Coconut Shrimp Soba

This Presto Pasta Night dish meets two of my healthier cooking goals — whole grains added by using buckwheat soba rather than a standard white pasta, and added greens by incorporating fresh chard. The sauce was inspired by a Coconut Shrimp Soup recipe from Martha’s Everyday Food.
Recipe: Coconut Shrimp Soba
adapted from Everyday Food
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. shrimp, peeled (thawed, if frozen)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 garlic scape*, chopped (optional)
- 1 T fresh ginger, grated
- 1 small bunch chard*
- 2 T olive oil
- 1 can (13.5 oz) coconut milk
- 1 t corn starch
- 2 green onions*, sliced
- 4-5 leaves basil*
- juice of 1 lime
- red pepper flakes or chili garlic sauce
- soba noodles
Instructions: Cook soba according to package instructions. While pasta cooks, heat olive oil in saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic, scape and ginger and cook 1 minute. Add chard, saute 2 minutes. Add coconut milk and bring to a boil. Add shrimp and cook 1 minute (if pre-cooked, 4 minutes if uncooked). Stir in lime juice, basil and green onions and remove from heat. Add red pepper/chili sauce to taste and toss with cooked soba noodles. (I dish up the toddler’s first, then add the peppers.)
Notes: Pre-cooked and peeled frozen shrimp is a handy freezer staple for quick weeknight meals. I bought Florida Key West Pink Shrimp this time, which prompted a mock complaint from the husband that it wasn’t local enough. Well, local is relative when buying seafood at Whole Foods … or most grocery stores. Buying seafood sustainably is a difficult endeavor, so when in doubt I often settle for buying American.
* Local ingredients from our Potomac Vegetable Farms CSA.
Submitted to Presto Pasta Nights, created by Once Upon A Feast and hosted this week by Scientist in the Kitchen.
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Tags: coconut, cookbook, cooking with greens, pasta, presto pasta nights, shrimp, whole grains
















Ramona
This looks delicious. I too am switching to whole grain pastas and brown rice (well, after I use up the last of my white rice).
It takes a bit of getting used to the cooking and flavor of the whole wheat pastas. But, I feel somehow more healthy after eating it!
MamaBird/SurelyYouNest
Oooh, sounds delicious *and* you answered my longstanding question (is buckwheat soba really a wholegrain noodle?). Thanks!
foodietots
@ Ramona – I was traumatized by a childhood of bland, tasteless whole wheat pasta and brown rice, but I’m trying to get past that … I’ve found Barilla Plus to be one of the most palatable.
@ MamaBird – Well, according to my new whole grain gospel, buckwheat isn’t a wheat or grain at all, since it’s really a berry. But, my Arrowhead organic “whole grain” buckwheat flour has 6g fiber, compared to the less than 1g in King Arthur’s unbleached all-purpose flour. (I don’t have any soba noodles left, or I’d compare pastas.) So, I’d say soba = wholegrain noodle for practical purposes.
A scientist in the kitchen
Shrimps-coconut-noodles are great combination for me! This must be really delicious.
A scientist in the kitchen » Blog Archive » Presto Pasta Night Round-up #71
[...] Coconut milk is popular in tropical Asian dishes (particularly here in the Philippines), so I’m definitely going to try out Foodie Tots‘ Coconut Shrimp Soba. [...]
Ruth
Definitely bookmarking this one! Thanks for sharing such a keeper with Presto Pasta Nights.
Avra
Yet another delicious looking recipe – I’m bookmarking this one too!