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Asian Inspired Soba Noodle Salad Recipe

This Asian Inspired Soba Noodle Salad recipe is a great recipe to take to a potluck or for lunch at work. Add chicken or shrimp and you have a quick and delicious dinner.

A black bowl filled with soba noodles with Asian flavors stuffed with red peppers and garnished with sesame seeds and cilantro. A second bowl sits in the background.

This Asian Inspired Soba Noodle Salad recipe is fresh and crisp. It a celebration of flavors and textures that make it a great side to any meal.

After months of cloudy days, we’re finally seeing a hint of spring.

For John and I, that means bike rides, hiking, and eating a little different. By eating differently I mean replacing the heavier comfort food that kept us hibernating and in a warm fuzzy fog, to a lighter, I’m waking up, kind of food.

Top-down photo of a black bowl filled with soba noodles with Asian flavors stuffed with red peppers and garnished with sesame seeds and cilantro. A second bowl sits in the background.

What is a Soba noodle?

Soba noodles are a thin Japanese noodle made from buckwheat flour.

They are yummy and cook in only 4 minutes!

This noodle is versatile because they’re delicious cold and just beg you to add a bunch of veggies and a nice vinaigrette or sauce.

You can make them organic and are gluten free as well.

Top-down view of two bowls of black bowls filled with soba noodles with Asian flavors stuffed with red peppers and garnished with sesame seeds and cilantro. A larger serving bowl sits in the background.

We served this salad as a side dish.

You could easily eat it as a main meal and add chicken or shrimp as other options.

It would be a great dish to take to a potluck or to work for lunch because you can make it ahead of time and it stays for days in the refrigerator.

Like any pasta don’t overcook it and it will not get soggy.

A black bowl filled with soba noodles with Asian flavors stuffed with red peppers and garnished with sesame seeds and cilantro. A second bowl sits in the background next to a serving bowl.

How to Make Soba Noodle Salad

We used a pasta cooker to cook noodles. After removing the noodles, I used the basket to steam my veggies. with the same hot water.

It made this salad really quick to put together and clean up a breeze.

Store this Soba Noodle Salad in the refrigerator and it makes delicious leftovers for a couple of days.

We just love dishes that I can put with other meals, don’t you? It sure cuts down on the meal prep time.

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A black bowl filled with a soba noodle salad containing red peppers, green onions, and snap peas.
Angled view of asian noodle salad with crisp vegetables and topped with sesame seeds.

Soba Noodle Salad

Author: Julie Menghini
This Soba Noodle Salad is a great recipe to take to a potluck or for lunch at work. Add chicken or shrimp and you have a quick and delicious dinner.
5 from 2 votes
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 8 minutes
Total Time 28 minutes
Course Main, Salad, Side
Cuisine American, Asian
Keyword: Soba Noodle Salad
Servings: 12

Equipment

Ingredients
 
 

Salad

  • 9.5 oz package of Soba Noodles I choose organic, gluten free
  • 1 1/2 cups red pepper julienned (one large or two small peppers)
  • 1 1/2 cup snow peas
  • 5 green onions sliced thinly white and green parts, plus additional for garnish
  • 1 cup matchstick carrots
  • 2 tablespoons sesame seeds (toasted if desired), and additional for garnish

Sesame Vinaigrette

  • 1/2 cup sesame oil
  • 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1 teaspoon soy sauce reduced sodium preferred
  • 1 teaspoon grated ginger
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper more or less according to your heat tolerance

Instructions
 

  • Add soba noodles to rapidly boiling water. Cook for 4 minutes. Drain and remove to a bowl. Refrigerate and allow to chill.
  • Add sesame seeds to a skillet and heat over medium heat, stirring frequently, until browned and aromatic. Remove seeds from skillet or seeds will continue to cook.
  • Steam red pepper and snow peas for 3 to 4 minutes. While steaming, prepare a cold-water bath by adding cold water and ice to a bowl. Add steamed vegetables to cold water. Drain when cooled.
  • Prepare vinaigrette by adding all ingredients to a jar or bowl. Shake or whisk to combine.
  • In a large bowl, combine noodles, steamed vegetables, matchstick carrots, green onion and sesame seeds.
  • Pour vinaigrette over salad until thoroughly coated.
  • Refrigerate any leftover vinaigrette or salad in a covered container.
  • This salad may be made a day in advance.

Nutrition

Calories: 203kcalCarbohydrates: 26gProtein: 4gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 319mgPotassium: 178mgFiber: 1gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 2590IUVitamin C: 32.5mgCalcium: 34mgIron: 1.3mg

Nutritional Disclaimer

This recipe was calculated using the exact brands and measurements I used to make this recipe. If you are following a strict diet please note changing anything will cause the nutritional info to change. My calculations are intended as a guide only.

Tried this recipe?Let me know how it was!

If you are still looking for some great salad ideas, here are a couple of my favorite ones!

Asian Cabbage Salad

Chopped purple cabbage filled with diced red pepper and carrot sticks garnished with chopped cashews and dressed in a ginger sesame vinaigrette sits on a white bowl.

Tabouli Salad Recipe

Tabouli salad garnished with red peppers and feta in a white bowl with a second bowl behind it.

Let’s keep in touch!  You can find me on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube! Better yet, enter your email address in the box below and never miss a recipe!

5 from 2 votes
Recipe Rating




Deb Clark

Thursday 2nd of July 2020

It's been so hot here and thought this salad is super yummy and terrific for a light lunch!

Julie Menghini

Friday 3rd of July 2020

Thank you! It's one of our favorites too!

Thai Peanut Chicken Sandwich

Wednesday 22nd of February 2017

[…] Soba Noodle Salad […]

Thai Peanut Chicken Sandwich

Friday 13th of May 2016

[…] you are looking for a delicious side dish to go with this sandwich, my Soba Noodle Salad would be a great […]

apuginthekitchen

Friday 15th of April 2016

Julie this is a lovely salad. Sorry for the very late comment but I just found this in my junk folder along with many many other emails that I never saw. To say the least I am horrified and I apologize. I don't know what is going on with my computer but I don't like it and have to figure out what to do.

Julie Menghini

Saturday 16th of April 2016

My sister said my stuff was going into her junk folder too. I don't know the answer to some of this. It seems like there is more and more junk, but you have to go through it so you don't miss one of your friends posts. Too bad that such a thing even exists. I don't understand doing something to just make peoples lives difficult. I am 360 degrees opposite.

Nancy

Tuesday 22nd of March 2016

This salad looks perfect to help usher in spring. Delicious, Julie! It appears to be the perfect lunch!

Julie Menghini

Tuesday 22nd of March 2016

Thank you Nancy! I ate it for lunch and loved it.

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