Plant-Based Savory Soba Noodles with Eggplant and Miso
By America's Test KitchenPublished on January 31, 2022
Time
50 minutes
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
3 tablespoons white miso 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided4 scallions (2 minced; 2 sliced thin on bias, green and white parts separated)⅛ teaspoon pepper 12 ounces soba noodles 1 pound eggplant, cut into ½-inch pieces12 ounces plant-based ground meat 2 teaspoons soy sauce 2 garlic cloves, minced1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
Instructions
- Whisk miso, 2 tablespoons olive oil, minced scallions, and pepper together in medium bowl. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add noodles and cook, stirring often, until tender. Reserve ½ cup cooking water, then drain noodles and return them to pot. Add all but 2 teaspoons miso mixture, tossing to coat, then adjust consistency with reserved cooking water as needed. Season with salt and pepper to taste, cover to keep warm, and set aside until ready to serve.
- Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add eggplant and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and deeply browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Combine eggplant and remaining 2 teaspoons miso mixture in bowl, tossing to coat; cover with aluminum foil and set aside until ready to serve.
- Heat remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil in now-empty skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add ground meat and cook, breaking up meat with wooden spoon, until firm crumbles form, about 3 minutes. Add soy sauce, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, and sliced scallion whites and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds; remove from heat.
- Divide noodles among individual serving bowls. Top with eggplant and meat mixture and sprinkle with remaining sliced scallion greens. Serve.
Time
50 minutesYield
Serves 4Ingredients
3 tablespoons white miso
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
4 scallions (2 minced; 2 sliced thin on bias, green and white parts separated)
⅛ teaspoon pepper
12 ounces soba noodles
1 pound eggplant, cut into ½-inch pieces
12 ounces plant-based ground meat
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
Ingredients
3 tablespoons white miso
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
4 scallions (2 minced; 2 sliced thin on bias, green and white parts separated)
⅛ teaspoon pepper
12 ounces soba noodles
1 pound eggplant, cut into ½-inch pieces
12 ounces plant-based ground meat
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
Ingredients
3 tablespoons white miso
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
4 scallions (2 minced; 2 sliced thin on bias, green and white parts separated)
⅛ teaspoon pepper
12 ounces soba noodles
1 pound eggplant, cut into ½-inch pieces
12 ounces plant-based ground meat
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
Why This Recipe Works
Miso, a Japanese paste made from fermented soybeans, is a total umami bomb. Here, as the base of an earthy, salty sauce, its nuanced savoriness amps up the flavor of the plant-based meat in these irresistible noodles. The silky sauce clings to the warm, slightly chewy soba noodles as well as to the golden-brown cubes of sautéed eggplant and, of course, the meat, which we crumble into bits as it cooks so its presence is evident in every bite. We sear the eggplant until its exterior is browned and crispy, its interior meltingly creamy. We then season the meat with soy sauce (another source of umami), ginger, garlic, and toasted sesame oil for its inimitable nuttiness.
Instructions
- Whisk miso, 2 tablespoons olive oil, minced scallions, and pepper together in medium bowl. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add noodles and cook, stirring often, until tender. Reserve ½ cup cooking water, then drain noodles and return them to pot. Add all but 2 teaspoons miso mixture, tossing to coat, then adjust consistency with reserved cooking water as needed. Season with salt and pepper to taste, cover to keep warm, and set aside until ready to serve.
- Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add eggplant and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and deeply browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Combine eggplant and remaining 2 teaspoons miso mixture in bowl, tossing to coat; cover with aluminum foil and set aside until ready to serve.
- Heat remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil in now-empty skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add ground meat and cook, breaking up meat with wooden spoon, until firm crumbles form, about 3 minutes. Add soy sauce, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, and sliced scallion whites and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds; remove from heat.
- Divide noodles among individual serving bowls. Top with eggplant and meat mixture and sprinkle with remaining sliced scallion greens. Serve.
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