Bity
This soba noodle salad is what I make when it is too warm to cook properly but I still want a real meal. Nutty buckwheat noodles are tossed with crunchy red cabbage, carrot, sweet pepper, cucumber and edamame, then coated in a sesame, soy and ginger dressing with a squeeze of lime.
In short, this salad is cold buckwheat soba noodles tossed with red cabbage, carrot, red pepper, cucumber and edamame in a soy, sesame, ginger and lime dressing. It takes 20 minutes, 15 of prep and 5 of cooking, serves 4 and comes to about 340 calories per serving.
The noodles boil for about five minutes, and everything else is chopping and whisking. Honestly, I eat it straight from the mixing bowl more often than I should. It is just as good cold from the fridge the next day, which makes it one of my favourite packed lunches.
Quick Breakdown
Why You’ll Love This Soba Noodle Salad
- Twenty minutes, start to finish. Fifteen minutes of prep and five minutes at the hob.
- Properly crunchy. Raw cabbage, carrot, pepper and cucumber stay crisp against the soft noodles.
- A dressing you will reuse. Salty, tangy, a little sweet and gently hot, made from seven storecupboard ingredients plus a lime.
- Side or main. It serves four as a light meal, or more as a side at a barbecue.
- Easily vegan. Simply use maple syrup instead of honey.
Ingredient Notes
- Soba noodles. 8 oz. These are thin Japanese buckwheat noodles with an earthy, nutty taste.
- Red cabbage and carrots. 1 cup of each, shredded. Cut them thin so they tangle with the noodles.
- Red bell pepper. 1, thinly sliced.
- Green onions. 3, sliced.
- Edamame. 1/2 cup, shelled. It is optional, but it adds protein and a pop of green.
- Cilantro and cucumber. 1/4 cup chopped cilantro (coriander) and 1/4 cup sliced cucumber.
- Sesame seeds. 2 tablespoons, for the top.
- Dressing. 1/4 cup soy sauce, 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup, 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger, 1 small minced garlic clove, 1 tablespoon lime juice, and 1 to 2 teaspoons chili paste or sriracha if you like heat.
Despite the name, buckwheat has nothing to do with wheat. The Whole Grains Council describes it as a naturally gluten-free pseudo grain that has long been used for soba in Japan, where the noodles are enjoyed both hot and cold.
Are Soba Noodles Gluten Free?
Only sometimes. Soba noodles are gluten free when they are made from 100% buckwheat, so the label matters. However, Healthline’s dietitians point out that many brands blend buckwheat with refined wheat flour to make the noodles sturdier and cheaper, so a packet marked “soba” may well contain wheat.
| On the packet | What it means | Gluten free? |
|---|---|---|
| 100% buckwheat (juwari) | Buckwheat flour and water only | Yes, if certified |
| Buckwheat and wheat flour | A blend, the most common kind | No |
| Wheat flour listed first | Mostly wheat with a little buckwheat | No |
If you are cooking for someone with coeliac disease, also swap the soy sauce for tamari, because ordinary soy sauce is brewed with wheat.
How To Make Soba Noodle Salad
1. Cook and rinse the noodles. First, boil the noodles following the packet until just tender. Drain them in a fine mesh strainer and rinse under cold running water, tossing with your fingers. This stops the cooking and washes off the surface starch that makes them clump.
2. Combine the salad. Next, put the cooled noodles in a large bowl with the cabbage, carrots, bell pepper, green onions, edamame, cilantro and cucumber.
3. Whisk the dressing. In a small bowl or jar, whisk the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, honey, ginger, garlic, lime juice and chili paste until blended. A Microplane zester turns the ginger into a fine paste in seconds.
4. Toss. Then pour the dressing over the bowl and toss until every strand is glossy. Taste, and adjust with more lime, soy or heat.
5. Finish and serve. Finally, scatter the sesame seeds over the top. Serve straight away, or chill for 30 minutes for a colder dish with a deeper flavour.
Why Are My Noodles Mushy or Sticky?
Soba noodles turn mushy when they are overcooked and sticky when they are not rinsed under cold water straight after draining. These are the usual causes and fixes:
- They were overcooked. Soba goes from firm to soft very quickly. Start tasting a minute before the packet time.
- They were not rinsed. Unlike Italian pasta, soba must be rinsed. Otherwise the starch sets into a sticky clump.
- They sat undressed. If you are not tossing them immediately, stir through a few drops of sesame oil.
- The pan was too small. Use plenty of water so the noodles can move freely.
- The soba noodle salad tastes flat. Cold food needs more seasoning. Instead of more salt, add a squeeze of lime first.
