Soba Noodles with Mushrooms and Bok Choy
on Sep 29, 2024
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This simple soba noodle recipe has lots of mushrooms and bok choy. It’s perfect for those moments when you want a quick, wholesome and filling vegan dinner. The noodles turn out fragrant and full of flavor with fresh ginger, minced garlic and scallions.
For another soba recipe, try this soba noddle salad with red peppers, carrots and cabbage.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Stir-fries are fast and easy and involve lots of veggies, so there are countless reasons why you should get excited about them. They are weeknight wonders for busy days.
This soba noodle recipe has a great combination of flavors and ingredients. I pair bok choy and mushrooms with fresh ginger and garlic. It is lightly sauced in a mix of soy sauce, sesame oil and rice vinegar for umami, nuttiness and hint of acidity.
If you have never cooked with bok choy, now is your opportunity. Each head has layers of crisp stems and leafy greens. All of it is edible after you trim off the bottom end.
What is Bok Choy?
This leafy green vegetable is a variety of Chinese cabbage that’s also known as pak choi. It is related to cabbage, broccoli, kale and turnips, which are all cruciferous veggies. You can eat the stems and the leaves. No surprise, they have very different textures. The stems are crisp, and the dark green leaves are soft and similar to spinach.
How To Cut Bok Choy
For this recipe, I trim the root end of each head of bok choy and slice the stems crosswise into 1/2-inch wide pieces. After that, I just tear the leaves. Then I separate the stems from the leafy greens. That’s because I sauté the stems with the scallions, garlic and ginger. Then I wait to add the leaves until after I have stirred in the noodles and sauce. The heat will gently wilt the greens.
Buckwheat Soba Noodles: Yes, They’re Gluten-Free!
Soba noodles are made from buckwheat. When you see the word wheat, it only makes sense to think gluten. But buckwheat is naturally gluten free because it is a flowering plant that’s a cousin to rhubarb and sorel.
If you do have gluten sensitivities, make sure to check the ingredient list on the package to see if the manufacturer used other flours in addition to buckwheat. They’re a also good source of fiber.
The Ingredients
You will need these ingredients for this mushroom bok choy stir-fry:
- Soba noodles: You can find soba noodles in the Asian section in the international aisle in the grocery. Always read the package to double check the flour listed in the ingredients to make sure it is all buckwheat flour and not a blend if you need them to be gluten-free.
- Mushrooms: You can use baby bellas or cremini mushrooms. Both have a wonderfully earthy taste and are a slightly more mature version of white mushrooms.
- Bok choy: The recipe calls for 2 heads of bok choy. Look for ones where the leaves aren’t wilted and the stems are firm.
- Soy sauce: I recommend using low-sodium soy sauce, so the stir-fry doesn’t turn out too salty.
- Sesame oil adds a nutty, toasty flavor to the sauce.
- Rice Vinegar: Made from fermented rice, this vinegar has a mild acidity.
- Scallions give the noodles a nice green onion flavor. I sauté the white parts with the ginger and garlic and add the scallion greens at the end like they are fresh herbs.
- Ginger that’s fresh and minced is a must for this recipe like so many other stir-fries.
- Garlic: To go with the aromatics, I also include a minced garlic clove.
- Red pepper flakes add a touch of heat and spice.
- Kosher salt & black pepper: I season every stir-fry no matter the other ingredients because salt and pepper really help to bring out the flavors of everything else in the dish.
- Vegetable oil: Neutral oil is my go-to for stir-frying.
How To Make This Soba Noodle Recipe
1. Cook the soba noodles. Follow the recommended cook time on the package. Simmer the noodles in a large pot of salted boiling water. Stir them periodically, so they don’t stick together. Drain the noodles in a strainer and rinse them with cold water.
2. Make the sauce. Whisk the soy sauce, sesame oil and rice vinegar in a small bowl.
3. Sauté the mushrooms. Warm the oil in a wok or big skillet over high heat. Add the mushrooms and sauté them for a few minutes until they start to brown.
4. Add the bok choy stems, white parts of the scallions, garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Keep sautéing until the bok choy stems are crisp-tender and fragrant, about 3 minutes.
5. Stir in the soba noodles into the stems and pour in the sauce. Let it bubble for a couple minutes.
6. Stir in the bok choy leaves and green parts of the scallions.
Serving
Serve the stir-fry with a salad for a side dish. I like this cucumber carrot salad, an Asian cabbage salad with almond ginger vinaigrette, a crunchy edamame salad with tahini dressing or a napa cabbage salad.
Leftovers & Storage
Stir-fries are great for leftovers. You can keep them in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 4 days. The noodles will soften the longer they sit. Reheat them in a skillet on the stove with a little oil or in the microwave. You can eat them cold too. Don’t freeze leftovers.
Recipe Tips
Do not overcook the noodles. Much like an Italian pasta dish, you want the soba noodles to be al dente and have some bite rather than being too soft.
Have all your ingredients prepped and ready before you start cooking. This is my number 1 rule for all stir-fries or any recipe that cooks quickly. You don’t have time to sneak in cutting and chopping.
More Stir-Fry Recipes
Tofu Peanut Vegetable Stir-Fry
Frozen Vegetable Stir-Fry
Vegetable Tofu Stir-Fry
Rainbow Vegetable Peanut Stir-Fry
Broccoli Edamame Pea Fried-Rice
Cashew Veggie Stir-Fry
Soba Noodles with Mushrooms and Bok Choy
Ingredients
- 6 ounces soba noodles
- 1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 8 ounces baby bella, cremini or white mushrooms, sliced
- 2 bok choy, stems sliced crosswise 1/2-inch wide and leaves torn
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced, white and green parts separated
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Cook the soba noodles according to package instructions in a large saucepan of salted boiling water, stirring occasionally to prevent the noodles from sticking together. Drain the noodles in a strainer and rinse with cold water.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, sesame oil and rice vinegar.
- Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat. Add the vegetable oil, swirling to coat. When the oil is shimmering add the mushrooms and sauté for a 3-4 minutes until they start to brown.
- Add the bok choy stems, white parts of the scallions, garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Continue sautéing until fragrant and the bok choy stems are cooked but still crisp, about 2-3 minutes.
- Stir in the soba noodles and pour in the soy sauce mixture, letting it bubble.
- Fold in the bok choy leaves and green parts of the scallions.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
