We love all kinds of pasta salads, and this one from the July 2012 issue of Bon Appetit is a keeper. It is made with buckwheat soba noodles, which are a nice change from regular spaghetti or vermicelli. The other good thing about this recipe is that you can use whatever vegetables you like—I used radishes, cucumbers, and red, yellow and hot banana peppers. Cilantro adds great flavour, but not everyone likes it; substitute parsley if you wish.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

The ingredients that may contain artificial ingredients include the rice vinegar, Sriracha and sesame oil. I used Marukan brand rice vinegar and Eden brand toasted sesame oil. I have not been able to find an all-natural Sriracha—a hot chili sauce—so I used a teaspoon of Tabasco sauce instead.

Use whatever vegetables you like in this salad

Cilantro and scallions add flavour

Try buckwheat soba noodles or use regular long pasta

Cold Sesame Noodles with Summer Vegetables

Ingredients:

1/3 cup unseasoned rice vinegar

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 tablespoon Sriracha (hot chili sauce)

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

8 cups matchstick-size pieces mixed summer vegetables (such as carrots, radishes, cucumbers, and bell peppers; about 1 1/4 pounds)

Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

8 ounces buckwheat soba (Japanese-style noodles) or vermicelli noodles

1 cup (loosely packed) cilantro leaves with tender stems

3 scallions, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon black or white sesame seeds

Preparation:

Whisk first four ingredients in a large bowl. Add vegetables; toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper.

Cook noodles in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente; drain. Run noodles under cold water to cool them; drain well and add to bowl with vegetables. Add cilantro and scallions; season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle sesame seeds over and serve. Serves 4-6.

From the July 2012 issue of Bon Appetit