Cold Soba Noodle Salad (Printable view)

Chilled soba with crisp veggies and bright sesame-ginger dressing—light, refreshing, and quick to prepare.

# What You Need:

→ Noodles

01 - 200 g (7 oz) soba noodles

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 medium cucumber, julienned
03 - 1 medium carrot, julienned
04 - 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
05 - 2 green onions, thinly sliced
06 - 50 g (1 cup) shredded red cabbage
07 - 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

→ Sesame Ginger Dressing

08 - 3 tbsp soy sauce
09 - 2 tbsp rice vinegar
10 - 1.5 tbsp toasted sesame oil
11 - 1 tbsp honey or maple syrup
12 - 1 tbsp fresh ginger, finely grated
13 - 1 garlic clove, minced
14 - 1 tbsp tahini or smooth peanut butter (optional, for creaminess)
15 - 1 tsp sriracha or chili sauce (optional, for spice)

→ Garnishes

16 - 1 handful fresh cilantro leaves
17 - 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds (extra, for topping)
18 - Lime wedges (optional)

# How To Make:

01 - Cook soba noodles according to package instructions. Drain and rinse thoroughly under cold water to stop cooking and remove excess starch. Set aside.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together all dressing ingredients until smooth and well combined. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired.
03 - In a large bowl, combine cooked soba noodles with cucumber, carrot, bell pepper, green onions, red cabbage, and sesame seeds.
04 - Pour the sesame ginger dressing over the noodle mixture and toss gently to coat evenly.
05 - Divide salad among plates or bowls. Garnish with extra sesame seeds, fresh cilantro, and lime wedges if using. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • This salad is secretly a fridge-cleaner—you can use almost any veggie you have on hand and it’ll still work beautifully.
  • The sesame ginger dressing comes together fast, but tastes like you spent much longer fussing over it.
02 -
  • If you don’t rinse your soba noodles really well, they can end up clumping together into one big, sticky mass.
  • Letting the freshly dressed salad sit for ten minutes helps the flavors deepen and the veggies soften just enough.
03 -
  • Avoid overcooking soba noodles or they’ll turn mushy; keep an eye on the clock.
  • A microplane makes fast work of ginger and garlic, ensuring no big bites sneak in.
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