ginger-garlic ahi tuna soba noodle bowls.
light, fresh, healthy, and easy to prepare, this tuna soba noodle bowl is a perfect lunchtime meal or filling dinner side dish.
Serves: 2-4 Cook time: 40 minutes, including marinade time
I originally made this recipe last summer, when it was blazing hot in Milwaukee and we had a barely-working air conditioner. It was perfect: barely any heat involved, super refreshing, and so easy. And now it's 20 degrees and I'm realizing I still want all of those things!
The serving size is for 2-4 because this recipe is a filling entree for two or a really delicious side dish for 4. Evan and I split the halved version of this recipe for dinner and still had leftovers (but we don't eat very much). I'll include some pairing options below for if you're using this for an entree or a side dish- we had ours with hamburgers!
Though summery at heart, this dish is good all year round. And, better yet, you can customize it any way you want, though I gave you a good start. Personally, I think the avocado is a must-have, it gives it a poke-bowl feel!
Otherwise, you have carrots, cucumbers, cilantro, and spinach. All raw, but you can certainly give the spinach a quick sauté if you prefer it. The noodles are served cold, so don't think of it so much as pasta- think of it as a salad, with noodles instead of rice!
The marinade is also really easy, just a few ingredients- that pinch of sugar is to cut some of that salty soy sauce, and the sesame adds a nice nutty flavor to the background. And the ginger and garlic? Go crazy. Seriously, you can't really add too much.
Don't let the cook time scare you- it's mostly marinating time. This dish comes together in about 15 active minutes. I've included just a few more tips below about each ingredient- enjoy!
ginger-garlic ahi tuna soba noodle bowl ingredients
ahi tuna: If you're like me and live in the middle of the country, this might be hard to find. I usually have luck at Whole Foods and local fish mongers- and at big-box stores, there's almost always a frozen version. It helps to look for sushi-grade, just to be safe, but generally these fish are frozen before they reach the counter anyways-plus, we are cooking this version. The sear cooks off the bacteria just like a beef burger- meaning, the inside can and should be pink. If it's brown or gray, you've overcooked it- it's probably pretty dry, but completely edible, so don't worry. You want to sear it pretty quick to avoid that and keep the middle bright, delicious pink- only about 45 seconds.
white pepper: If you don't have white pepper, you can use black pepper. White pepper is a little more earthy and works well in Asian cuisines, especially using ginger.
soy sauce: One of the biggest flavors of the marinade, you want a generous half cup so that the fish can rest in a decent amount of liquid. Since this is pretty salty, adding sugar will help balance the flavor.
ginger: If you can't find fresh ginger root, you can use powdered. Promise, the fresh stuff is so much better. To use fresh ginger, peel or slice away the exterior so that you are working with the yellow interior. Grate the yellow inside of the root against a microplane.
garlic: To grate the garlic, peel the clove and grate against the microplane. This gives a smooth, minced garlic that works well in marinades that are to be seared, since garlic burns easily.
sesame oil: Just a little bit of sesame goes a long way, so you only need the tablespoon. You can find this at most grocery stores, or at asian markets (often for a better price).
soba noodle: This will usually be found alongside the ramen noodles in the international section and is sold in packages that have little "bundles" of noodles. Each bundle is maybe 3 cups of noodles or so, so I wrote the recipe using two bundles- or one bundle per person for an entree. Important to note: soba noodles get "gluey" if you don't rinse them. After cooking, drain, and rinse with cold water until they are no longer sticky. Then, mix with the marinade. Don't allow the noodles to sit without rinsing!
carrot: This bowl is meant to be like a salad, so fresh, crunchy carrots work well here. I peeled mine- First, peeling the rough skin, then peeling the soft inside all the way around until it is too thin to work with. One large carrot yields about a cup of peeled slices.
cucumber: The cucumber, like the carrot, tastes best when thinly prepared by peeling or microplane. you can microplane thin slices or, using a peeler, peel thin ribbons to toss into the salad.
sesame seeds: Sesame seeds are a delicious addition to the "crust" of the tuna and stick right to it after cooking. Sprinkle and press the seeds into the tuna right after cooking to allow them to stick.
lime: This dish can be a little rich with the salt from the soy sauce, so I liked having a squeeze of lime on the side to freshen it up! The lime works especially well if you are adding cilantro and avocado as toppings.
ginger-garlic ahi tuna soba noodle bowl pairing options
Whether an entree or a side dish, this noodle bowl is a great neutral to pair with other dishes and drinks.
hamburgers (Especially a cali-burger!)
crispy egg rolls
edamame
crispy dumplings or wontons
grilled chicken
vegetable kabobs
crab salad and crackers
sparkling wine, like cava
saké