I find it the sweetest thing when someone makes something for you, whether it’s a card, a hand-crafted gift basket, or a meal from scratch. While writing my fiance a Valentine’s note in his native Russian language, I got to thinking about how last year’s Valentine’s day. Around that time, I was making gluten-free heart shaped ravioli and experimenting with different delicious fillings. This year, I’m surprising my fiance with homemade buckwheat soba noodles. He actually was the one who introduced me to buckwheat years ago. He would recall his childhood memories growing up in Belarus (eastern Europe) and often eating buckwheat porridge with his grandparents. I thought I’d bring back some of those familiar flavors for him with this earthy al dente pasta from scratch. And really, what beats fresh pasta? Especially when it’s protein rich, delicious, & secretly healthy.

Top buckwheat soba noodles with a classic spicy red tomato sauce or dress it with a refreshing dill yogurt sauce for a Greek twist. Have a lovely Valentine’s Day, and remember; it’s only a Hallmark holiday if you let it be one! Make something from the heart <3

Buckwheat Soba Noodles (Vegan)

This recipe is free of: Gluten, Soy, Dairy, Peanuts, Eggs, Processed Sugar, & Legumes.

Yield: About 2 large servings of pasta

• 2 cups buckwheat flour
• 1 tablespoon ground flax seed meal
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• Optional: 1 teaspoon garlic powder or onion powder for flavor

1. To make the dough, combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix until well combined. Grab the dough and press together to form one large ball of dough.
2. Kneed the dough using your hands for a few minutes. If the dough seems too dry, add a little more water (about 1/2 tablespoon at a time). If it’s too wet, add a little more buckwheat flour.
3. Dust a cutting board with buckwheat flour (and optional garlic/onion powder) to prevent sticking. Roll out dough until it’s about 1/8 of an inch thick. Trim the sides until you get a nice rectangle shape. Take a chef’s knife or pizza cutter and slice the dough into desired thickness for noodles (about 1/8 inch across).
4. Let the noodles sit for a few minutes while you bring a pot of water to a boil. Salt the water and drizzle some olive oil into it to prevent the noodles from sticking to each other.
5. Add the noodles to the boiling water and cook for 3-5 minutes or until soft, but still a little firm. Remove from the heat and transfer to a serving bowl. Immediately drizzle with olive oil or other desired oil to prevent sticking. Top with desired Red pasta sauce or Easy Dill Yogurt Sauce (recipe below!)

Easy Dill Yogurt Sauce (Dairy-free)

• 1/4 cup plain non-dairy yogurt, or dairy-free Greek yogurt
• 1 tablespoon fresh dill (I used dried dill, 1/2 tablespoon for a more subtle flavor)
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• Salt and Pepper to taste

1. Combine all ingredients and mix well.
2. Serve on the side of buckwheat soba noodles or drizzle on top.

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