I'm Defffinitely Not Chill, But These Cold Miso Noodles Are
Welcome to Never Fail, a weekly column where we wax poetic about the recipes that never, ever let us down.
You know as well as I do that life can feel stressful. Working a full time job while trying to get a full night’s sleep, manage my credit, maintain some sense of a social life, drink enough water, figure out what exactly a 401(k) is and if I’m contributing enough to it (again, your guess is as good as mine???), and make room for some semblance of self-care is…a lot. Lucky for me, this recipe for glossy cold miso noodles is essentially a case study in doing the least—and it’s taught me the art of being a little more chill.
First off, there’s no unwieldy equipment to wrangle, no finicky sauce to emulsify, and no must-serve-immediately mandate to follow. All I need to put together a super refreshing dinner that can be enjoyed on my own time is a pot to boil the noodles, a skillet to toast the sesame seeds, and a renewed commitment to not unconsciously sighing 17 times an hour.
While I wait for the water to boil, I execute my checklist of relaxation techniques—release the tension in my shoulders, unclench my teeth, put on a soundtrack of whale noises, thunderstorms, or Lizzo affirmations—then throw the rest of the dish together. Once I've diced a chile, sliced some scallions, and chopped a few cucumbers, I start on the addictively salty miso dressing. The creamy sauce is simply a mixture of mild miso, toasted sesame oil, lightly brown sugar, grated garlic, and neutral oil. If I don’t have white miso, I just use a smaller amount of bolder miso (the dark stuff) in order to keep everything balanced. (See how chill I am?!)
Once the water’s boiling, I throw the noodles in. One of my favorite parts of this recipe is that pretty much any type of noodle will work. I like switching between soba, udon, and cheap ol’ spaghetti, depending on my mood—I’ll just adjust the cook-time accordingly. See, I really can go with the flow.
Once my noodles are done, I toss them in the sauce until everything’s glossy, then add the chopped veg. And just like that, I’ve made myself dinner for a week (like, all week: this recipe makes 10 cups!). These noodles can do so much more though: They’re a crowd-pleasing main for a casual dinner party and a delightfully accommodating desk lunch because they’re equally great cold or room temp.
This versatility is the stress-relieving, anxiety-banishing key to making life feel simple and sweet. Even if I’m still googling that 401(k).
Get the recipe:
Cold Miso-Sesame Noodles
Originally Appeared on Bon Appétit
