Description
This Cold Soba Noodle Salad is a refreshing and vibrant dish perfect for a light summer meal. Featuring buckwheat soba noodles or gluten-free rice noodles, crisp vegetables like bell peppers, carrots, zucchini, and green onions, all tossed in a flavorful sesame lime ginger dressing with a hint of heat. This vegan, gluten-free, and optionally soy-free salad can be garnished with sesame seeds and nuts for added texture and flavor.
Ingredients
Sesame Lime Ginger Dressing:
- Juice of half a lime (use whole lime if small or less juicy)
- 1 tbsp minced ginger
- 1 tsp sesame oil, plus more for coating noodles
- 1.5 tbsp soy sauce (use tamari for gluten-free, coconut aminos for soy-free)
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1.5 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tsp Asian chile sauce (sambal oelek), or sriracha or other hot sauce to taste
Noodle Salad:
- 7 to 8 oz soba noodles (use pure buckwheat soba or rice noodles for gluten-free)
- 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 cup sliced carrots
- 6 or 7 green onions, green parts chopped and divided
- 1 zucchini or cucumber, thinly sliced
- Sesame seeds for garnish (optional)
- Green onion, cilantro or mint (optional) for garnish
- Crushed roasted peanuts or cashews (optional) for garnish
- Optional additions: edamame, baked tofu, other crunchy veggies, etc.
Instructions
- Prepare the Dressing: In a bowl, mix together the lime juice, minced ginger, sesame oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, maple syrup, and Asian chile sauce. Taste and adjust for sweetness, heat, and tanginess. Chill the dressing for 15 minutes to allow flavors to meld.
- Cook the Noodles: Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the soba noodles according to the package instructions, typically simmering for 4 to 5 minutes for wheat and buckwheat soba. Once cooked, drain the noodles and rinse them thoroughly with cold water to stop the cooking process and cool them down.
- Toss Noodles with Oil: Place the cooled noodles in a bowl, add a teaspoon of sesame oil, and toss well to coat the noodles evenly. This prevents them from sticking together.
- Add Vegetables: Add the thinly sliced red bell pepper, carrots, zucchini or cucumber, and half of the chopped green onions into the bowl with the noodles. Mix gently to combine.
- Dress the Salad: Pour the chilled sesame lime ginger dressing over the noodle and vegetable mixture. Toss thoroughly to ensure all ingredients are well coated with the dressing.
- Adjust Flavor: Taste the salad and adjust seasoning as necessary by adding salt or additional soy sauce for saltiness, more sweetener if desired, or extra lime or rice vinegar for tanginess.
- Garnish and Chill: Garnish the salad with the remaining green onions, sesame seeds, crushed nuts, and optionally cilantro or mint. Chill the salad before serving for at least 30 minutes to enhance the flavors and serve cold.
Notes
- This recipe is vegan, gluten-free if using pure buckwheat or rice noodles, and can be made soy-free by substituting soy sauce with coconut aminos.
- You can add protein like edamame or baked tofu to make it more filling.
- Adjust the heat level by varying the amount of Asian chile sauce or substitute with any preferred hot sauce.
- Make sure to rinse noodles with cold water after cooking to stop the cooking process and keep them from sticking.
- Use freshly squeezed lime juice for the best flavor in the dressing.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Main Course, Side
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Asian
