Asian-Style Noodle Salad

This Asian-style noodle salad is made with nutty soba noodles and rainbow of vegetables.  Bursting with Asian flavors, this light, flavorful and healthy side dish is a perfect addition to any BBQ dish!

Refreshing fresh salads, rainbow of fruits and a glass of ice-cold homemade lemonade is an epitome of summer menu. Well, with occasional grilled meats, of course!

I crave light and colorful food on blazing hot days. You too?

Yeah, summer meals are all about vibrant colors and fresh flavors! And I have an irresistibly colorful cold noodle salad for you to add to your summer menu!

It’s basically SUMMER IN A BOWL!!

This Asian-style noodles salad is a celebration of flavors, textures and colors! Perfect for BBQ, lunch, or even as a light dinner.

WHAT IS SOBA NOODLES?

Soba noodles (soba means buckwheat in Japanese), are naturally gluten-free noodles made of buckwheat flour. While it’s called buckwheat, it has no actual relation to wheat.

Buckwheat is rich in nutrients and minerals and will make a healthy addition to your diet. I grew up eating toasted buckwheat groats (kasha), and a few years ago, I tried cold buckwheat noodles while in transit in Japan. I remember it was so light and refreshing! And since then I’ve been obsessed with soba noodles.

100% buckwheat noodles are naturally gluten-free, but I’ve heard that some buckwheat noodles do contain wheat flour. So, just read the labels carefully, if you follow gluten-free diet.

Buckwheat noodles are delicious with nutty, earthy (not dirt-like) flavor.

My husband, who totally loathes buckwheat groats, loves these noodles! Don’t let the weird greyish color turn you off, they’re incredibly flavorful and healthy alternative to regular spaghetti. Grab a packet next time you’re in Asian market, or you can also get it online. (I buy mine on amazon.)

HOW TO COOK SOBA NOODLES:

Buckwheat noodles cook really quick, and overcooked ones are mushy and unappetizing. That’s why it’s important to carefully adhere to cook time and rinse them in cold water right away.

1. Drop soba noodles into a salted boiling water and cook for 5 minutes.
2. Immediately drain and rinse under cold water.

That’s it! It’s that simple!

HOW TO MAKE ASIAN NOODLE SALAD:

Once the noodles are cooked, it’s really easy to throw the noodle salad together.

• Step 1. Slice all the vegetables into thin matchsticks. I like them all nice and thin. Gather everything in a large bowl.
• Step 2. In a 2-cup measuring cup, combine all the sauce ingredients and thoroughly mix.
• Step 3. Toss cooked noodles, vegetables and sauce together and serve. If not serving right away, refrigerate. 

MAKE-AHEAD TIP: You can slice the vegetables and prepare the sauce a day in advance. I suggest to cook the noodles the day you plan on serving it. You can mix the salad a few hours in advance though.

You’ll enjoy all the textures and flavors in this Asian noodle salad. 

• Crisp bites of bell peppers and purple cabbage
• Soft nutty soba noodles
• Hints of fresh cilantro
• And nutty sesame oil is just an icing!!

Please, add this beautiful salad to your summer menu! You’ll love it!!!

If you try this recipe, please share it on your social media and don’t forget to tag me @shineshka (IG). Thank you for stopping by!

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Asian Noodle Salad

This Asian noodle salad is made with nutty soba noodles and rainbow of vegetables.  Bursting with Asian flavors, this light, flavorful and healthy side dish is a perfect addition to any BBQ dish!

Yield: 6-8 servings

Prep Time:20 minutes

Cook Time:5 minutes

Total Time:25 minutes

Ingredients:

For salad:

• 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 cup shredded purple cabbage
• ½ cup shredded carrots
• ½ cup shredded zucchini
• ¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
• 3 green onions, sliced
• 8oz soba noodles

For dressing:

• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoon raw honey
• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons Sriracha, optional

Directions:

1. Prepare the vegetables up to 1 day in advance.
2. To cook soba noodles, bring a large pot of water to a boil.
3. Add noodles and cook for 5-6 minutes. Immediately drain and rinse under cold water to prevent overcooking.
4. To prepare the sauce, while noodles are cooking, in a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, and sriracha, if using.
5. To make the salad, in a large bowl, toss all the vegetables until well combined. Then toss it with buckwheat noodles and the dressing. Serve right away, or refrigerate.

MAKE-AHEAD TIP: You can slice the vegetables and prepare the sauce a day in advance. I suggest to cook the noodles the day you plan on serving it. You can mix the salad a few hours in advance though.

All images and text ©Shinee D. for Sweet & Savory

All photographs and content on Sweet & Savory by Shinee is copyright protected, unless otherwise noted. Please do not use any of my photos without my authorization. If you would like to share my recipe, you may re-write the recipe in your own words, or simply link back to this post for the full directions. Thank you for your cooperation!

This recipe was originally published on June 18, 2014, and last updated on June 22, 2020.