasted sesame seeds, to serve
Toasted sesame oil, to taste
Sea salt, to taste

Dashi

1 x  10cm (3-4g) piece Kombu
5g katsuobushi (bonito flakes)
125ml soy sauce
125ml mirin

Method:

For the dashi, place the piece of kombu in a medium saucepan and cover with 500ml of cold water. Set over a high heat. As soon as the water is about to simmer, remove the kombu and reserve for another use (you make dashi with the same piece twice). Add the katsuobushi and boil for 2 minutes. Add the soy sauce and mirin and simmer for 1 minute then take the saucepan off the heat. Cool then strain into a spouted bowl or jug. The katsuobushi can be reserved to make a second dashi too.

Season the salmon with salt and heat a small amount of oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Cook the salmon, skin side down, for 2 minutes, then flip and continue cooking until just cooked through. Set aside.

Cook the soba noodles according to the instructions on the packet. Drain and refresh under cold water.

Divide the noodles amongst 4 bowls and top each with a piece of salmon, some broccolini, radish and spring onion. Pour over the cold dashi and top with toasted sesame seeds and a small drizzle of sesame oil, to taste.

What else I’m eating: The evergreen dish of Tuna tartare with crushed peas and goat’s curd at Cumulus inc.

What else I’m cooking with: Living for all of the stone fruit. Hanging yoghurt to make labneh and eating it with lots of ripe stone fruit and homemade granola made with vanilla and maple.

Download the recipe card here!