Never cooked soba noodles? Follow the tips in this post to make a foolproof soba noodle salad that's loaded with veggies and great for weekday lunches!
These sesame soba noodles are one of my go-to easy weeknight dinners and healthy lunches. I toss the cold Japanese buckwheat noodles with a tangy, nutty sesame dressing. Then, I round out the noodle bowls with edamame, fresh herbs, and crisp spring veggies.
This soba noodle recipe is incredibly flavorful, yet quick and easy. It comes together in about 20 minutes! I’ve been making it for years now—ever since our first trip to Japan. Most often, I make it as written, but it works well with all sorts of different proteins and veggies too. Find my favorite variations below!
What are soba noodles?
Soba noodles are Japanese buckwheat noodles that are served hot or cold. Jack and I fell in love with them on our first trip to Japan, and we’ve been cooking them at home ever since. Made with buckwheat flour, these noodles have a wonderful nutty flavor and chewy texture. One of my favorite dishes I’ve eaten in Japan is traditional zaru soba or mori soba, cold soba noodles served with green onions, daikon, and a flavorful dashi dipping sauce. At home, I love tossing soba into noodle salads like this one.
Traditional soba is made with only buckwheat flour and water, so it’s easy to make soba noodle recipes gluten-free: despite its name, buckwheat has no relation to wheat! However, because 100% buckwheat noodles can be fragile and difficult to work with, you’ll often see dried soba that contains a mix of buckwheat and wheat flours. These are the noodles I usually choose—they still have the buckwheat’s yummy flavor, but they’re easier for tossing in a noodle salad like this one.
If you’re gluten-free, be sure to seek out 100% buckwheat soba. Both varieties are readily available in Asian markets or in the Asian section of regular grocery stores.
How to Cook Soba Noodles
If you’ve never cooked soba before, there are a few things you should know before starting this recipe. It’s easy for a package of soba to turn into a big gummy mess, but if you follow these tips, you’ll have soba success!
- First, unlike regular pasta, it’s essential that you cook your soba in unsalted water.
- Make sure not to overcook them! Don’t forget to set a kitchen timer for the time listed on the package.
- When your noodles are ready, drain them in a colander and rinse them thoroughly with cold water to remove starches that cause clumping.
- Finally, toss them with a drizzle of sesame oil to keep them fresh until you’re ready to eat!
Soba Noodle Recipe Variations
This soba noodle recipe is delicious as written, but there are all sorts of ways you can change it up! Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Try another protein. Sub baked tofu, sesame tofu, or baked tempeh for the edamame. You could even top the noodles with a soft-boiled egg!
- Change up the veggies. Add sliced cucumber or use blanched broccolini in place of the snap peas. Or stir in some sautéed mushrooms or baby bok choy!
- Experiment with the herbs. Swap in cilantro or Thai basil for the mint.
- Spice it up. Top your bowl with a squirt of sriracha or a spoonful of chili crisp.
Have fun making a bowl of soba noodles you love!
Make-Ahead Tip
This recipe is one of my favorite meal prep lunch ideas. You can assemble it ahead of time and store in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Just wait to add the avocado and herbs until right before you eat. That way, they’ll stay nice and green.
More Japanese-Inspired Recipes to Try
If you love these noodles, try one of these Japanese-inspired recipes next:
Sesame Soba Noodles
Ingredients
Sesame Dressing
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce, plus more for serving
- ½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil, plus more for serving
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- 1 garlic clove, grated
- ½ teaspoon maple syrup or honey
For the Soba Noodles
- 6 ounces soba noodles
- Lemon wedge, for squeezing
- 2 avocados, sliced
- 2 cups blanched snap peas
- ¼ cup edamame
- 1 watermelon radish, or 2 red radishes, very thinly sliced
- ¼ cup fresh mint leaves
- Sesame seeds
Instructions
- Make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, tamari, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, and maple syrup. Set aside.
- Bring an unsalted pot of water to a boil and cook the soba noodles according to the package directions. Drain and rinse well in cold water. This helps to remove starches that cause clumping. Toss the noodles with the dressing and divide into 2 to 4 bowls. Squeeze fresh lemon juice onto the avocado slices and add to the bowls along with the snap peas, edamame, radish, mint, and a sprinkle of sesame seeds. Drizzle with more tamari or sesame oil, if desired.
Notes
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I tried this recipe with dill instead of parsley and it was delicious! Do the leftovers keep well for about 3 days in the fridge?
Such a fresh, springy lunch for May! I roasted portobello with the tofu to add a bit more of a hearty base
Amazing! The whole family loved this recipe and I had leftovers the following day. Will be making this all spring.
Very flavorful and satisfying. No meat- my husband still loved it. He said he didn’t miss it. The sesame dressing is spectacular. So little sesame oil and maple syrup surprised me but I wouldn’t change quantities at all. Perfect! I love the soba noodles and appreciate the tips on cooking them. I substituted strawberries for radishes and they were great. I added roasted chicken peas because I saw your instructions for that in another recipe. I love them, too. Making it again for lunch today!
So quick and easy but full of flavor! Will definitely be adding this to the regular lunch/dinner rotation!
Do you have the nutritional values listed ? O may have missed.
Excited to make this for May’s cooking club!
I made the recipe as it was, and it was pretty good. Nice and fresh. I will say that as we were eating, I realized I forgot the snap peas and the mint. So I threw those in 5 min into the meal. Oops. I will probably make it again, but change it up.
Ha, so glad you enjoyed!
Delicious, healthy, and quick to make! Thanks for this great recipe 🙂
I’m glad you enjoyed it!