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 flavors, this salad is a true favorite of mine.
Table of Contents
What Are Soba Noodles?
Soba noodles are a type of Japanese noodles made of buckwheat, which has a completely different flavor and texture compared to the popular ramen noodles and udon noodles. Soba are often served cold such as Zaru Soba, room temperature, or in hot soup such as Soba Noodle Soup.
In Japan, we have different kinds of soba noodles depending on the percentage of buckwheat used in making the noodles.
100% vs. 80% Buckwheat Flour
Ju-wari 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.
Hachi-wari 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 with an al dente texture. Unlike Ju-wari Soba, it’s easy to swallow and chew. However, the buckwheat aroma is less than Ju-wari.
It’s hard to say which soba is tastier as it really is up to personal preferences.
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. It is definitely healthier than udon or ramen noodles 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) that is made of 100% buckwheat flour. In the US, you can find some of the common brands like Hakubaku Organic Soba or Eden Foods Soba (100% buckwheat; gluten-free) available online or at your local grocery stores.
👉🏻 Learn more about soba, including its origin and nutrition on my pantry page.
How to Make Soba Noodle Salad
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Soba noodles
- Green onions
- Cilantro
- Toasted sesame seeds
- Dressing: neutral-tasting oil, roasted sesame oil, red pepper flakes (optional), honey, and soy sauce (or tamari)
This Soba Noodle Salad recipe is the perfect blank slate for customization.
For substance, feel free to add in 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 pickled cucumber
- Blanched broccoli or a handful of arugula
- Hard-boiled egg or ramen eggs
- Shredded leftover chicken
- Grilled tofu
A Few Quick Tips
- Soba noodles cook a lot faster than spaghetti pasta, so this noodle salad is ready in a very short time. It’s important to drain the noodles well and run them under cold running water. This helps to remove any starch from the noodles.
- You can prepare the dressing ahead of time, but toss everything together when you are ready to serve, or else soba noodles will absorb the dressing and become soggy.
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.
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. Alternatively, you can put these ingredients in a small microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 3 minutes. Set aside to let it cool a bit; be careful while handling as it‘ll get very hot.
- Add 3 Tbsp honey and 3 Tbsp soy sauce to the oil mixture.
- Whisk it all together until the honey has completely dissolved.
To Make the Salad
- Bring water to a boil in a large pot (you do not need to salt the water). Cook the soba noodles according to the package instructions, but make sure they are al dente. 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.
- Thinly slice 2 green onions/scallions and chop 1 handful cilantro (coriander) into small pieces.
- Add the dressing, green onions, cilantro, and 1 Tbsp toasted white sesame seeds to the bowl with the soba noodles.
- Toss everything together. Transfer to a serving bowl or plate. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
To Serve
- 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 loved this recipe! It really saved me from myself the other night when I had no idea what to make and I hadn’t started any rice earlier in the day.
It’s really reminiscent of dandan noodles–I loved the sesame flavor! I think next time I’m going to try adding some homemade la-yu chili oil (https://www.justonecookbook.com/homemade-la-yu/)
As always THANK YOU NAMI for the delicious recipes! Can’t wait to see what comes out of your newly remodeled kitchen
Hi John! Thank you so much for trying Nami’s recipe and for your kind feedback!
Nami and all of us at JOC are so happy to hear that this recipe was easy and quick to prepare! 😃
update: even better with chile oil! SO said it was one of her favorite noodle recipes ever and tasted like Din Tai Fung’s spicy sesame noodles!! (also added cucumber and bell pepper since I was tragicaclly out of green onions)
Excellent recipe! I tweaked it for my own tastes: reduced both honey and sesame oil from 3 to 2 tablespoons, but added 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar for acid. Also, instead of black sesame seeds and chili flakes I used 2 teaspoons of shichimi togarashi.
Hi Roger! Thank you so much for trying Nami’s recipe and sharing your experience with us.
We are glad to hear you enjoyed the Soba Noodle Salad. Happy Cooking!
Hi, I would just like to ask whether this would work well with egg noodles?
Hello, Salma! Thank you so much for taking the time to read Nami’s post and try her recipe!
We apologize for the delay in responding to your question. Somehow we missed it.
You may have already tried it, but egg noodles should also work. Feel free to season with extra salt or soy sauce if desired.
Hi Nami!
our family absolutely loves this recipe, and it’s so great that it’s so quick and easy. Can you suggest some protein sides for this? I’ve served this with seared tuna before, just simply seared with a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper.
maybe some gently baked salmon? Scallops or kani? Any suggestions? I don’t think it would make a good combo with chicken or beef but maybe I’m wrong
PS usually, I use a vegetable peeler to make ribbons of carrot, and in the last minute of boiling the soba I throw in the carrot and some kale to sneak in some extra vegetables for my family to eat
Hi Raymond! Thank you for trying Nami’s recipe and for your kind feedback!
Adding ribbons of carrot and kale adds color to the dish and is well-balanced. Thank you for sharing your idea! 🙂
As for a protein dish, how about…
Grilled Mackerel (Saba Shioyaki) 鯖の塩焼き:https://www.justonecookbook.com/grilled-mackerel-saba-shioyaki/
Shio Koji Salmon 塩麹サーモン:https://www.justonecookbook.com/shio-koji-salmon/
Salmon in Foil (Video) 鮭のホイル焼き:https://www.justonecookbook.com/salmon-foil/
Seared Scallops:https://www.justonecookbook.com/seared-scallops/
We hope this is helpful!
