i serve them as a side for a larger meal...

mix 1 t. miso paste (I usually use red miso, but you might try green or white)
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil.
splash tamari
some mirin
pinch wasabi powder
juice from half a lime

mix a simple marinade and toss with noodles, just to coat. add ribbons of nori and toasted black (or white) sesame seeds. I serve with home made sushi/sashimi or three colored tofu, edamame, etc.

you could also just put them into a broth of miso and bonito.

An amazing (and beautiful) book called Japanese Cooking by Emi Kazuko (ISBN 1-84309-430-4) is often my guide...

xoM

i like to eat the noodles cold (rinse in cold water until water is clear after boiling) then drizzle bulldog sauce, kewpie mayo, sesame oil, and japanese chili powder over the noodles, toss to coat evenly then sprinkle with seaweed flakes and sesame seeds. great quick meal when it's hot out.

cold! tossed with scallion and wasabi powder! YUM!

I cook it, toss it with toasted sesame oil, then chill it until dinner time when I serve it with spicy peanut sauce, shredded carrots, shredded cucumber, bean sprouts, slivered romaine lettuce, sometimes some chopped, seasoned tofu, and chopped peanuts. In fact, we're having it for dinner tomorrow.

I love soba floating all lovely in any brothy soup, really.

I discovered this genious "sushi" log creation at Rainbow Grocery (also available other places, I understand) that I copied and adapted. I'm sure I've mentioned it before. The commercial variety uses udon noodles, which are great, but why use udon when you can use soba?!!
anyhoo...

cooked and cooled soba noodles
chopped avocado
umeboshi plum paste
sesame seeds
the *teensiest* sprinkling of toasted sesame oil
nori
(sauteed shiitake mushrooms - optional)
(green onion - optional)

wrap everything up in the sheet of nori, shushi-style. That's it!

I usually make a few and wrap them in plastic wrap. They keep well in the fridge for several days. I eat them for morning break or lunch.

I haven't a clue as to how much of anything to use. I winged it the first time, and, frankly, every time thereafter. :)
I cook enough noodles to accommodate the size of the avocado, basically. I get one to three logs, totally dependent on how big the avo is.
Do whatever looks yummy to you, I say! Just bear in mind that umeboshi plum paste is potent stuff and a little goes a long way (I like a LOT and that's about a teaspoon). To eliminate the umeboshi would be a grave mistake; you would have bland mushiness without it. At the very least you'd have to add vinegar. The shiitake and green onion experiments turned out well, but with them, the lack of crunch was MORE evident. Maybe some raw carrot or daikon shreds???

The one troublesome thing about this recipe is the lack of any sort of crunch. I keep meaning to try celery or maybe even jicama but it's so tasty as is... I just haven't bothered yet. I just add extra sesame seeds. heh.