This is a subtle, comforting dish, best served still slightly warm. If you are having this as a main course, add some cooked mung beans or other protein of your choice and perhaps a few halved cherry tomatoes for color. If you cannot find black rice noodles (which provide a great color contrast), regular soba or rice noodles will do just fine.
This recipe is a companion to the recipe for Wasabi Pea–Crusted Salmon. But it is so useful as a salad with other main courses (try it with grilled shrimp). Ginger juice is a great ingredient as it adds spicy flavor without the tough texture of the chopped root. You’ll be glad to have the left over pesto to add zest to plain rice or noodles.
The popular sriracha sauce can be added to noodles and stir fries for a fiery kick or, as in this sticky chicken dish, to a crunchy salad.
Pot stickers, known as jiaozi in China, are a kind of meat or vegetable-filled dumpling, commonly eaten across Asia.
For this recipe, we prefer the steady, even heat of a cast-iron skillet. A heavy stainless-steel skillet may be used, but you may have to increase the heat slightly.
The Green Onion Salad recipe mentioned above:
Japanese cooks use it in soups; as a seasoning for grilled vegetables, meat, and seafood; as a dip; or in salad dressing.