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Soba, a Japanese buckwheat pasta, is traditionally served cold with some sort of flavorful sauce. Here, it's paired with poached salmon and fresh watercress tossed in a simple but oh-so-delicious buttermilk dressing.

Like other dark leafy green vegetables, watercress is highly nutritious. It doesn't have a long shelf life, though, so it might appear wilted next to other fresh greens and herbs -- to bring it back to life, untie the bunch and soak the leaves in a bowl of cold water.

My kids don't like fish in general and salmon in particular, so I substituted shredded rotisserie chicken on their portions.

• 6-ounce salmon fillet, skin removed
• 8 ounces soba noodles or other flavored pasta
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons minced chives
• Kosher salt and fresh-ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups washed and trimmed watercress

In a straight-sided skillet over medium-low heat, bring 2 inches of water and a pinch of salt to a boil. Gently place salmon in water. Poach at a low simmer until cooked through, about 7 to 8 minutes. Remove and let cool; flake into large pieces.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add soba and cook until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water.

In a large bowl, toss soba with buttermilk, olive oil, lemon juice and zest, chives and salt and pepper to taste. Add watercress and salmon, and gently combine. Serve or refrigerate until ready to eat.

Serves 4.

-- Wholeliving.com

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