Soba Noodles with Eggplant and Mango Recipe | Cook the Book

Updated August 30, 2018

20110324-144031-soba-noodles-with-eggplant-and-mango.jpg — Photographs: Jonathan Lovekin

There are many elements that make up a plate of these Soba Noodles with Eggplant and Mango. Cool, nutty soba noodles; smoky, charred eggplant; bright herbs and chiles; a sweet and sour sesame-rice vinegar dressing; and slices of cool, creamy mango.

It's this kind of vibrant, a little bit out there yet totally balanced dish that makes Yotam Ottolenghi's Plenty a truly thrilling vegetarian cookbook. Ottolenghi has a way of melding ingredients from diverse cultures into deliciously cohesive dishes.

This particular plate, a cool starter or perfect spring lunch, marries ingredients that seemingly have nothing to do with one another, namely mango and eggplant. But when the eggplant is charred and mixed with the nutty soba noodles and the tangy dressing, the mango brings the dish together with its sweet bursts of fruitiness boosting the salty, sour qualities of the noodles.

This dish is free of animal products but still filling and fresh. If you want to add protein, throw in some cubes of browned, marinated tofu.

Recipe Details

Soba Noodles with Eggplant and Mango Recipe | Cook the Book

Active 60 mins

Total 30 mins

Serves 6 servings

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Ingredients

1/2 cup rice vinegar
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 fresh red chile, finely chopped
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
Grated zest and juice of 1 lime
1 cup sunflower oil
2 eggplants, cut into 3/4-inch dice
8 to 9 ounces soba noodles
1 large ripe mango, cut into 3/8-inch dice or into 1/4-inch-thick strips
1 2/3 cups basil leaves (if you can get some Thai basil, but much less of it)
2 1/2 cups cilantro leaves, chopped
1/2 red onion, very thinly sliced

Directions

In a small saucepan gently warm the vinegar, sugar and salt for up to 1 minute, just until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat and add the garlic, chile, and sesame oil. Allow to cool, then add the lime zest and juice.
Heat up the sunflower oil in a large pan and shallow-fry the eggplant in three or four batches. Once golden brown remove to a colander, sprinkle liberally with salt and leave there to drain.
Cook the noodles in plenty of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally. They should take 5 to 8 minutes to become tender but still al dente. Drain and rinse well under running cold water. Shake off as much of the excess water as possible, then leave to dry on a dish towel.
In a mixing bowl toss the noodles with the dressing, mango, eggplant, half of the herbs and the onion. You can now leave this aside for 1 to 2 hours. When ready to serve add the rest of the herbs and mix well, then pile on a plate or in a bowl.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
527	Calories
38g	Fat
48g	Carbs
5g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories	527
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 38g	49%
Saturated Fat 4g	19%
Cholesterol 0mg	0%
Sodium 207mg	9%
Total Carbohydrate 48g	17%
Dietary Fiber 7g	25%
Total Sugars 24g
Protein 5g
Vitamin C 54mg	271%
Calcium 50mg	4%
Iron 1mg	7%
Potassium 527mg	11%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.