This Soba Noodle Salad is exactly what you need for a quick, light meal. Tossed in a honey sesame dressing, you can easily customize this refreshing salad with your favorite vegetables and proteins. Enjoy it chilled or at room temperature.
What are some of your go-to warm-weather lunches? When I am not developing or testing a recipe, I like my summer lunch to be light and fuss-free. Today I made an easy and refreshing Soba Noodle Salad (蕎麦サラダ) that’s ready in less than 20 minutes.
In this recipe, I toss earthy Japanese soba noodles in a simple honey-soy dressing and garnish it with green onions, cilantro, and sesame seeds. Simple yet bright in flavor, this salad is a true favorite of mine.
Table of Contents
What Are Soba Noodles?
Soba noodles are Japanese buckwheat noodles. They have a completely different flavor and texture from the popular ramen and udon noodles. Soba is often served cold, such as Zaru Soba, or in hot soup, such as Soba Noodle Soup.
In the US, some of the common brands like Hakubaku Organic Soba or Eden Foods Soba (100% buckwheat; gluten-free) are available online or at your local grocery stores.
In Japan, there are different types of soba noodles depending on the percentage of buckwheat used in the noodles.
100% vs. 80% Buckwheat Flour
Juwari Soba (十割そば) is made of 100% buckwheat flour, so it is gluten-free. It has a dry and rough texture, causing the noodles to break easily compared to Hachi-wari Soba. Juwari soba has a strong buckwheat aroma and flavor, but it is difficult to make due to its crumbly texture.
The noodles are much smoother and have an al dente texture. Unlike Juwari Soba, they are easy to swallow and chew. However, the buckwheat aroma is less intense than that of Juwari. Hachiwari soba is also known as Nihachi Soba (二八そば)—ni (two) and hachi (eight) referring to the ratio.
It’s difficult to determine which soba is tastier as it really comes down to personal preference.
Ingredients for Soba Noodle Salad
- Soba noodles
- Green onions
- Cilantro
- Roasted sesame seeds
- Dressing: neutral oil, roasted sesame oil, crushed red pepper flakes, honey, and soy sauce (or tamari)
How to Make Soba Noodle Salad
- Make the salad dressing: Heat the neutral oil, sesame oil, and red chili pepper flakes in a saucepan and cook until fragrant. Remove from the heat and add the honey and soy sauce. Set aside to cool.
- Boil the soba noodles: Cook according to the package instructions. Drain and rinse off the starch under cold running water. Drain well and set aside.
- Assemble: Combine the chilled noodles, the cooled dressing, freshly chopped green onions and cilantro, and sesame seeds in a large bowl. Toss everything together and serve immediately.
Customize Soba Noodle Salad
This Soba Noodle Salad recipe is the perfect blank slate for customization. For substance, feel free to add veggies or proteins and turn the salad into a main dish. Here are some delicious opt-in ingredients:
- Thin strips of cucumber, carrots, bell peppers, or red cabbage
- Edamame, sugar snap peas
- Pickled veggies such as kimchi or Quick Spicy Japanese Pickled Cucumber
- A handful of arugula or Blanched Broccoli
- Hard-boiled eggs or Ramen Eggs
- Shredded leftover chicken or Miso Salmon
- Grilled or pan-fried tofu
Cooking Tips and Techniques
- Soba noodles cook much faster than spaghetti noodles, so this dish comes together very quickly. If you’re serving other dishes, make sure they are also ready to go.
- Remove any excess starch by draining the noodles well and running them under cold water. Soba noodles will keep better without excess starch.
- Toss everything together when you are ready to serve, as soba noodles tend to absorb the dressing and become soggy if left too long. You can prepare the dressing, chop all the herbs, and boil the soba noodles ahead of time.
How to Store
You can store the leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for 2 weeks.
FAQs
Are soba noodles healthy?
The Japanese consider soba noodles a healthy carb choice, especially among the variety of noodles. Low in fat, soba noodles are a great source of amino acids, manganese, protein, and fiber. They are definitely healthier than udon, ramen, or regular spaghetti.
For gluten-free, look for soba noodles made with 100% buckwheat. Be sure to check the ingredient list. Some Japanese grocery stores offer Juwari Soba (十割そば) made of 100% buckwheat flour.
👉🏼 Learn more about soba, including its origin and nutrition, on my pantry page.
Can I use another type of noodles?
