Our Vegan Soba Noodle Salad is a refreshing and healthy meal that uses crunchy spring veggies and plant-based protein combined with a delicious homemade dressing.
This umami-packed salad bowl is the perfect choice for a healthy meal on a sunny day. If you are looking for a lovely appetizer to serve with this salad, check out our Vegan Gyozas. Chewy buckwheat noodles and colorful spring vegetables are definitely one of my favorite combinations when the good weather finally comes.
Our cold noodle salad is gluten-free and vegan which makes it perfect to bring to big gatherings or parties.
We love soba noodles at home. They are healthy and cook really fast which is convenient when you have a busy toddler and a newborn baby. That said, I prefer having buckwheat noodles on cold meals rather than soups. When Spring comes, I make sure we always have some soba noodles ready to go.
The best thing about our Vegan Soba Noodle Salad is that is simple to prepare and delivers delicious umami flavors from the salad dressing or sauce. The homemade sesame-ginger dressing combines perfectly with the chewy noodles and fresh veggies.
Our Soba Noodle Salad is:
- Vegan
- Asian-inspired
- Gluten-free
- Easy to make
- Fresh
- Perfect for Spring and Summer
- Umami-packed
Soba or Buckwheat Noodles
Soba is the Japanese word for buckwheat and Soba Noodles are noodles made from buckwheat flour.
Soba Noodles are gluten-free. Buckwheat flour is made using buckwheat seeds so this type of flour is gluten-free. Soba Noodles should be gluten-free if they are made using 100% buckwheat flour but some are made with a combination of buckwheat flour and regular flour. Make sure you check this information before buying.
Soba Noodles are healthy. This type of noodle contains way more fiber than wheat noodles. They are a good protein source and perfect for people with diabetes as they won't make your blood sugar spike.
How to cook Soba Noodles. This type of noodles takes less time to cook than regular noodles. Following the packet instructions, cook the noodles in unsalted boiling water and set a timer. Soba noodles overcook quite easily so you want to make sure you follow the time given on your packet.
Once cooked, drain the water and rinse with cold water to remove the excess starch. Use your hands to properly rinse the noodles almost like you want to wash them. Once cooled, add some sesame oil to keep them perfect for the salad. I learned how to cook Soba Noodles to perfection following Food52 tips and tricks.
How to make the perfect cold Soba Noodle Salad
Ingredients
Soba Noodles. You can find soba noodles in any Asian supermarket or online. You can choose 100% buckwheat noodles which are gluten-free and healthier or soba noodles which contain a certain amount of regular flour. This last type is easier to work with as they are not so starchy and don't overcook so easily.
Fresh veggies. Our Vegan Soba Noodle Salad is packed with fresh spring and summer veggies such as red cabbage, carrot, cucumber, spring onions, and cilantro. You can add more veggies if you like such as zucchini or Napa cabbage.
Plant-based protein. For this summery vegan salad, we like to use a combination of edamame, smoked tofu, and sesame seeds. You don't need to add them all but we love having protein-packed salads! If you want to add tempeh to this noodle recipe, we recommend trying this Air Fryer Tempeh.
Salad dressing. My favorite part of this recipe is this absolutely delicious salad dressing or sauce. For our sesame-ginger dressing, we use tamari, sesame oil, sesame paste or tahini, ginger, garlic, maple syrup, lime juice, rice vinegar, and five-spice powder.
Step-by-Step Method
- Cook the noodles following the packet instructions. Make sure you check our tips written above.
- Prepare your fresh veggies. Thinly slice the red cabbage, carrot, zucchini, cucumber, and spring onions, and finely chop the cilantro.
- Cut the smoked tofu into thin slices or cubes. If you are using frozen edamame, leave them to thaw at room temperature or leave them in warm water for 5 minutes.
- Prepare the dressing by combining the tamari, sesame oil, sesame paste or tahini, finely chopped or shredded ginger and garlic, maple syrup, freshly squeezed lime juice, and five-spice powder. Mix all the ingredients until evenly combined.
- On a big salad bowl, add the noodles, veggies, edamame, smoked tofu, and salad dressing. Stir using tongs or chopsticks then add the sesame seeds and cilantro on the top. Serve and enjoy!
Soba Noodle Salad Variations
- Change the salad dressing. You can easily change this recipe using a different salad dressing such as a peanut dressing
- Make it spicy. If you love spicy food as much as we do, add some chili sesame oil or sriracha before serving.
- Use a different plant-based protein. We use edamame, sesame seeds, and smoked tofu, but we love making this salad using stir-fried tofu as well.
- Use different noodles. If you don't have soba noodles, our recommendation would be whole wheat rice noodles but you can use other types of noodles that you may already have at home.
- Add more veggies. Other crunchy veggies that go well into this salad are bell peppers, zucchini, green beans, or Napa cabbage.
FAQ and Tips
- Are Soba Noodles healthy? This type of noodle contains way more fiber than wheat noodles. They are a good protein source and perfect for people with diabetes as they won't make your blood sugar spike. They are definitely the perfect choice for a healthy and yummy meal.
- Can this salad be prepped ahead of time? If you want to make this salad ahead of time you can prepare all the veggies, protein, and dressing. Keep them in separate containers so the veggies stay crunchy. Before serving, simply cook the noodles and combine all the ingredients.
- Keep any leftovers in an air-tight container for 1-2 days in the fridge. Before serving, add some extra sesame oil and stir all the ingredients to make sure everything is combined.
Vegan Soba Noodle Salad
Ingredients
Ingredients for the dressing
- 2 tablespoon sesame oil
- 4 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame paste or tahini
- 1 ½ tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
- ½ garlic clove optional
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon five spice
- lime juice from half a lime
Salad ingredients
- 250 g soba noodles 100% buckwheat flour
- ½ small red cabbage
- 3 carrots
- ½ cucumber
- 2 spring onion
- 200 g smoked tofu
- 1 cup frozen edamame
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- A handful fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Prepare the dressing by combining the tamari, sesame oil, sesame paste or tahini, finely chopped or shredded ginger and garlic, maple syrup, freshly squeezed lime juice and five spice powder. Mix all the ingredients until evenly combined.
- Following the packet instructions, cook the noodles in unsalted boiling water and set a timer. Soba noodles overcook quite easily so you want to make sure you follow the time given on your packet.
- Once cooked, drain the water and rinse with cold water to remove the excess starch. Use your hands to properly rinse the noodles almost like you want to wash them. Once cooled, add some sesame oil, stir and set aside.
- Prepare your fresh veggies. Thinly slice the red cabbage, carrot, zucchini, cucumber, and spring onions. Finely chop the cilantro.
- Cut the smoked tofu into thin slices or cubes. If you are using frozen edamame, add them to a small pot of boiling water for 3-4 minutes.
- On a big salad bowl, add the noodles, veggies, edamame, smoked tofu, and salad dressing. Stir using tongs or chopsticks then add the sesame seeds and cilantro on the top.
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Janine says
If I don’t have five spice blend, what do you suggest using otherwise? Or can I leave it out but still have a smooth yet rich enough taste?
Laura says
Hi Janine, five spice is made of cinnamon, fennel, star anise, and cloves. If you have any of those spices, add a pinch to the mixture, if not, simply skip this ingredient, your food will be still really tasty.
Kate says
Just made this. SO good! There was no smoked tofu, so I used some teriyaki baked tofu, and I put about a quarter less soy sauce and maple syrup. Thank you for the recipe. Definitely making this again soon!
Laura says
Thank you Kate, glad you enjoyed the recipe! Teriyaki baked tofu sounds yummy!