With today being the celebration of the Lunar New Year, I thought it would be the perfect chance to redo the New Year’s noodles that I improvised in December. This time, thanks to a generous care package from my mom, I got to cook with the good stuff—yamaimo soba.
Yamaimo soba is a thin noodle made with buckwheat flour and Japanese mountain yams. You should be able to find these at your local Asian market. If not, you can easily order them online. The yam adds a sweetness to the noodle itself, as well adding in a ton of nutritional value that regular buckwheat soba doesn’t have. Yamaimo is loaded with B vitamins, minerals, and soluble fiber. Surprisingly, it’s also one of the only tuber vegetables that you can easily eat raw—grated raw yamaimo is even served as a refreshing side dish for summertime meals!
For this dish, I decided to play around with mixing traditional yakisoba with some Louisiana flavors. I love the smoky spice of Andouille sausage, and the onions, bell peppers, and celery—the “holy trinity of Cajun cooking”— mix beautifully with the tender soba noodles and the deep, savory flavors in the yakisoba sauce mix. Add in a dash of red pepper flakes, and you’re good to go!
If you want a unique spin on a classic Japanese dish, give this a try!
Hapanese Shrimp and Sausage Yakisoba
10 oz package of yamaimo soba noodles
1 lb Andouille sausage, sliced on a bias
1/2 medium yellow onion, julienned
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 roasted red peppers, julienned
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1 green onion, chopped
1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 TBSP soy sauce
1 TBSP oyster sauce
1 TBSP hoisin sauce
1 TBSP rice vinegar
1 TBSP sesame oil
1 tsp red pepper flakes, or to taste
Boil the soba for 4 minutes, or according to directions. Drain and set aside.
Set a large sauté pan over medium heat, and sear the sausage on both sides. Remove the sausage, add a little bit of oil, and sauté the onions until tender. Add the garlic, red pepper, celery, and green onion, and cook until fragrant. Make a well in the center of the pan, and add the shrimp. Cook until the shrimp is just opaque, then toss in the soba with the soy sauce, oyster sauce, hoisin, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and red pepper flakes. Cook until hot, then serve. Garnish with green onions or toasted sesame seeds.
Serves about 4.
Hapanese Cuisine 