This Soba Noodle Salad is quick and easy to make, is packed with colors and textures, and is dressed in a delicious soy-sesame dressing. This salad is a delicious meal prep lunch recipe or side dish for a cookout.
I love to make a hearty salad that requires minimal cooking to take to lunch for work all week. And I have many recipes that fit that bill! From grain salads like Barley Salad, to bean salads like Butter Bean Salad, to pasta salads like Orzo Pesto Pasta Salad, I have plenty of recipes to choose from.
But I always need one more, so I created this Soba Noodle Salad! This salad is a delicious side dish to bring to a Summer cookout, but it's hearty enough to enjoy for lunch. It is bursting with colors, textures, and so much flavor from the sesame-soy dressing. So let's make it.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- This recipe requires simple, easy-to-find ingredients.
- And it requires minimal cooking.
- This Soba Noodle Salad is completely vegan and dairy-free, so anyone can enjoy it.
- It is great immediately, but also stores well in the refrigerator for days!
- And most importantly, it is absolutely delicious.
Ingredients
Soba Noodles: Soba noodles are made with buckwheat flour and are so delicious! You can find them in the international foods section of your grocery store, or buy them online.
Vegetables: I used a combination of purple cabbage, carrot, bell pepper, and scallions for a wide variety of colors and textures in this Soba Noodle Salad. Be sure to slice everything very thinly!
Rice Vinegar: Be sure to use unseasoned rice vinegar for this recipe.
Toasted Sesame Oil: Toasted sesame oil adds big flavor to the soy-sesame dressing. A little bit goes a long way, though, so be sure to measure it.
Toasted Ground Sesame Seeds: Grinding sesame seeds releases so much flavor! I use a mortar and pestle to do this, but you can also pulse them in a spice grinder. And you can always use whole sesame seeds if you wish.
Instructions
Step 1. In a large mixing bowl, combine rice vinegar, soy sauce, canola oil, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and sugar. Whisk well to combine.
Step 2. Add the sliced red cabbage, bell pepper, carrot ribbons, and sliced scallions.
Then, add the cooked and rinsed soba noodles and toasted ground sesame seeds.
Use tongs or two forks to toss the soba noodle salad together, and serve!
Recipe FAQs
Transfer leftover salad into a container with an airtight lid and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Soba noodles are a type of Japanese noodle that is made with buckwheat flour. While you can find 100% buckwheat flour soba noodles, they are typically made using a combination of wheat and buckwheat flour.
No. Toasted sesame oil is darker in color and much stronger in flavor, and is typically used as a seasoning. Sesame oil is light in color and mild in flavor and typically used for cooking.
Expert Recipe Tips
I really like to use a vegetable peeler to create carrot ribbons for this Soba Noodle Salad recipe because it makes it so much easier to eat! But, if you prefer, you can cut them into matchsticks.
Soba noodles are quick-cooking. They are typically ready in 3-4 minutes, so be sure to read the package!
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📖 Recipe
Soba Noodle Salad
Equipment
- 1 2-Quart Pot
- 1 Large Mixing Bowl
- 1 Cutting Board and Chef's Knife
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 1 ½ Cups Thinly Sliced Red Cabbage
- 1 Medium Yellow Bell Pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
- 1 Large Carrot, peeled, then ribboned See note!
- 5 Medium Scallions, thinly sliced Use the white and green parts!
- 9 oz Soba Noodles
For the Soy-Sesame Dressing
- 4 tablespoon Rice Vinegar
- 3 tablespoon Soy Sauce
- 2 tablespoon Canola Oil or other neutral oil
- 4 teaspoon Toasted Sesame Oil
- 1 Medium Clove of Garlic, grated
- 1 ½ teaspoon Grated Fresh Ginger
- 1 teaspoon Sugar
To Top the Salad
- 3 tablespoon Toasted Ground Sesame Seeds See note!
Instructions
- First, make the dressing. In a large mixing bowl, combine rice vinegar, soy sauce, canola oil, toasted sesame oil, grated garlic, ginger, and sugar. Whisk to combine.4 tablespoon Rice Vinegar, 3 tablespoon Soy Sauce, 2 tablespoon Canola Oil, 4 teaspoon Toasted Sesame Oil, 1 Medium Clove of Garlic, grated, 1 ½ teaspoon Grated Fresh Ginger, 1 teaspoon Sugar
- Into the bowl, add sliced cabbage, bell pepper, carrot ribbons, and scallions.1 ½ Cups Thinly Sliced Red Cabbage, 1 Medium Yellow Bell Pepper, seeded and thinly sliced, 1 Large Carrot, peeled, then ribboned, 5 Medium Scallions, thinly sliced
- Then, cook the soba noodles. Fill a 2-quart pot with water and bring it to a boil. Cook the soba noodles according to package directions, then drain them through a strainer and run cold water over them to stop the cooking and to cool them rapidly.9 oz Soba Noodles
- Add the soba noodles into the large mixing bowl and use tongs or two forks to gently toss everything together. Add the sesame seeds and toss once more to combine and serve.3 tablespoon Toasted Ground Sesame Seeds
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