Recently, I ordered a Soba noodle salad from one of my favorite Asian restaurants. As usual, I savored every bite, trying to figure out every last ingredient so that I could make my own healthy soba noodle salad at home.
First, however, I had to find soba noodles and gather the ingredients. To my surprise, this noodle salad was not only easy to make, but it also tasted even better than the one I ordered.
What are soba noodles?
The word Soba, in Japanese, means buckwheat. It usually refers to thin noodles made from buckwheat flour or a combination of buckwheat and wheat flour. They contrast to thick wheat noodles, called udon. Served hot or cold, Soba noodle salad is perfect for soup or a cold salad like this Soba noodle salad recipe.
Unlike other rice noodles, soba noodles are brown because of the buckwheat flour used in making the noodles. Also, thin and long, these noodles resemble delicate spaghetti noodles.
Although these noodles are gluten-free, they are also oil-free and made with three simple ingredients:
- Buckwheat flour
- Water
- Apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
Sometimes, however, other flours are added to the buckwheat in less authentic brands, so make sure you select 100% buckwheat if you are gluten intolerant.
Delicious and nutritious alternative to traditional pasta and other noodles, Soba noodles are a good source of:
- manganese
- fiber
- protein
- thiamin
Since these noodles are so delicate, they cook in 5 minutes or less!
Once cooked, the noodles are rinsed regardless if you plan to enjoy them in a soup or cold in a salad.
Other ingredients for Soba noodle salad
Of course, I added a lot of vegetables to my soba noodle salad. Although any vegetables can be used, I chose a few of my favorites, which I think go well with the noodles and dressing.
- English cucumber
- Red bell pepper
- Carrots
- Green Onions
- Cilantro
- Lime wedges
- Peanuts (optional garnish)
Peanut salad dressing is the star of this Soba noodle salad
As with all great salads, the dressing is always the star. For this particular Soba noodle salad, I chose my Peanut Thai Dressing.
With just a few simple pantry items, you can make this easy dressing all in a high-speed blender.
- Homemade peanut butter, almond butter (or peanut butter of choice), or 4 Tablespoons PBfit Peanut Butter Powder (this is a healthy alternative)
- Lime juice
- Rice vinegar
- Low sodium soy sauce or Tamari
- Pure maple syrup or agave nectar
- Fresh ginger root
- Red pepper flakes (optional)
- Water
Then, toss everything together in the dressing and serve in individual bowls. Add a little more cilantro, a squeeze of lime, and, if you dare, some extra peanuts on top.
Next, try not to lick the bowl! If you love quick and easy salads, try this Soba noodle salad. It doesn't disappoint.
Salad doesn't have to be boring; exciting salads await...
- Quinoa and Kale Salad
- Brussel Sprout and Kale Salad
- Southwest Salad
- Asian Salad with Peanut Dressing
- Wild Rice Salad
- Italian Potato Salad
- Asparagus Salad
- Chickpea Quinoa Salad - Southwest Style!
- Harvest Salad
- Spaghetti Salad
📖 Recipe
Soba Noodle Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
Noodle Salad
- 6 ounces soba noodles
- 1 English cucumber seeds removed and sliced into matchsticks
- 1 small red bell peppers sliced into matchsticks
- 1 bunch green onions chopped
- 1 large carrot grated
- ½ cup cilantro chopped
Thai Peanut Dressing
- 1 recipe Thai peanut dressing
Garnish (optional)
- ½ cup cilantro
- ½ cup peanuts
Instructions
Thai Peanut Dressing
- Prepare 1 recipe of Thai peanut dressing in a high-speed blender. Place in the refrigerator to chill.
- In the meantime, prepare the vegetables.
Soba Noodle Salad
- Because the noodles only take 5 minutes to cook, prepare the vegetables first by cutting them and setting them aside.
- Then, boil a pot of water with a teaspoon of salt.
- I always use a wide pot when I cook long pasta, so it fits in the pan without breaking and cooks evenly.
- Wait until the water is bubbling, and add the dry soba noodles.
- Stir to combine and prevent noodles from sticking together.
- The noodles only cook for 5 minutes, no longer.
- Remove the noodles from the stove, pour them into a colander, and immediately rinse with cold water.
- Toss the noodles around, so the cold water cools all the noodles.
- Transfer the cooled noodles into a bowl, add the vegetables, and toss in the dressing.
- If you wish, add additional cilantro and some peanuts as a garnish, and don't forget the wedge of lime.
Notes
Nutrition
Hi! My name is Kathy, I am a retired high school English teacher & vegan enthusiast and blogger. My entire blog is fully plant-based vegan. I truly believe what we eat & how we live determines our health & the preservation of our planet! 🙂
Jodi Gibson
Great recipe... the dressing was yummy. My husband said a do again soon!
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Jodi, thank you for the feedback. Whenever my husband says "do again soon," it a win! I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe. I appreciate you reaching out to let me know.
Deanna Baker
You have always been a fantastic cook. What is your favorite, go-to, kitchen appliance for most of your recipes?
Kathy Carmichael
Deanna, you are so sweet. Unfortunately, I have not always been a fantastic cook. In fact, I used to be terrible, and then I found a passion in cooking plant-based. It was almost like a challenge to me to see if I could make recipes my family liked but were also healthy. My favorite applicant is my Nutri-bullet. I love the different sized cups! I use it at least once a day!
JoAnn M Lakes
If you find noodles made with just buckwheat aren't they gluten-free?
Kathy Carmichael
Hi JoAnn! Yes, 100% buckwheat is gluten-free. But you need to be careful and check the table, because a lot of Buckwheat noodles are mixed with other flours.