A 15-Minute Pantry Soba That's Fancy Enough for Company

Bring a pot of water to a boil (but don't salt it—soba is naturally salty). While that's going, mince 2 to 4 garlic cloves, a 1-inch piece of ginger, and 2 to 4 scallions, dividing up the white and green parts. Sauté the garlic, ginger, and scallion whites in 2 tablespoons of coconut oil with a pinch of red pepper flakes until everything is very soft and incredibly fragrant. Remove pan from heat and stir in two teaspoons of toasted sesame oil, 2 tablespoons of tamari or soy sauce, 2 teaspoons of rice vinegar, and 2 teaspoons of mirin.
Meanwhile, once your water is boiling, drop in a box of soba noodles. When the water returns to a boil, immediately shock the noodles in the pot by adding a cup of cold water before bringing them back to a boil again. (Note: This method of cooking soba is apparently supposed to aid digestion, but feel free to cook the noodles according to package directions, too). Drain noodles, reserving a cup of the cooking water, and pour your scallion sauce on top. Toss noodles and sauce, thinning out with soba water as needed, then sprinkle with black and/or white sesame seeds and the reserved scallion greens. Serve on one big plate and meet in the middle.

Ingredients