Soba and edamame cold salad

Ingredients

• Wheat and buckwheat soba (dry)160g
• Shelled edamame (frozen)200g
• Cucumber (raw)200g
• Carrots (raw)100g
• Simple soy sauce (canned)20ml
• Lemon juice (raw)20ml
• Olive oil (raw)10ml
• Sesame seeds (dry)10g

Method

1. Boil about 2L processing water per two servings in a pot. Add 200g shelled edamame and cook for the packet time, usually 4–6 minutes, until the beans are tender rather than chalky. Lift out with a sieve and rinse under cold drinking water; drain well.
2. In the same boiling water cook 160g wheat and buckwheat soba for the packet time, usually 4–6 minutes, until tender. Drain and rinse thoroughly under cold drinking water, rubbing gently to remove starch. Drain until no water drips steadily; if preparing ahead, chill promptly in a shallow covered container.
3. Cut 200g cucumber into 5mm half-moons and 100g carrots into fine 2mm matchsticks. Whisk 20ml simple soy sauce, 20ml lemon juice and 10ml olive oil. Check the soba label because many brands contain wheat as well as buckwheat.
4. Toss the cold noodles and edamame with the vegetables and dressing. Sprinkle over 10g sesame seeds. If noodles cling, separate them with wet fingers before tossing; serve cold without reheating.
5. The displayed quantities already match your selected servings. For 1 or 2 servings, use a smaller pan and check early; keep the stated cut sizes. For 4 servings use a broad pan or uncrowded trays; for 8 split every ingredient evenly into two 4-serving batches (more if the pan or pot capacity requires it). Keep pans below 80% full and vegetables in one layer when browning. Repeat the cooking and doneness checks for each batch; elapsed time increases for sequential batches. Serve cold promptly. Keep dressed salads and cut produce covered at 4°C or below and refrigerate within two hours, or one hour above 32°C. Follow the shortest ingredient use-by or opened-package limit; these cold components need no reheating.