I served it recently with tamagoyaki (https://www.justonecookbook.com/japanese-sweet-rolled-omelet/) and it was great! Made for an easy pantry meal.
What would you suggest for a pot luck luncheon for thirty people? I will make spam musubi and others will bring dishes. I love soba with the dashi. Would it be better to use this dressing rather than the traditional dashi? I love all your recipes, especially the sukiyaki recipe. My husband and son love it as better than the recipe from my mom. That is saying a lot as she was a great Japanese cook. Thank you!
PS to clarify, I would also like to serve/make soba but can’t decide between the dashi and this dressing.
Bonjour Namiko,
Je te félicite pour ton blog car depuis presque 1 ans je m’endore en te lisant et en cherchant une recette pour le jour suivant ou les prochaines semaines avec les aubaines du marché. J’avais déjà fait des nouilles SOBA selon une émission avec (feu Antony Bourdin) c’était bien. Mais ta vinaigrette pour tremper les nouilles est vraiment imbattable. J’utilise toujours du sirop d’érable pour balancer car je suis QUÉBÉCOISE et que j’adore le sirop. Je pense que tu m’as convaincu d’essayer les spaghetti aux Ketchup.
Merci pour ton grand dévouement et de ta générositée. Bravo à tous.
Bien à vous xx
Personnellement je ne met pas d’huile à chauffer avec flocons de piments. Je met une bonne huile de sésame et du srirasha…
Il fait tellement chaud en juillet que je me tiens loin des fourneaux 😀😘
Hi Joanne, Thank you very much for trying Nami’s recipe and sharing your cooking experience with us!
Nami and JOC team are so happy to hear it worked out well and you enjoyed the Soba Noodle Salad. Merci!🙂
Hi Nami! I love this recipe but every time I heat the oil and red pepper flakes it comes out smelling a bit like burnt popcorn. It still tastes good, but is this a sign that I am overcooking it? If so, do you recommend lowering the heat, the cook time, or both?
Hi Melissa! Thank you very much for trying Nami’s recipe!
Would you please lower the heat next time? It just needs to infuse the oil, so it shouldn’t smell burnt.😉
We hope this helps!
I made this recipe tonight for a party and everybody loved it! It is so good. Every recipe I have tried from this site has such a perfect flavor combination. Thank you so much for sharing these wonderful recipes with the world.
Hi M.C.! Nami and all of us at JOC are so glad to hear that you’ve been enjoying the recipes and everything else that we share. It means so much to us.
Thank you very much for trying Nami’s recipes and for your kind feedback!❤️
This dressing is yummy. It is light but very tasty and not overpowering. I thought I had soba but ended up being somen and that is what I used. Added julienned cucumber, green onions, and crushed peanuts (bc I love peanuts in my food). Found myself slurping up liquid at the bottom of the bowl. Yummy and I’m making it this weekend for a birthday party. Thanks for a tasty one!
Hi Annie! Aww. Nami and JOC team are so happy to hear you enjoyed the dish!
Thank you very much for trying Nami’s recipe and sharing your cooking experience with us!
We hope you have a great birthday party!🥰
There’s a certain ingredient in many soba noodles, I think it’s a yam or potato product, that makes them come out super rubbery. Does anyone else have that issue? I look for the ones that don’t have that ingredient when I buy soba noodles. . . .
Hi Yosh, Thank you very much for trying Nami’s recipe!
We have never heard of rubbery Soba noodles. Where did you find the noodle?
I was curious about your remark and at the local Japanese grocer today (Yaoya-San in El Cerrito, Calif) I did see several brands of dried soba out of 20 different ones whose ingredients included konnyaku, which would give the noodles that rubbery bounce when chewed. Thanks for the heads up, Yosh.
Hi is this good for bento next day? Do I need to reheat (and how do you suggest best way to reheat) if to pack in bento for school lunch?
Hi Leena! Thank you very much for reading Nami’s post and trying her recipe!
If you pack for a bento, we recommend transferring it from a refrigerator to a thermal container and keeping it very cold.
We hope this helps!
I omitted red pepper and reduced amount of sauce, as we prefer less saucey. Super easy and delicious. Definitely good for busy nights or party. Thank you for sharing!
Hi Mandy! We are glad to hear this recipe was super easy and delicious!
Thank you very much for trying Nami’s recipe and for your kind feedback!🙂
Thank you for sharing this recipe. It’s delicious and so fast to make! I add edamame and like you suggest cucumber. So good.
Hi Selina! Awesome! Thank you very much for trying Nami’s recipe and for your kind feedback!
Hi Nami,
Thanks for sharing such amazing and easy recipes with us. I’ve been eating 100% Soba for some years now since being diagnosed with gluten intolerance. If I would like to pack it for my kids’ lunch box, what’s the best way to pack the soba without it getting all sticky and gooey by lunch time?
Thanks for your help.
Hi Lauren! Thank you very much for reading Nami’s post and trying her recipe!
To prepare this for your lunchtime, you can pack the Soba noodle and sauce separately. Then add/mix the sauce right before eating. Soba noodles will loosen up when adding the sauce. You can also add a bit of oil to Soba before packing to avoid the stickiness.
We hope this works for you!
hi look great- the vide o clips keep going to ads before finished, and don’t return to same recipe – frustration because they look yummy
Hi Simone! Thank you very much for trying Nami’s recipe!
You’re probably talking about the YouTube ads. Unfortunately, we don’t have control of them as we use their platform to share our videos.
We tested with different devices to see any problem, but we did not find any issue today. And we were able to see the whole video.
Please give it a try again. It could be a glitch.