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Cumin Coconut Soba Noodles

I threw this dish together, served it, ate it and never stopped to take a photo.

Imagine hearty buckwheat noodles in a creamy coconut milk sauce, enriched with salty miso, warming ginger, garlic and cumin, with kale and crunchy walnuts. This dish is healthy yet somehow decadent, and the perfectly enjoyed on a winter evening alongside a crackling fire.

5 ounces soba noodles

2 Tbsp coconut oil

4 Tbsp ground cumin (i prefer grinding whole seeds)

1 tsp chili flake

1/2 yellow onion, roughly chopped 

1/4 c fresh ginger, chopped

2 cloves garlic, (blends better if already minced)

1/2 c red (or white) miso paste

3 Tbsp toasted sesame oil

2 Tbsp mirin

2 Tbsp lemon juice

1/4 c extra virgin olive oil

1 can whole coconut milk

6 stalks purple (or other variety) kale, roughly chopped

1/2 c walnuts

Place coconut oil in a medium-sized pot on medium-high heat. Once melted, add freshly ground cumin and chili flake. Stir for a couple minutes as spice aromas release. Add chopped onion to pot, give a stir, then turn heat to low and cover with lid. Fill a second pot with water and bring to a boil. In the meantime, combine ginger, garlic, miso, sesame oil, mirin, lemon juice, and olive oil in the bowl of a food processor. Turn on and blend until a smooth sauce is created. After onions have cooked down for about 10 minutes, remove lid and add whole can of coconut milk. Continue to simmer and add kale. Place soba noodles in boiling water and cook until al dente. While noodles are cooking, add ginger-miso sauce to coconut milk-onion pot. Once noodles are done, strain and add to sauce pot. Lightly toast walnuts in a cast iron skillet, then chop or crush (place nuts on cutting board and with the smooth underside of a large bowl, apply pressure to nuts, crushing them). Serve noodles in bowls, making sure to include some of the sauce, and garnish with walnuts. Fresh herbs such as chives, parsley, or tarragon would be delicious on top as well.