Enjoyed chilled or at room temperature, this Soba Noodle Salad tossed in a honey-soy dressing is exactly what you need for a quick, light meal.
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 so the noodles are easily broken compared to Hachi-wari Soba. Ju-wari soba has a strong buckwheat aroma and flavor, and it is hard to make because of the crumbly texture.
Hachiwari Soba (八割そば) is made from 80% buckwheat flour and 20% wheat flour. Hachi-wari means 80% in Japanese. The noodle is much smoother and has an al dente texture. Unlike Ju-wari Soba, it’s easy to swallow and chew. However, the buckwheat aroma is less than that of Ju-wari. Hachiwari soba is also known as Nihachi Soba (二八そば)—ni (two) and hachi (eight) for the ratio.
It’s hard to say which soba is tastier as it really is up to personal preferences.
Ingredients for Soba Noodle Salad
Here’s what you’ll need to make Soba Noodle Salad:
- Soba noodles
- Green onions
- Cilantro
- Toasted 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
- Blanched Broccoli or a handful of arugula
- 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 out very quickly. If you’re serving other dishes, make sure other dishes are also ready to go.
- Remove any starch by draining the noodles well and running them under cold water. Soba noodles will keep better without starch.
- Toss everything together when you are ready to serve, or else soba noodles will absorb the dressing and become soggy. 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. Make 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)
- 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 be sizzling but do not burn the chili flakes. If you smell something burnt, the heat is too strong or you are cooking for too long. Remove from the heat and let cool for 1–2 minutes.
- Add 3 Tbsp honey and whisk well until the honey has completely dissolved. Tip: Don't add the soy sauce first as it will splatter.
- Add 3 Tbsp soy sauce to the mixture and whisk it all together. Set aside.
To Make the Salad
- Cook 7 oz dried soba noodles (buckwheat noodles), stirring once in a while, according to the package instructions, but make sure they are al dente.
- Meanwhile, thinly slice 2 green onions/scallions.
- Discard the stems of 1 handful cilantro (coriander) and chop the leafy parts into small pieces.
- Drain into a colander and rinse the soba noodles under cold running water. This important step removes the excess starch from the noodles and stops the cooking.
- Drain well and transfer to a large bowl. Pour the cooled dressing over the soba noodles.
- Add the green onions, cilantro, and 1 Tbsp toasted white sesame seeds to the bowl with the soba 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, you can 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.
I have recently begun to make Japanese dishes and am a complete amateur
Having said that as a white 6 footer with a healthy appetite i am having trouble adjusting to portion sizes in your recipes. More 2 or four portions in lieu of 8v10v12 etc. When i attempt to reduce the recipe it does not work that well. Any suggestions?
Hi John! I don’t use typical Japanese portion as it will end up too little for majority of Americans. So for example, this recipe’s serving size is 4. This is categorized as “salad” which is not a main dish in a typical Japanese meal. Kind of like a small bowl on the size kinda thing. We do not eat just noodles only unless it’s a main dish noodle dish. Does this help?
Hello Nami!
What a great salad and loved the dressing!
I was looking for a sashimi salad recipe, but found this instead!
I added fresh maguro slices on top and it was delish!
Also added chunks of broccoli, grape tomatoes and red onion with the cilantro, and the flavors worked really with the dressing! Threw in some chopped peanuts, too!
I love your recipes…so authentic and reminds me of mom, grandma and aunties’ cooking…
Will need to buy your cookbook for myself, son+daughter-in-law as gifts!👍🏽
Hi Ren! Aww thank you so much for your kind feedback. So happy to hear you liked this recipe! Your salad sounds delicious!! 🙂
This was a lovely dish! I used potato starch noodles instead of buckwheat noodles because I’m gluten-free (and couldn’t find G-F soba noodles at my local international market) and it was lovely! I made it for 1 serving and felt like I may have put a little too much cilantro–as I had more cilantro left in my bowl after all the noodles were gone–oops… Regardless, a very simple recipe, perfect for a mid-afternoon lunch.
The recipe was also extremely easy to follow, one of the best styles of online recipes I’ve seen. 10/10 would recommend.
Hi Marguerite! Thank you so much for your kind feedback. I’m so glad you enjoyed it with GF noodles! Only if you’re interested, this one is GF soba noodles (100% buckwheat): https://amzn.to/30GKvm4 Thank you again!!
#1 Soba Noodle recipe I love it
Thank you Kyle! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
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This tasted AMAZING!!!!!!!!
1000/10 stars!!!!!!
Hi Alex! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe. Thank you for your kind feedback. 🙂
You mention that you can cook the noodles ahead of time, but “don’t toss them in dressing till ready to serve.” If you simply rinse them well in cold water, and set aside for a couple of hours, won’t they stick together if left alone with no oil? I understand the best way is to make them right before you eat, but, sometimes life happens, and things need to be prepped earlier.
Hi Chris! If you dress the noodles with sauce ahead of time, they soak up all the sauce. So if we need to make ahead of time, Once you add the sauce, I think the noodle will separate even though it’s stick together. 🙂
Tried this on a hot night in Canada. I was skepitcal of the sauce until I mixed it all together. Added in some julienned cucumber and corn since I had it in the fridge. Will be making this again!
Hi Sam! Thank you for your kind feedback. I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe and thanks for trying it! 🙂
Made this for work lunches and it went down a treat! Will definitely be on repeat.
I also added edamame beans for some extra texture and protein 😁.
Hi Rachael! Thank you for trying this recipe and for your kind feedback! I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe! 🙂
Do you think it would be okay to make this recipe a day in advance? Like I make it at night, pop it in the fridge and bring to work for lunch the next day.
Hi Joey! Yeah you can do that, or mix the sauce next day (but prep ahead). It depends on how you like the texture of the noodles and sauce with the noodles. 🙂
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The sauce in this recipe is to DIE for. I literally liked the pan clean after I mixed the rest with the noodles. I didn’t have red pepper flakes, so I used cayenne pepper to taste (maybe 1/4 tsp?). Turned out awesome. This is a new staple for me!
Hi Rachel! Aww thank you so much for trying this recipe and for your kind feedback! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed this sauce! Thanks for sharing a good sub for pepper flakes with us too. 🙂