Small Kitchen College » Big Girls Small Kitchen: Soba Noodles with Ginger Chicken Meatballs

Big Girls Small Kitchen: Soba Noodles with Ginger Chicken Meatballs

I absolutely adore soba noodles, or japanese buckwheat noodles. Not only because I’ve been eating them ever since I was little, but because they have a flavorful nutty taste compared to regular pasta. For health-conscious students, soba is a nutritious way to incorporate carbohydrates to your diet, since it’s lower in calories than white pasta and offers lots of magnesium. They’re also gluten-free for those who have celiac disease. Truthfully, this is my first try at a BGSK recipe and it turned out fantastic. Its a quick weeknight meal made in under 20 minutes. It’s BGSK’s Asian take on spaghetti and meatballs. Genius. These chicken meatballs make for great leftovers used in sandwiches and soups. And, any extra cooked soba noodles can be added to a salad the next day.

Megumi Sasada is the BGSK Ambassador in charge of the Small Kitchen College Facebook Page. She’s a junior at Colby College in Main and an avid Food Network-watching, nutrition-conscious acapella singer.

**Recipe**

BGSK Soba Noodles with Ginger Chicken Meatballs
Makes 4 servings
adapted from Big Girls Small Kitchen

Ingredients

For the meatballs:
1 pound ground chicken

1/2 onion, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tbsp of ginger, peeled and minced

2 scallions, minced

3/4 fresh panko breadcrumbs

1 egg

1 tbsp ketchup

1/2 tsp siracha

salt

For the noodles:

1/4 onion, thinly sliced
4 scallions, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon ginger, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 quart chicken stock
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 pound buckwheat soba noodles

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

In a bowl, combine all the ingredients for the meatballs. Form 1 inch balls (you should get 24 or so), and arrange them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake in the oven until golden brown, 20-25 minutes. Set aside.

In the meantime, boil soba noodles in water until al dente. Follow instructions on package since cooking time depends on the type of soba noodle.

In a large pot, heat 1 tablespoon of neutral vegetable oil over a medium-low flame. Add the onion, half of the scallions, and the ginger, and saute until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.

Pour in the stock and soy sauce, and bring to a boil. Add the meatballs and the remaining scallions to the pot. Add the soba noodles.

Taste for seasoning: add more soy sauce or siracha if need be. Serve immediately for the soba noodles will become too soft.