This Cold Sesame Ginger Soba Noodle Salad with Shrimp is packed-full of veggies and protein to make a delicious and satisfying meal. It’s perfect for BBQs, picnics of even lunch on the run! It’s also gluten-free!
You know what drives me bonkers?! False advertising. I get the concept of needing to sell a product, but marketing your jelly beans as fat-free isn’t cool. You know what turns into fat? Sugar. You know what the main ingredient in jelly beans is? Sugar. I apologize in advance for this post becoming a full-on rant.
Let’s rewind for a minute here. It’s a beautiful day and I decide to get my grocery shop on. I put together my list, grab my bundle buggy and head to the store. Sometimes I get inspired when I’m there and as I was looking for tamari, my eyes glazed over a pack of soba noodles. Hmmmm cold soba noodle salad sounded good so I made an impulse buy and headed home.
When I got home from the store it was lunchtime so I decided to put together the salad. As I was pulling out all of the ingredients I think I want to use for the salad, I glanced across the soba noodle packaging only to notice that the first ingredient in them was enriched wheat flour <–SAY WHAT? I was livid. Not only was I a) hangry and b) experiencing an intense craving which needed to be fulfilled immediately, but I truly felt deceived. The front of the package says “Buckwheat Soba Noodles” so naturally you would expect them to be made from buckwheat? Okay fine buckwheat was the second and only other ingredient but still…
Instead I had to put aside my craving until I could make it to a health food store to pick up some legit buckwheat noodles. The people at Vibrant Lifestyle (I love it there!) were not only nice enough to listen to my rant but also taught me to always look for 100% buckwheat noodles. Nonetheless, I still have some pent up anger.
Other types of false advertising that drives me nuts: When multigrain is just a combo of white and whole-wheat, “made with corn!” aka high-fructose corn syrup, or when companies fool consumers into thinking their product is healthy because it is labeled as gluten-free. I could go on and on but in my attempts to keep this space a positive place, I’ll stop. For now, I urge you to read more into the products you buy. I’m not talking calories, but look at the ingredients! And try not to come home with enriched wheat flour soba noodles…
Cold Sesame Ginger Soba Noodle Salad with Shrimp
- Total Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 package of 100% buckwheat soba noodles (8 oz)
- 1 bell pepper, sliced
- 2 cups bean sprouts
- ½ pound cooked shrimp, deveined and peeled
For The Sesame Ginger Dressing:
- 1 T finely minced ginger root
- 1 T sesame oil
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 1/2 T honey
- 2 T rice wine vinegar
- 2 T tamari
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
- 2 T sesame seeds (for topping)
Instructions
- Cook buckwheat noodles according to package instructions.
- Run noodles under cold water until completely cool.
- In a large bowl add noodles, bell pepper, bean sprouts and shrimp.
- In a separate bowl combine all ingredients for the sesame ginger dressing.
- Pour onto noodle mixture and top with sesame seeds.
- Serve cold.
- Will keep for several days in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
What kind of false advertising have you encountered? Does it drive you as crazy as it does me?
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38 Comments
Kit
December 6, 2014 at 4:01 pmCan you clarify the amount of tamari? The ingredients say 2 T cup?
Davida Kugelmass
December 6, 2014 at 6:16 pmsorry about that Kit! It should be tablespoons, NOT cups! Fixed. Thanks for pointing this out!
[email protected]
June 17, 2014 at 2:47 pmThis is why I never buy low fat or low sugar anything. Give me the real deal, and I bet it satisfies me more which means I need less of it and my craving is actually satisfied.
Check out olive oil the next time you’re at the store. Most are actually a mixture of different oils, which can only be seen by reading the fine print, the ingredients. It’s all shenanigans, I tell you.
Melissa @ Nourish By Melissa
June 13, 2014 at 10:56 amI totally understand your frustration with all that false advertising! It especially drives me crazy when people assume “gluten free” is automatically healthy! Ahhhh on the bright side, this recipe looks delicious 🙂 Super refreshing on a hot summer day!
Miss Polkadot
June 13, 2014 at 5:25 amAnd that’s the very reason I have yet to try buckwheat soba. Because yes, I’ve seen soba noodles before – only that sneaky label didn’t deserve to say buckwheat but more like: traces of buckwheat. I honestly wonder if these companies have ever been sued by somebody with a gluten intolerance. Maybe when they ordered a buckwheat noodle dish at a restaurant assuming the pasta was okay or when others cooked for them assuming the same?
The ‘fat-free’ tag? We don’t even need to talk about that. Hello, tons of sugar making up for the lack of delicious natural fat. Another claim that really bugs me is ‘free of flavour enhancers’ when there’s stupid yeast extract in just about every single one of those products. Summing up: yes, it drives me nuts, too.
Erin @ The Almond Eater
June 12, 2014 at 12:56 pmHhaha oh man well that’s the food companies for you. Trust no one!
Alexis @ Hummusapien
June 12, 2014 at 9:22 amOmggggg I could rant and rave for hours about this topic. Like when I saw bright green sugar-free snow cone syrup at the store complete with artificial colors and flavors (duh), HFCS, and a trillion other gross chemicals. Buckwheat noodles with enriched flour are especially ridic since people wanting those are often gluten-free! I mean hellooooo! PS why must buckwheat noodles cost me half my paycheck??! Love these noodlies and love you.
Kim
June 12, 2014 at 8:58 amOh – what a huge bummer about the noodles the first time through!
I’m glad you were able to get buckwheat noodles and share your recipe still!!!
I don’t read labels much – I know it’s not normal but….
Shashi @ RunninSrilankan(dot)com
June 12, 2014 at 6:47 amSo, I haven’t ever had buckwheat noodles before – do they taste/feel like spaghetti> Only reason am asking is cos spaghetti has me ranting about worms…nasty right? But, I will tell you what’s not nasty – this flavor combo with shrimp, bean sprouts and peppers – married with that ginger dressing – gawsh – hold the fork, I think I will dive right in!!!
Megan (The Lyons' Share)
June 11, 2014 at 9:56 pmAmen, sister. False advertising drives me absolutely bananas. It’s so unfair to the less educated consumer who is **trying** to be healthy, picks something up that says “fat-free” or “healthy” or “whole grain” or whatever, and is actually eating crap. Your recipe, of course, looks delicious! I tried kelp noodles tonight in a seafood dish … eh, they were ok, but I think I’ll go for soba next time!
Amanda
June 11, 2014 at 9:21 pmI feel like EVERYTHING in magazines is false advertising… I actually cancelled every single one of my 7 subscriptions b/c I just got so fed up with it finally.
Archana @ThePerfectZest
June 11, 2014 at 8:46 pmthat is so wrong of them to market enriched wheat for soba noodles. I have to try these though- I’ve seen them in several places but always forget to look for them at TJs.
Alison @ Daily Moves and Grooves
June 11, 2014 at 7:14 pmBOOOO for false advertising. Like when chips are “made with real vegetables,” but it’s some over-processed powder crap. I still eat the stuff, but that ain’t my veg.