This Peanut Soba Noodle Salad with Vegetables is a delicious and refreshing salad that is served cold, so it’s great for meal prep lunches! Buckwheat soba noodles are tossed with a flavorful homemade peanut sauce and tons of fresh veggies are mixed in! This recipe is great because you can use whatever veggies you have on hand and you can even use bottled peanut sauce to make this soba noodle salad even easier!
The weather is finally starting to warm up, which makes me crave lots of fresh veggies! This Cold Peanut Soba Noodle Salad is packed with purple cabbage, carrot, red pepper and edamame and then tossed with a flavorful peanut dressing. It’s perfect for the changing of the seasons and will make your body feel good!
What Are Soba Noodles?
Soba noodles are thin Japanese noodles that are made using buckwheat flour. The word Soba is actually Japanese for buckwheat! Despite the name “buckwheat”, soba noodles are completely gluten free and they are a great to use anyway you would use rice noodles. They can be enjoyed warm, in soups or chilled, like in this salad. They have kind of a nutty taste in my opinion, and a nice texture.
Peanut Soba Noodle Salad Recipe Ingredients and Substitutions
- Soba Noodles – I used one 8 oz package of soba noodles. They are really easy to cook and only take about 5 minutes when added to boiling water. If you can’t find soba noodles, rice noodles or regular spaghetti noodles can be substituted.
- Vegetables – I use purple cabbage, red bell pepper, carrot and edamame in this salad. This is one of those recipes where you can add any kind of veggies you like though. Cucumber would be a great addition.
- Peanut Sauce – I used a homemade peanut sauce for this recipe. It looks like there are a lot of ingredients in the peanut sauce, but it’s mostly pantry ingredients that you might already have on hand! You can definitely use a bottled peanut sauce if you like though. Just give it a taste first to make sure it isn’t too spicy for your liking, some bottled sauces can be pretty spicy.
- Optional Garnishes – I garnished my soba noodle salad with extra fresh scallions and cilantro. I also added some fresh limes and toasted sesame seeds. I do add toasted sesame oil to the peanut sauce, so the toasted sesame seeds help tie everything together.
How To Make Cold Peanut Soba Noodle Salad
- Start by preparing your soba noodles. Place a large pot of water over high heat until boiling. Add in your soba noodles, give a quick mix and let cook until tender, just about 5-6 minutes. Drain noodles and rinse them with cold water. Set aside until ready to use.
- Next, make your peanut sauce. Add all peanut sauce ingredients (excluding the water) to a medium sized bowl and mix until combined. Slowly add the water until desired consistency is reached. You want the sauce to be pourable, but still thick enough to coat the noodles and vegetables. Give the peanut sauce a taste and adjust flavors as needed.
- Assemble your salad. To a large bowl, add the cooled soba noodles, purple cabbage, red bell pepper, carrot, edamame, cilantro and scallions. Pour the peanut sauce over everything and mix until completely combined. It’s not the easiest salad to mix up, but you can use tongs, or even your hands, to make it a little easier.
- Each single serving can be garnished with extra fresh herbs and a few teaspoons of toasted sesame seeds. Add a squeeze of fresh lime juice, if desired. Enjoy!
Soba Noodle Salad Recipe Frequently Asked Questions
- Is this recipe gluten free? Yes! Soba noodles are made with buckwheat flour, which is indeed gluten free. If making your own peanut sauce, make sure to use gluten free tamari or soy sauce.
- Is this peanut noodle salad vegan? Yes!
- Can this salad be made ahead of time? Yes, it is a chilled salad, so it’s perfect to make ahead of time.
- Can this soba noodle salad be used for meal prep? This salad is perfect for meal prep lunches because it is meant to be served cold!
- How long will leftovers last in the refrigerator? If stored in an airtight container, they should last about 4-5 days.
Have a question I didn’t answer? Ask me in the comment section below and I will get back to you ASAP!
Looking For More Refreshing Veggie Packed Salad Recipes?
Creamy Southwestern Chopped Cabbage Salad
Lemon Dill Orzo Broccoli Salad
Crunchy Broccoli Salad with Maple Mustard Dressing
PrintPeanut Soba Noodle Salad with Vegetables
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This Peanut Soba Noodle Salad with Vegetables is a delicious and refreshing salad that is served cold, so it’s great for meal prep lunches! Buckwheat soba noodles are tossed with a flavorful homemade peanut sauce and tons of fresh veggies are mixed in! This recipe is great because you can use whatever veggies you have on hand and you can even use bottled peanut sauce to make this soba noodle salad even easier!
Ingredients
- 1 (8 oz) package soba noodles
- 1 large red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1/2 small purple cabbage, thinly sliced or shredded
- 2–3 large carrots, shredded (about 1 cup)
- 1 cup shelled edamame, thawed
- 1/3 cup chopped scallions
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- Toasted sesame seeds for garnish, if desired
Peanut Sauce:
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter, preferably one without added sugar
- 2 cloves garlic, grated
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
- 1 1/2 teaspoons chili sauce, such as sambal oekel
- 1 tablespoon tamari
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
- 3–5 tablespoons warm water, this will depend on how thick your peanut butter is. I used 3 tablespoons.
- Salt, to taste
Instructions
- Start by preparing your soba noodles. Place a large pot of water over high heat until boiling. Add in your soba noodles, give a quick mix and let cook until tender, just about 5-6 minutes. Drain noodles and rinse them with cold water. Set aside until ready to use.
- Next, make your peanut sauce. Add all peanut sauce ingredients (excluding the water) to a medium sized bowl and mix until combined. Slowly add the water until desired consistency is reached. You want the sauce to be pourable, but still thick enough to coat the noodles and vegetables. Give the peanut sauce a taste and adjust flavors as needed.
- Assemble your salad. To a large bowl, add the cooled soba noodles, purple cabbage, red bell pepper, carrot, edamame, cilantro and scallions. Pour the peanut sauce over everything and mix until completely combined. It’s not the easiest salad to mix up, but you can use tongs, or even your hands, to make it a little easier.
- Each single serving can be garnished with extra fresh herbs and a few teaspoons of toasted sesame seeds. Add a squeeze of fresh lime juice, if desired. Enjoy!
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 5 mins
- Category: Lunch, Vegan
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Asian Inspired
kit says
Are their no directions?
T says
No directions?
She Likes Food says
omg, I have no idea how that happened! Just added them back in! Sorry about that!
Jessica Thibodeau says
Another winner! This was one of the best peanut sauces I’ve ever had. I loved the mixture of vegetables. I added snow, peas, and cucumber. Really a fantastic meal. I let my husband take the leftovers for lunch today. Has less face-to-face contact with patients? #garlic