Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. I may earn a small commission for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial, and/or link to any products or services from this website.
This Soba Noodle Salad with Peanut Sauce gives you a flavorful and satisfying option for meal prep or a light dinner in just 20 minutes! You’ll love the chewy soba noodles, fresh vegetables, and peanut sauce in each bite. Vegan, Gluten-Free Option, Nut-Free Option, and Oil-Free Option.
This Cold Soba Noodle Salad with Peanut Sauce packs some serious flavor and fun textures into a simple 20-minute meal. It tosses a mix of feel-good plant-based ingredients, like chewy buckwheat noodles, crisp vegetables, and sesame seeds, in the best tangy and creamy peanut sauce to satisfy any eater (vegan or not!). I know you’ll love making it for meal prep, satisfying lunches, light dinners, and beyond!
Table of Contents
An Explosion of Flavor and Texture
This Vegan Cold Soba Noodle Salad has everything I could possibly want in a quick and easy lunch. Loaded with vibrant and nourishing ingredients that are already in my kitchen? Check. Dressed in a sauce that I want to eat by the spoonful? Check. Ready and on the table in 20 minutes? Check. It’s seriously the perfect lunch!
To make it, I combine chewy soba noodles (AKA buckwheat noodles) with gorgeous and crisp fresh vegetables, toasted sesame seeds, and fresh cilantro, then toss it all in creamy homemade peanut sauce. Every bite feels like a party in my mouth thanks to the mix of amazing flavors and textures.
Try it for lighter weeknight dinners with this Sweet Chili Tofu on the side or for a refreshing summer lunch. You can even make it during your Sunday meal prep because it stays delicious and creamy all week long!
What You Need for Peanut Soba Noodles
This vegan cold soba noodle salad calls for shelf-stable noodles, a mix of fresh veggies, and 8 simple ingredients for the homemade peanut sauce. These are the key items you’ll need:
- Soba Noodles: AKA buckwheat noodles. These brownish-gray Japanese noodles are typically made from buckwheat flour and wheat flour. You can find them in the Asian/International section of most grocery stores and also online.
- Crunchy Vegetables: shredded red cabbage, grated carrots, and sliced cucumber make this salad super refreshing and colorful. Feel free to mix and match the veggies as much as you’d like! Zucchini, green onion, edamame, lima beans, snap peas, or sautéed mushrooms would all be delicious here. Or, to save time, swap the fresh veggies for a store-bought bag of cabbage and carrot slaw.
- Peanut Butter: opt for a very runny and pourable jar of natural peanut butter with only peanuts listed as the ingredient. Avoid any store-bought peanut butters that are made with added sugars, preservatives, or additives of any kind.
- Lime Juice: a good amount of freshly squeezed lime juice in the peanut sauce brightens it up. If you love the zippy citrus flavor, add 1 or 2 teaspoons of lime zest, too!
- Soy Sauce: its salty, umami punch makes the peanut sauce seriously addictive. Feel free to use tamari as a substitute if you’re gluten-free.
- Fresh Ginger: because nothing beats the fresh and almost spicy kick from freshly grated ginger!
How to Make a Vegetarian Soba Noodle Salad
- Cook the soba noodles according to package instructions. Drain the water and rinse them under cold running water until cool. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, whisk the peanut sauce ingredients together in a small bowl until smooth.
- Add the cooked noodles to a large bowl along with half of the peanut sauce, then toss to coat. Add the vegetables, cilantro, and remaining sauce. Toss again until everything is evenly distributed.
- Top the salad with sesame seeds and serve it right away or store it in the fridge for later. Enjoy!
Caitlin’s Cooking Tips
- Make a double batch of peanut sauce: If you plan on making this cold noodle salad for your weekday lunches, make sure you double up on the creamy peanut sauce. Pack it on the side of the salad, then drizzle some over top just before serving to make every bite extra flavorful and creamy!
- Chill the salad before serving: If you can resist digging into the salad when it’s ready, I highly recommend popping it in the fridge for at least 15 minutes before serving. This gives the noodles time to soak in the peanut sauce and the flavors time to combine, making every bite even more delicious.
