I call this BAM & SAM noodle salad, an acronym for the key ingredients, and it’s perfect for when you need to slap something together at short notice. Black bean noodles are high in fibre and gluten-free; they can be found at most supermarkets but you could use soba noodles instead.
BLACK BEAN NOODLE, AVOCADO AND MANGO SALAD RECIPE
Hands-on time: 15 minutes
Total time: 15 minutes
Serves 6–8 as a side
Noodle salad
225g fresh or frozen shelled edamame beans
300g black bean noodles
Flesh of 2 ripe mangoes, chopped into 2–3cm chunks
Flesh of 2 large avocados, cubed
2 spring onions, finely chopped
Freshly squeezed juice of ½ lemon
1 Tbsp buckwheat groats
1 Tbsp white sesame seeds
1 Tbsp black sesame seeds
1 bunch mint, leaves picked and roughly chopped
Sesame and miso dressing
4 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
3 Tbsp sesame oil 2 tbsp shiro (white) miso paste
2 Tbsp mirin
2 Tbsp maple syrup
- First cook the edamame and noodles. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil over high heat. Add the edamame beans and cook for 2 minutes. Add the noodles to the pan and cook for a further 3–4 minutes, until the noodles are bite-tender and the edamame are cooked. Drain into a colander, rinse with cold water to cool, drain again and transfer to a large bowl.
- In a separate bowl, gently toss together the mango, avocado and spring onion with the lemon juice to coat. Add to the noodles and edamame and set aside. Toast the buckwheat and sesame seeds in a small frying pan over medium-high heat for a couple of minutes, until the white seeds start turning golden. Remove from the heat and transfer to a bowl to cool.
- For the sesame and miso dressing, place all the dressing ingredients in a bowl and whisk until well combined.
- To assemble, add three-quarters of the chopped mint and three-quarters of the dressing to the salad and toss through to combine. Transfer to a serving platter and drizzle with the remaining dressing. Sprinkle with the remaining mint and toasted buckwheat and seeds. Serve immediately, or refrigerate and serve chilled.
Recipe extracted from Good Vibes by Alby Hailes (HarperCollins NZ, $55).
