Grilled Chicken over Soba Noodles with Gai Lan

Here’s a take on a delicious salmon soba noodle meal I posted recently. Although I don’t get a lot of comments on my blog (? please comment if you like or don’t like something – I need to know you’re out there!!!), a lot of people told me in person that they have made this dish and loved it. Me too! And because I loved it so much I worked on altering it a little to make a new meal.

It’s easy, tasty, and can be used for a leftover meal the next day. The additional gai lan is something I really like, as I feel it’s important to eat a lot of veggies, and grilling them is delicious.

This recipe is designed for two people, so double or triple for more people.

What you need:

• 100 grams chicken thigh, boneless, skinless
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
  
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
  
• 1/4 cup mirin
  
• 3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
  
• 3 tablespoons ginger (grated finely)
  
• 2 tablespoons sugar
  
• pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
  
• 100 grams soba noodles
  
• 2 small Persian cucumbers 
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced, white and green parts
  
• 1 tablespoons sesame seeds, most crushed, some whole for garnish (I used black sesame seeds)
• lime, optional
• a bunch of gai lan

What you do:

1. Combine the soy sauce, rice vinegar, mirin, sesame oil, ginger, sugar, and crushed pepper flakes. Chop the chicken, then place it in a shallow dish and pour about 1/4 cup of the marinade (the rest will be the dressing) over it. Cover and refrigerate for about 20 minutes.
2. Toss the gai lan in some olive oil.
3. Preheat the grill to high. Boil a large pot of water to cook the soba noodles. Follow the instructions on the package (mine took about 7 minutes). Drain the noodles, then place them in a bowl of cold water until they have cooled off.
4. Toss the gai lan in some olive oil.
5. Remove the chicken from the marinade and grill it for about 5-7 minutes, until it has cooked through.
6. Grill the gai lan for a few minutes, turning when the leaves on one side begin to brown. Drizzle the gai lan with a bit of dressing, or just sprinkle with a little salt when it’s done.
7. Slice the cucumbers as thinly as you can – I used a vegetable peeler to do this, but a mandoline works well too.
8. Once the noodles have cooled, drain them and place them in a large bowl.
9. Place the soba noodles, cucumber, scallions, sesame seeds and some of the dressing in the bowl. Give it all a good toss, adding more dressing if you need it, and some freshly squeezed lime if you wish. Chop and place the chicken on top of the salad and garnish with some sesame seeds if you wish. Serve with the grilled gai lan.