Serving Suggestions
I love making this cold noodle salad for meal prep and eating it throughout the week for lunch. It’s pretty satisfying on its own, or you can pair it with this Smashed Cucumber Salad with Edamame or these Vegan Summer Rolls with Braised Tofu for an extra filling meal.
Too hot to cook an extravagant meal? This cooling salad is perfect for light and refreshing summer dinners. It never hurts to pair it with a side of this Thai-Inspired Salad with Tempeh and a cold glass of Peach Bubble Tea to wash it all down.
If you’re looking for more delicious vegan salad recipes, you’ll also love this Southwest Quinoa Salad, this Dilly White Bean Cucumber Salad, and this Cooked Ramen Noodle Salad with Kimchi!
How to Store Noodle Salad
The leftover soba noodle salad can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. For meal prep, I like to portion the salad into individual glass mason jars or Tupperware containers with tight-fitting lids. They’re easy to grab and eat straight from the fridge this way!
The noodles will absorb some of the sauce, and the consistency of the sauce will stiffen a bit as it’s chilled. If you like your salad extra saucy, I’d recommend making a second batch of sauce to drizzle over the leftovers right before serving.
I do not recommend freezing the salad because the noodles and vegetables will be very soggy after thawing.
Substitutions and Variations
- Gluten-Free Option: Make sure you are using soba noodles made from 100% buckwheat flour (not a buckwheat and wheat blend). Also, replace the soy sauce with tamari in the peanut sauce.
- Nut-Free Option: Replace the peanut butter with tahini in the peanut sauce. If you’re only allergic to peanuts, you can substitute the peanut butter with almond butter as well.
- Oil-Free Option: Simply omit the sesame oil from the peanut sauce.
- Optional Protein Boost: Turn this cold salad into a filling main dish by making it with 1 cup of steamed and cooled shelled edamame, or serving it with a batch of my Crispy Tofu or my Baked Tempeh. Even this Stovetop Peanut Tempeh would work if you like it extra saucy!
- Spicy Peanut Dressing: The ginger adds a little bit of heat to the peanut sauce, but for an even spicier peanut dressing, stir in sriracha, chili paste, or chili flakes to taste.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, soba noodles are vegan-friendly since they’re primarily made from buckwheat flour, water, and wheat flour.
Both soba and udon noodles come from Japan but aren’t quite the same. Soba noodles are darker in color (typically brown/gray) and have a strong nutty-earthy flavor. Udon noodles are mild in flavor and have a wider and thicker shape. For more in-depth information on the differences, check out this article.
If you can’t find soba noodles, you can substitute almost any other noodle, like bowtie pasta, rice noodles, spaghetti noodles, etc.
Enjoy! If you make this recipe and decide to share it on Facebook or Instagram, don’t forget to tag me @FromMyBowl + #FromMyBowl! I would also love it if you could leave a comment below with a recipe rating! Thank you for the support 😊
Soba Noodle Salad with Peanut Sauce
Ingredients
For the Salad:
- 8 ounces soba noodles*
- 3 cups shredded red cabbage (about 1/4 head)
- 2 carrots finely sliced or grated
- 1/2 English cucumber thinly sliced
- 2/3 cup cilantro chopped
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds for topping (optional)
For the Sauce:
- 1/2 cup natural creamy peanut butter
- 3 tablespoons lime juice about 1 large lime
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 1/2 tablespoon ginger finely grated
- 1 teaspoon sugar or maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil optional
- 1/4 cup warm water, plus more as necessary
Instructions
- Cook the Noodles: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the soba noodles and cook according to package instructions, usually 4 to 5 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. Drain the noodles and rinse with cold water until completely cooled. Set Aside.
- Make the Peanut Sauce: While you are cooking the noodles, add the peanut butter, lime juice, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, sugar, sesame oil, and warm water to a small bowl. Whisk well; the mixture should turn clumpy at first, and then smooth out to a lighter, creamy sauce. If needed, add additional water in 1 tablespoon increments until the sauce reaches your desired consistency.
- Combine: Add the cooked noodles to a large bowl along with half of the peanut sauce. Use tongs to mix well; this prevents the noodles from sticking. Then, add the cabbage, carrot, cucumber, cilantro, and remaining peanut sauce. Use tongs to mix well, until everything is evenly distributed.
