This Cold Soba Noodle Salad with Peanut Sauce is a healthy gluten-free and vegan recipe that is easy to make. It’s loaded with ingredients like cucumber, carrots and red cabbage and topped off with sliced green onions and sesame seeds!

cold soba noodle salad in a bowl with wood chopsticks

What are soba noodles?

Soba noodles are a variety of Japanese noodles made from buckwheat flour, which has an earthy and slightly nutty flavour. They’re commonly used in Asian cuisine to make salads and stir-fries or in soups.

My favourite way to enjoy soba noodles is in salads. (They’re just as delicious cold as they are warm!)

Are soba noodles gluten-free?

Contrary to having “wheat” in its name, buckwheat is actually entirely gluten-free. It’s in fact not even a grain. Buckwheat is considered a seed.  It’s also extremely nutritious and high in vitamins and minerals like magnesium, folate and vitamin B.

Important tip! Many soba noodles you’ll see in stores are NOT 100% buckwheat. Some contain a mix of regular wheat and buckwheat, so these noodles are not gluten-free. Make sure to check the label if they are 100% buckwheat noodles or not.

Cold soba noodle salad ingredients

ingredients for a cold soba noodle salad
  • Soba noodles: The star ingredient! Make sure to look for 100% buckwheat soba noodles for a wheat-free option.
  • Cucumber: I like to spiralize them, but you can slice them or shred them.
  • Red cabbage: Not only is it filled with nutrients but it makes this salad look pretty!
  • Carrots: shredded or sliced works best
  • Green onions: Adds a bit of bite to these noodles
  • Sesame seeds: Make sure to use toasted ones for the best flavour.
  • Peanut butter: Natural or regular peanut butter both work for the sauce.
  • Tamari: You can substitute soy sauce if needed.
  • Rice Vinegar: This gives the sauce some “punch” to it.
  • Maple Syrup: For a hint of sweetness
  • Sesame oil: Don’t replace this with another oil! You want that sesame flavour.
  • Sriracha: This is what makes it a spicy peanut butter sauce!

How to make a cold soba noodle salad

Step 1

Cook the soba noodles according to the package directions. Prepare the peanut butter sauce then and slice, chop and shred the vegetables and add them to a bowl with the soba noodles.

  • A spoon of Thai peanut sauce
  • soba noodles, cabbage, carrots, cucumber, scallions and sesame seeds in a mixing bowl

Step 2

Add the sauce to the salad and mix together to combine. Taste and adjust any seasoning if needed. You can optionally top off this salad with more sesame seeds and fresh cilantro.

  • soba noodle salad mixed together in a mixing bowl
  • two bowls of cold soba noodle salad topped with cilantro and sesame seeds

How to store

Store this soba noodle salad in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days. This salad stores well after it’s been dressed, but can also be stored separately from the peanut sauce.

Tips for making a soba noodle salad

  • Shred the vegetables into small pieces so they can easily be evenly distributed throughout the salad. I like to spiralize the cucumber and slice the carrots with a peeler so they have a long noodle-like shape.
  • Add any veggies you love. Feel free to add in edamame beans, broccoli or any other vegetables you love to this salad.
  • Use toasted sesame seeds. Toasted sesame seeds will have much more flavour than raw sesame seeds. If you only have raw sesame seeds you can lightly toast them before adding them to the salad.
  • If your peanut sauce is too thick, add a touch more water to thin it so it can be mixed in the salad more easily.

Soba noodle salad FAQ

Can I make this recipe with another type of noodles?

Yes! If you prefer you can use rice noodles or vermicelli to make this chilled salad.

Can I prepare soba noodle salad ahead of time?

Yes! This cold soba noodle salad is fantastic to prepare ahead of time for dinner, a barbeque or a potluck since it will keep well for hours. I recommend dressing it right before serving, but it’s still great even if it’s been dressed a couple of hours before serving.

Are soba noodles good for you?

Yes. Soba noodles are made from buckwheat which contains fibre, protein and essential vitamins.

What pairs well with soba?

All the vegetables in this salad pair well with soba noodles, but if you’d like to add anything else to this salad try edamame, bok choy, broccoli, tofu or mushrooms.

More noodle recipes to try

If you tried this Cold Soba Noodle Salad with Peanut Sauce or any other recipe on the blog let me know how you liked it by leaving a comment/rating below! Be sure to follow along on Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook for even more deliciousness!

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cold soba noodle salad in a bowl with wood chopsticks

★★★★★ 5 from 3 reviews
  • Author: Jessica Hoffman
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
  • Category: Main
  • Method: Cook
  • Cuisine: Asian
  • Diet: Gluten Free
Print Recipe

Description

This Soba Noodle Salad with Spicy Peanut Sauce is easy to make and a healthy meal option! 

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 8 ounces soba noodles
  • 1/2 cucumber, spiralized or cut into strips
  • 1 cup cabbage, shredded
  • 1 large carrot, sliced or shredded
  • 2 green onions, chopped
  • 3 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
  • Cilantro to top (optional)

Spicy Peanut Sauce

Instructions

  1. Cook the noodles according to package directions.
  2. While the noodles cook, prepare the peanut sauce by mixing all the sauce ingredients together. 
  3. Once the noodles are cooked, rinse them under room temperature water to slightly cool them down slightly, then add them to a mixing bowl with the rest of the salad ingredients. 
  4. Toss the soba noodle salad and peanut sauce together until combined.
  5. Optionally top with some extra sesame seeds, green onions and cilantro. 

Notes

Try adding any veggies you love to this salad

Store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1/4 of the recipe
  • Calories: 300
  • Sugar: 4g
  • Fat: 11g
  • Carbohydrates: 45g
  • Fiber: 4g
  • Protein: 11g

Keywords: Cold soba salad, cold soba noodle salad, chilled soba noodle salad