This is crunchy and refreshing enough to count as a salad, but the scaffolding of buckwheat noodles gives it extra heft

Food should never just be fuel, but it should at least put something in the tank and keep you properly sated.

Salads aren’t the obvious lunch choice if you’ve got, say, a hill to climb in the afternoon, but this soba noodle one is different. It’s fresh, cool and crunchy enough to qualify as a salad, but interwoven with the grace and body of the mighty buckwheat noodle.

It is designed with a post-meal adventure in mind. So, noodle power! And power to the noodle salad.

Charred broccoli and bean soba noodle salad

I used mixed wholewheat and buckwheat soba noodles (I like Clearspring’s), but if you need gluten-free ones, by all means use 100% buckwheat. If you do so, be sure to rinse them very well in cold water after cooking.

Chinkiang vinegar is a black rice vinegar that’s widely available in Asian food stores and online.

Prep 15 min

Cook 25 min

Serves 2, generously

For the dressing

10 spring onions, trimmed and finely chopped

4cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated

3 tbsp toasted sesame oil

3 tbsp black Chingkiang vinegar

4 tbsp light soy sauce

1 tbsp brown rice syrup (optional)

1 bird’s eye chilli, finely chopped

For the noodles

200g soba noodles

250g Tenderstem broccoli, trimmed

200g green beans, tailed

1 red onion, peeled and cut into 8 wedges

2 tbsp rapeseed oil

¼ tsp salt

4 tbsp Thai basil and/or mint leaves

Heat the oven to 220C (200C fan)/425F/ gas 7. For the dressing, put all the ingredients in a small saucepan, bring to a boil, then take off the heat and put to one side.

Bring a large pan of water to a boil, then cook the noodles according to packet instructions. Drain and rinse under cold water, then leave to one side to drain.

Pop the broccoli and beans in a large bowl with the onion wedges. Drizzle over the oil and sprinkle over the salt. Mix with your hands, then tip into a baking tray and roast for 10 minutes (keep the bowl unwashed for later).

When the vegetables have cooked, tip them back into the bowl, add the drained noodles and dressing, and toss with your hands. Tear or chop the herbs, toss them through, then serve while the vegetables are still a little warm.