Hangehange Rainbow Soba Salad

After a long break travelling overseas in the UK I am back in Aotearoa and have permanently moved to the Wairarapa. I experienced a terribly cold winter in places that barely had any evergreen trees (I can sea why seasonal depression is so prevalent), a vibrant blooming spring walking through forests carpeted with bluebells and snowdrops and harvesting a lot of fragrant ramsons, and then a mildly hot and rainy summer where we ate wild bilberries and raspberries by the handful while hiking in the mountains. I hadn’t realised just how much my foraging knowledge of the plants around me made me feel secure, safe, and at home in a place. I did my best to learn some of the wild plants and fungi around but was honestly a bit overwhelmed at the thought of learning so many new species. Of course I was very familiar most of the common plants which we consider to be “pest species” over here and which they plant intentionally such as, gorse and hawthorn and other prolific plants like oaks, hazels, chestnuts, and pines. I missed New Zealand very much though and was so appreciative to see the native bush covering the Tararua Ranges when we arrived back home.

Going on weekly bush walks is something I am so grateful to be able to start back up again and as it’s springtime so many plants are flowering and sending out succulent green growing tips. Walking through our local reserve last month the warm air was filled with the most beautiful fragrance and following the trail with our noses we came across the unassuming plant I later identified as “Hangehange”. After some research I found out this plants leaves are edible!

The fresh vibrant new leaves of the Hangehange shrub are delicious and taste very similar to sugar snap peas! The raw leaves go wonderfully in this cold soba noodle salad along with many other colourful vegetables and drizzled with an almond butter satay sauce for a light dinner on a warm spring or summer evening. Enjoy my fellow foragers!

Hangehange Rainbow Soba Salad

Ingredients: Serves 6-8

1/2 red cabbage, thinly sliced

1 red pepper, thinly sliced

3 carrots, julienned or peeled into thin strips

1 yellow pepper, thinly sliced

2 cups young Hangehange leaves

1/2 cup fresh mint, chopped

1 cup fresh coriander, chopped

2 red chilies, thinly sliced

2 packets soba noodles, cooked

2 tins chickpeas, drained and rinsed

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 teaspoon red chili flakes

2 teaspoons paprika

Salt and pepper, to taste

Sesame seeds

2 avocadoes, sliced (optional)

Satay Sauce:

1 cup almond butter (or peanut butter)

3 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

3 tablespoons maple syrup

3 teaspoons sriracha

2 tablespoons lime juice

5 garlic cloves, crushed

2 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated

6 tablespoons warm water

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees fan bake and line a tray with baking paper. Pour chickpeas onto the tray and toss with olive oil, salt, pepper, paprika, chili flakes, and garlic powder. Bake for 30 minutes or until crispy.
In a medium bowl mix together all of the satay sauce ingredients and set aside.
In a large salad bowl toss together the cabbage, peppers, carrots, Hangehange leaves, mint, coriander, chilies, chickpeas, and cold soba noodles. Mix through the satay sauce.
Serve rainbow salad topped with sesame seeds and a side of sliced avocado.

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