Sure! You can make this dish with spaghetti noodles, udon noodles, ramen noodles, rice noodles, or konnyaku (konjac) noodles.
More Soba Noodle Recipes
- Zaru Soba (Traditional Cold Soba Noodle)
- Toshikoshi Soba (New Year’s Eve Soba Noodle Soup)
- Soba Noodle Soup
- Oroshi Soba
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Soba Noodle Salad
Video
Ingredients
For the Dressing
- 1 Tbsp neutral oil
- 3 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
- ½ tsp crushed red pepper (red pepper flakes) (optional; you can skip or adjust to your preference)
- 3 Tbsp honey (use maple syrup for vegan)
- 3 Tbsp soy sauce
For the Salad
- 7 oz dried soba noodles (buckwheat noodles) (2–3 bundles)
- 2 green onions/scallions
- 1 handful cilantro (coriander) (0.7 oz, 20 g)
- 1 Tbsp toasted white sesame seeds
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients. In a large pot, bring water to a boil (you do not need to salt the water).
To Make the Dressing
- Combine 1 Tbsp neutral oil, 3 Tbsp toasted sesame oil, and ½ tsp crushed red pepper (red pepper flakes) in a small saucepan.
- Whisk it all together and infuse the oil over medium heat for 3 minutes. The oil should sizzle, but do not burn the chili flakes. Remove from the heat and let cool for 1–2 minutes. Tip: If you smell something burnt, the heat is too strong or you cooked it too long.
- Add 3 Tbsp honey and whisk well until it has completely dissolved. Tip: Don‘t add the soy sauce first as it will splatter in the hot oil.
- Add 3 Tbsp soy sauce to the mixture and whisk it all together. Set aside.
To Make the Salad
- Add 7 oz dried soba noodles (buckwheat noodles) to the boiling water. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they are al dente. Tip: I like to boil the noodles for 30 seconds less than the package instructions. Mine says to cook for 4 minutes, so I cook for 3 minutes and 30 seconds.
- Meanwhile, thinly slice 2 green onions/scallions.
- Discard the stems of 1 handful cilantro (coriander) and chop the leafy parts into small pieces.
- Drain the soba noodles into a colander and rinse them with your hand under cold running water. This important step removes the excess starch and stops the cooking.
- Drain well and transfer to a large bowl. Pour the cooled dressing over the noodles.
- Add the green onions, cilantro leaves, and 1 Tbsp toasted white sesame seeds to the noodles. Toss everything together.
To Serve
- Transfer to a serving bowl or plate. Serve chilled or at room temperature. For a spicy kick, you can sprinkle shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven spice).
To Customize
- Soba noodle salad is the perfect blank slate to customize with your favorite vegetables like edamame, sugar snap peas, cucumber slices, carrot strips, arugula, or red cabbage. Try adding blanched or pickled veggies like kimchi, Quick Fresh Kimchi, Spicy Japanese Pickled Cucumbers, and Blanched Broccoli with Sesame Oil. For a more substantial meal, add hard-boiled eggs, Ramen Eggs, shredded leftover chicken, or grilled tofu.
To Store
- You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and in the freezer for 2 weeks.
Nutrition
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on May 13, 2013. It is updated with a new video and step-by-step pictures in August 2016. The content was updated with more information in July 2022.
Thank you for good recipes always and instructive preparation methods. Bless you!
Hello Susan! Thank you so much for trying Nami’s recipe and for your kind feedback!
Happy Cooking!
This was delicious. Easy to make too!
Hi Tim! Thank you! We are glad to hear you enjoyed Nami’s recipe!
Happy Cooking!
Love soba noodles cold or warm. Thank you for sharing this simple meal. Easy to make in the office. Wondering if there is a different sauce that can replace the soy? Not into the salty taste but …
Hi Ray! We’re glad you enjoyed Nami’s recipe!
We haven’t tried it with any other sauce, but how about Coconut Secret (Coconut Aminos)? It has a lower sodium content than soy sauce.
We hope this was helpful!
Thank you for the wonderful recipe! Slightly too sweet for my tastes, so next time I will decrease the honey. That being said, I will certainly be making this again! I added a bunch of cucumber, carrots, and a soft boiled egg on top. So yummy and filling 😀
Hi Emily! We are glad to hear you enjoyed the soba noodle salad!
Thank you very much for experimenting with Nami’s recipe and sharing your results! Extra vegetables and eggs sound delectable! 😍