I first discovered a recipe for soba noodles on Pinterest, which then led me to the food blog Simply Reem that ultimately convinced me to give the dish a try.

This is different than your typical lo-mein, but has the same consistency. You can serve this dish hot or cold (yeah, leftovers!) and by adding a meat (for this recipe, chicken) you get a pretty complete meal. The texture is so well-rounded. You have the soft noodles and hearty chicken, with the crunch of cucumber.

What are soba noodles? They’re made from buckwheat flour and have a strong, nutty flavor. It kind of looks like spaghetti and is typically light beige to dark brown-gray in color. You can buy fresh soba at an Asian market, but in my case I bought dried soba in a packet at my local supermarket.

Soba Noodles with Chicken & Sweet Apricot Scallion Sauce

About 3 servings, adapted from Simply Reem

Ingredients

• 1 cup (about 1 bunch) scallions, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons ground ginger
• 2-1/2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon hot chili oil
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2-1/2 tablespoons apricot preserves
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1-2 pieces chicken breast, cut into cubes
• 8.8 ounces (1 package) soba noodles (I used Blue Dragon Soba Noodles – find them in the Asian section of your supermarket)
• 1 cucumber, julienne

Directions

1. First make your sauce – in a small bowl mix the scallions, olive oil, ginger, sesame oil, chili oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, apricot preserves, salt and pepper. Set aside for 10-15 minutes so that the flavors develop.
   
2. In a medium skillet, heat 1 teaspoon of oil over medium-high and cook the chicken.
3. Cook the soba noodles according to package directions, about 3-4 minutes. Drain then place in a medium bowl.
4. Pour sauce over soba noodles, add chicken and cucumber.  Toss and serve!