- Serve: Top with sesame seeds and serve immediately, or place in the fridge for 15 minutes to serve chilled. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Recipe Notes
- Gluten-Free: If you are gluten-free, look for soba noodles (also known as buckwheat noodles) that are 100% from buckwheat flour and not a wheat & buckwheat blend. Additionally, use a gluten-free soy sauce or tamari.
- Nut Allergy: replace the peanut butter with tahini for a similar flavor! If you are only allergic to peanuts you can substitute it with almond butter as well.
Nutrition
This recipe is also part of my monthly collaboration with my friends Jasmine and Chris of Sweet Simple Vegan. Be sure to check out their recipes for a Rainbow Pesto Hummus Sandwich and Ramen Noodle Stir Fry!
Thanks for this delicious sounding recipe. I have all the ingredients and was interested in the oil-free option. But when I read that it meant omiting the sesame oil I was a bit disappointed since all the butters (peanut, almond, or sesame tahini) all are naturally loaded with oil. I was hoping there was a workaround.
Then I thought of peanut butter powder. Can you think of a way to incorporate it in the dressing to get the flavor without the oil? Would it mix with just water?
I have a digestive issue and need to reduce fats in my diet.
Thank you for any help you can give me. I would love to try this salad.
I think you can probably make this with the peanut butter powder, just by subbing the same amount of prepared peanut butter. It might not taste the exact same with less fat, but I think it would still be great!
Yum! I can’t wait to make this soon!
Hope you enjoy!
Every bite is an explosion of flavour and textures!
So happy to hear that, Kate 🙂
Loved it! Quick and easy to make, and more importantly, it was delicious. I will 100% make it again.
Glad you loved it, Lucia!
I made mine without the cabbage or cilantro because I didn’t have any in the fridge. Still, it’s delicious and will be great to take to lunch at work this week! maybe I’ll add a little diced tofu too. Easy and delicious!
Happy it worked out and you enjoyed it, Heather! Thank you so much.
Super delicious and it comes together very quickly! I did leave out the cilantro as I’m not a fan, but great recipe altogether. I will try with tofu next time!
Thank you so much, Petra!
This is so good!! Subbed almond butter for the peanut butter since I’m not a fan of peanuts and it was the best! Such a fresh salad and so nice to make ahead and just have in the fridge ready to go!
Thank you, Maria!
Quick to make, and so delicious! I added edamame for some extra protein, and that hit the spot. Highly recommend!
Love the addition of edamame! Thanks Hanna
So easy, so tasty! i will make this again and again. I made the full recipe and shared it with a friend and she gave it 5 stars too!
Wow! Thank you for sharing it, Rebecca! Glad to know you both enjoyed it!
Quick, easy with lots of great flavors. It truly took the 20 mins it said it would. We will definitely make it again!
So happy you enjoyed it, Chris!
I made this on the weekend and have been enjoying it for lunch everyday at work this week. It was very quick to make, especially since I used a bag of broccoli/cabbage/carrot slaw instead to chopping up all the veggies. I added the tofu, as suggested. Delicious and filling!
Happy to know you enjoyed it, Nic!
Quick, simple and delicious! Everything you want from a recipe.
Thank you, Kathryn!
I didn’t have any red cabbage but had some green so substituted that – it ISN’T as colorful, but tasted just as good! (I added red onion for color!) I love noodles with peanut sauce and this iteration is just perfect!
Thanks Doug! Green cabbage sounds like the perfect sub, and I love that you added some red onion too
So delicious! One of my favorite meals that comes together so quickly.
Thanks Kristine! 🙂
This recipe came recommended at the perfect time when I was wanting to make something different for lunches this week whilst using up some produce that I got a couple weeks ago in our local CSA farm share. Rather than making a special trip to the grocery store, I was able to use things I already had, such as Japanese ramen noodles (made with wheat flour), 4 rainbow carrots, and 1 daikon radish. No cabbage or cucumber simply because I didn’t have them (hence the extra carrots added), and no cilantro because my husband detests it. We absolutely loved the textures and flavor, not to mention how easy this was to make! Definitely adding this one to our recipe binder 🙂
Happy you loved it!