Chilled soba noodle salads Baklava cheesecake
‘Every salad rotation needs a solid cold-noodle dish,’ says Radhi Devlukia-shetty. ‘A big bowl of chilled buckwheat noodles tossed with raw veggies, toasted nuts and coriander, then draped in a creamy, spicy Southeast Asian-inspired dressing is so fresh and satisfying. It’s the perfect salad for making in the evening and packing up for lunch the next day.’
SERVES 2
● 100g soba noodles
● 1 large red pepper, thinly sliced
● 2 medium carrots, peeled and julienned
● ½ small head red cabbage, finely shredded
● 60ml creamy sambal dressing (recipe below)
● 2 tbsp crushed peanuts or almonds, toasted in a dry pan until fragrant
● 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh coriander leaves
● 1 tsp black sesame seeds
For the sambal dressing:
● 110g unsweetened almond butter
● 60ml soy sauce
● 60ml fresh lime juice (2–3 limes)
● 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
● 1 tbsp agave nectar
● 1 tbsp sambal oelek
1 Cook the soba noodles according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water.
2 In a large bowl, toss the noodles with the red pepper, carrot and cabbage.
3 To make the dressing, in a blender, combine the almond butter, 60ml water, the soy sauce, lime juice, sesame oil, agave and sambal, and blend until smooth. (Store any unused dressing in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to three days.)
4 Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss again to coat. Serve sprinkled with the peanuts, coriander and sesame seeds.
SERVES 8
For the filo and cookie crust:
● Softened vegan butter, for the pan
● 200g digestive biscuits, or another crunchy cookie
● 2 tbsp unsalted vegan butter, melted
● 10 sheets of filo
For the nut crumble:
● 280g walnuts
● 60g pistachios
● Grated zest of 1 orange
● 1tsp ground cinnamon
● 140g agave nectar or vegan honey
For the cheesecake filling:
● 120g cashews, soaked for 30 minutes and drained
● 180ml coconut cream (see tip)
● 180g plain vegan cream cheese
● 60ml maple syrup or agave nectar
● 60ml fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
● 1 tbsp cornflour
1 First, make the filo and cookie crust: preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas mark 4 and lightly butter the base and sides of a 20cm springform tin.
2 In a food processor, combine the cookies and melted butter, and pulse until the mixture looks like wet sand.
3 Working quickly so the filo doesn’t dry out, layer the filo sheets all along the sides and base of the tin, covering the whole tin. Press the cookie crumb mixture on top of the filo. Set aside while you make the nut crumble.
4 To make the nut crumble, in a food processor, combine the walnuts, pistachio, orange zest and cinnamon, and pulse until roughly ground. Add the agave and pulse again to combine. Dollop about half of the nut mixture over the crust and set the remainder aside until serving time.
5 Now, make the cheesecake filling. In a high-powered blender, combine the cashews, coconut cream, cream cheese, maple syrup, lemon juice and cornflour, and blend until completely smooth. Taste and adjust the flavours as you like, adding more lemon juice for tang or maple syrup for sweetness.
6 Pour the filling over the nut mixture. Give the pan a good tap on the worktop to remove any air bubbles. Bake until the edges of the cheesecake start browning and come away from the sides, for 45-60 minutes. The centre should still be a little jiggly but not wet.
7 Leave the cheesecake to cool for about 15 minutes at room temperature. Cover and transfer the cake to the fridge for at least five hours, but ideally overnight.
8 Dollop the top of the cheesecake with the reserved nut crumble. Slice and serve with a drizzle of (vegan or cashew) cream.
TIP: You could also make this cheesecake without the filo layer. You would just start by pressing the cookie layer into the tin without buttering it first. You can either buy a tin of coconut cream or you can refrigerate coconut milk for 30 minutes and skim off the thick cream at the top. Thai coconut milk is perfect for this, as it tends to be creamier.