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Soba Noodle Salad with julienned cucumber and sesame-ginger scallion sauce is light, refreshing and delicious! It’s the best summer fare for a light vegan lunch or dinner!
Did you know that buckwheat noodles (aka soba) are not related to wheat at all? They’re actually seeds, making them 100% gluten-free while containing a fair amount of fiber and protein. Soba noodles are nutty in flavor and perfect for cold noodle salads!
I love this soba noodle salad’s delicious combination of flavors and textures. It’s a little bit of everything—sweet, spicy, salty, noodly, and refreshing all in one!
I’ve been making this soba salad for years, and it’s always amazing and hits the spot. It’s a super easy recipe to make, and I think you’ll love it as much as I do!
If you love soba noodles, be sure to check out this Soba Noodle Bowl,Soba Noodle Stir Fry,Soba Miso SouporSoba Noodle Soup. They are all quick, easy, and delicious!
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Ingredient Notes
In this cold soba salad recipe, buckwheat noodles are combined with cool and refreshing cucumber noodles and tossed with a flavorful sesame-ginger scallion sauce for a light and delicious vegan lunch or dinner.
Here is everything you will need:
- Soba noodles– My favorite is theseKing Soba Noodlesfrom Amazon (affiliate links).
- Cucumber– Use regular, English, or Persian varieties.
- Cilantro – Adds herbaceousness but can be omitted if you do not care for cilantro.
- Lime – Freshly squeezed lime juice is best.
- Scallions (green onions) – Use the pale green and white parts only.
- Ginger – Fresh ginger is best.
- Sesame seeds– Use white, black, or toasted.
- Rice wine vinegar– Unseasoned is preferred.
- Pure maple syrup
- Toasted sesame oil – You can use regular sesame oil, but it will not be as flavorful as nutty-flavored toasted sesame oil.
- Tamari – Substitute with soy sauce, coconut aminos, or Namo Shoyu.
- Red pepper flakes
How To Make Soba Noodle Salad
This recipe is super easy to make!
- Make sesame-ginger scallion sauce. Whisk together the tamari, rice vinegar, maple syrup, ginger, garlic, scallions, sesame seeds, lime juice, and toasted sesame oil in a small bowl.
- Cook soba noodles. Prepare the buckwheat noodles according to package directions. Depending on the package, they cook up fast in about 6 – 8 minutes.
- Make cucumber noodles. Using a julienne tool, prepare your cucumber ‘noodles’. You can also create ribbons if you prefer.
- Assemble soba salad. In a medium bowl or pot, the noodles are cooked in, combine the noodles, cucumber noodles, 3/4 of the sauce, and cilantro, gently mixing to combine (shown above).
Now the soba salad is ready. Enjoy the flavor sensation!
Top Tips
- Rinse the noodles.Be sure to rinse the soba noodles well after cooking to ensure they cool down and stop cooking. Otherwise, you will have a mushy, unusable mess on your hands!
- Use thin cucumbers.The thinner the cucumber, the easier it is to work with when using a julienne tool, as they will fit the width better. A couple of Persian cucumbers would be great!
- Meal prep:This soba salad is great the next day, making it perfect for meal prep. That’s if you have any leftovers!
Adjusting For Dietary Restrictions
- Oil-Free:Omit the oil in the marinade and use extra tamari, rice vinegar, or water instead. It won’t quite have the same robust toasted sesame flavor, but it will still be delicious!
- Gluten-Free: To keep the marinade gluten-free, use tamari, namo shoyu, or coconut aminos. Make sure to use 100% buckwheat noodles, as some brands contain a combination of wheat and buckwheat flour.
How To Store Leftovers
- Refrigerator:Leftovers can be stored in a covered container for up to 3 – 4 days.
Serving Suggestions
- Temp: Serve soba noodle salad at room temperature or chilled, either way is delicious!
- Soup:To make this meal even heartier, serve withGarlic Miso Soup with GreensorSimple Vegan Pho Broth.
More Asian-Inspired Recipes!
- Thai Crunch Salad
- Spicy Thai Mango Salad
- Black Rice Sushi Bowl
- Vegan Tofu Poke Bowl
If you try this soba noodle salad recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment and rate it below. I love to hear what you think, or any changes you make.
SESAME-GINGER CUCUMBER SOBA NOODLE SALAD
5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star
5 from 11 reviews
Soba Noodle Bowl with cool, refreshing cucumber noodles and 100% buckwheat noodles paired with a sweet and spicy ginger scallion sauce, makes a light and healthy lunch or dinner!
- Author: Julie | The Simple Veganista
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 6 min
- Total Time: 16 minutes
- Yield: Serves 3
- Category: Entree
- Method: boil, mix
- Cuisine: Vegan, Asian
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 package (8 or 9 oz.) soba noodles
- 1 large English cucumber, julienned
- 1/2 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
- lime wedges
Ginger Scallion Sauce
- 3/4 cup scallions (green onions), thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated or minced
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
- 2 – 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar (unseasoned)
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 – 2 tablespoons tamari, soy sauce or Namo Shoyu
- 1 – 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes, to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon sriracha, optional
Instructions
Sauce: In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the sauce and set aside.
Soba noodles: Cook soba noodles according to package. I recommend salting the water well to really bring out the flavor (I would not usually recommend this but if using 100% buckwheat noodles they will benefit from this…at least I think so). Once done, rinse the soba noodles under cool running water to cool them down and stop them from cooking, or they will turn mushy.
Cucumber: In the meantime, prepare your cucumber using a julienne tool. If your cucumber is really long, you can cut it in half before you julienne it if you like. You can also spiralize if you have a spiralizer. Feel free to cut them into 1/4 inch x 1 1/2 inch matchsticks pieces if you don’t have a julienne tool.
Combine: Once noodles are rinsed, return to the pot they cooked in, add the cucumber, cilantro and about 3/4 of the sauce, toss well.
Serve: In a single serving dish, add 1/2 of the noodle mixture, top with 1/2 of the remaining sauce, and salt & pepper to taste. Add as much lime juice as you like. I especially loved the lime and used about 2 juicy ones for myself.
Serve warm or cold.
Serves 3, or 2 generously.
Notes
A serving of cubed tofu pairs well here, adding more protein.
I specify English cucumbers here but 2 – 3 Persian cucumbers will work too. Look for thinner cucumbers as they are the easiest to work with when using a julienne tool.
You can use regular sesame seed oil, but toasted sesame seed oil will yield the most distinct and delicious flavor!
Adjust any ingredient in the sauce to suit your taste.
Oil-Free:Simply omit the oil in the marinade, using extra tamari, rice vinegar or water in its place. It won’t have the same robust toasted sesame flavor, but will still be delicious!
Gluten-Free: For the marinade, stick with tamari, namo shoyu or coconut aminos to keep it GF.
Soba Noodles: You can purchase 100% buckwheat noodles by Eden Buckwheat Noodles or King Soba Noodles from Amazon (affiliate links).
Updated: Soba Noodle Salad was originally published in July 2012. It has been retested and updated with new photos and helpful tips in March 2020. Recipe has stayed the same and is just as delicious as ever!
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