This salad is perfect for salad haters. I love all kinds of salads, but I really love cold noodle salads because while they’re cool and full of veggies like regular old salads, they’ve also got…you guessed it…noodles! So they’re really satisfying. I love making a meal of a good vegan noodle salad, especially during the warmer months. I have rice noodle salad recipe that I shared a while back, and it’s still one of my favorite summer dinners! It’s light and refreshing and full of flavor. But today’s noodle salad is even more satisfying because it’s made with hearty buckwheat soba noodles and a peanut dressing. It’s got some edamame in there for protein, but you can absolutely add some extra protein like pan-fried tofu or tempeh.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Soba noodles. Look for these in the international section of your supermarket, or at an Asian market. Use pure buckwheat soba noodles if you need to keep the recipe gluten-free.Peanut butter. Be sure to use natural (runny) peanut butter.Soy sauce. Gluten-free tamari or liquid aminos can be substituted if needed.Lime juice.Maple syrup. Another liquid sweetener such as agave can be substituted if needed.Garlic.Fresh ginger.Water.Red bell pepper. Orange or yellow bell pepper can be substituted.Red cabbage. Green cabbage works too!Carrots.Frozen shelled edamame.Scallions. Also known as green onions!Fresh basil.Fresh cilantro. Feel free to leave this out if you’re not a fan.Sesame seeds.
How It’s Made
The following is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you’d like to skip right to the recipe!
Boil your soba noodles according to the package directions, then drain them into a colander and rinse them under cold water when they’re done. Make sure you let them drain well. Nobody likes a watery noodle salad!While the noodles cook, make your dressing. Whisk the peanut butter, soy sauce, lime juice, maple syrup, garlic and ginger together in a small bowl. Thin the mixture with some water. You want it to be pourable, but still thick and creamy.
Place the noodles in a large mixing bowl, along with all of your veggies and herbs.Add the dressing to the bowl.
Give everything a toss to coat the noodles and veggies.Adjust any of the seasonings as needed, adding more soy sauce, lime juice, and/or maple syrup if needed.
Tip: Be sure to taste-test and make adjustments at this point, even if you already did so with the dressing, because the noodles will absorb and distribute some of the flavors.
Divide the salad onto plates and sprinkle each one with sesame seeds.Enjoy your cold noodle salad immediately, or chill it for later.
Leftovers & Storage
Leftover vegan soba noodle salad will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for about 3 days. The sauce may thicken slightly during storage, so add a splash of water if needed.
More Soba Noodle Recipes
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