This is a quick, healthy meal with lots of flavor and crunch. I am more judicious with my pickling than the original recipe. Adapted from Yottam Ottolenghi.

Ingredients

• 1/2 c rice vinegar
• 2 T sugar
• 1.5 piece fresh ginger, peeled and cut into thin strips
• 10 oz buna-shimeji (brown beech) mushrooms, separated into individual mushrooms
• 2 small carrots, peeled and cut into matchsticks
• 5 oz dry soba noodles
• 3.5 oz Radishes, thinly sliced
• 1 green onion, thinly sliced
• 2 oz snow peas, cut into thin slices on a diagonal
• 1 red chile, thinly sliced
• 2 T chopped cilantro
• 1 t Peanut oil
• 1 T Sesame seeds, toasted
• Salt

Instructions

1. In small saucepan, mix vinegar, sugar, ginger, and ¾ t salt.
2. Gently warm mixture to dissolve sugar, then remove from heat.
3. Add mushrooms and set aside to cool. (Note: you can also pickle the radish and chili if you want.)
4. Blanch carrots in boiling water for 30 seconds.
5. Drain and plunge in cold water, then drain again and dry well.
6. Cook noodles in boiling water according to instructions until al dente (usually about 5 minutes).
7. Drain, rinse well with cold water (you want to remove as much starch as possible), then drain and set aside.
8. Just before serving, combine mushrooms, other veggies, noodles, coriander, sesame seeds, and peanut oil.
9. Toss gently and serve.