Tips for the Best Soba Noodle Salad
- Do not salt the cooking water. The dressing is salty enough, and many packets advise against it.
- Cut the vegetables into long, thin strips. As a result, they twirl onto the fork with the noodles.
- Toast the sesame seeds in a dry pan for 2 minutes until golden and fragrant.
- Shake the dressing in a lidded jar if you are making it ahead. It keeps in the fridge for several days.
- Thaw frozen edamame under the cold tap while you rinse the noodles.
Storage and Make Ahead
- Fridge. Store leftover soba noodle salad in an airtight container for up to 3 days. The vegetables soften slightly, but the flavour deepens.
- Refresh it. The noodles drink the dressing as they sit. Before serving, loosen with a splash of rice vinegar, lime juice or soy sauce.
- Make ahead. For the crunchiest result, keep the noodles, vegetables and dressing in separate containers and toss just before eating.
- Freezer. Not suitable. Raw vegetables and cooked soba both turn limp once thawed.
Variations and Substitutions
- Peanut. Whisk a spoonful of smooth peanut butter into the dressing for a creamier coating.
- More protein. Add crisp tofu, shredded chicken, prawns or a soft-boiled egg.
- Other noodles. Rice noodles, udon or wholewheat spaghetti will work if you cannot find soba.
- Different vegetables. Snap peas, radishes, bean sprouts or shredded kale are all welcome.
- No rice vinegar? Use apple cider vinegar, or a little extra lime juice.
- Milder. Leave out the chili paste for children and put the sriracha on the table.
For more salads that travel well, try my Greek pasta salad or this hearty chicken pasta salad. If you have edamame left in the bag, it goes straight into my edamame hummus.
What to Serve With Soba Noodle Salad
On its own, soba noodle salad is a light lunch. To make dinner of it, I pile it next to something warm and savoury. Slow cooker teriyaki chicken is a natural match, and so is a tray of sheet pan salmon. For something quicker, air fryer shrimp are done in the time it takes to boil the noodles.
Frequently Asked Questions
Noodles and Dressing
What do soba noodles taste like?
They are nutty and slightly earthy, with a firmer, grainier bite than wheat pasta. Because of that, they stand up well to bold, salty dressings.
Is soba noodle salad served hot or cold?
Cold or at room temperature. The noodles are rinsed until cool, and half an hour in the fridge makes the dish even more refreshing.
Why do you rinse soba noodles after cooking?
Rinsing under cold running water stops soba cooking and removes the sticky starch on the surface. Do it straight after draining; without it, the noodles glue themselves together in the bowl.
How can you make the soba salad dressing less salty?
Yes. Use a reduced sodium soy sauce, or replace a tablespoon of the soy with water and add a little more lime.
Storage and Swaps
How long does soba noodle salad last in the fridge?
Up to 3 days in a sealed container. The vegetables soften slightly, so refresh it with a splash of rice vinegar, lime juice or soy sauce before serving. It does not freeze well, because the soba and raw vegetables turn limp once thawed.
Can you make a soba salad the night before?
Yes. For the best texture, store the dressing separately and toss everything together shortly before you eat.
Is soba noodle salad vegan?
Yes, when you choose maple syrup rather than honey for the dressing. Everything else in the bowl is plant based.
Is a soba salad gluten free?
Only if you use 100% buckwheat soba and swap the soy sauce for tamari. Many soba brands blend buckwheat with wheat flour and ordinary soy sauce is brewed with wheat, so check both labels for a gluten free mark.
How many calories are in a soba salad?
About 340 calories per serving when the recipe is split into 4, with roughly 14 g protein, 56 g carbohydrates and 8 g fat. These are estimates and change with the noodle brand and whether you add the edamame.
Ingredients
Salad
- 8 oz soba noodles
- 1 cup red cabbage shredded
- 1 cup carrots shredded
- 1 red bell pepper thinly sliced
- 3 green onions sliced
- 1/2 cup shelled edamame optional
- 1/4 cup cilantro chopped
- 1/4 cup cucumber sliced
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
Dressing
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger grated
- 1 small garlic clove minced
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 to 2 teaspoons chili paste or sriracha optional
Instructions
- Cook the soba noodles following the packet until just tender. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking and prevent sticking.
- In a large bowl, combine the cooled noodles with the cabbage, carrots, bell pepper, green onions, edamame, cilantro and cucumber.
- In a small bowl or jar, whisk the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, honey, ginger, garlic, lime juice and chili paste.
- Pour the dressing over the noodles and vegetables and toss until evenly coated. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
- Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve immediately, or chill for 30 minutes.
