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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!
This recipe is amazing!! I had to use rice noodles instead (I come from a small town in Australia and could find soba noodles) and I also added your crispy tofu and it was such an amazing combo
Thanks so much, so glad you liked it! Good one for improvising on the noodles!
I just made this and it is so delicious! I didn’t have soba noodles, but I had some chick pea rotini so I used that instead. I also added some chopped scallions and red pepper flakes. sooooo goood! Thanks for this recipe Caitlin!
Love that idea, Jeff!
Can’t wait to make this! If I made this on a Sunday evening for meal prep for lunches, how long would it last? Or would it be best to just dress the noodles in the sauce and then add the veges each day?
I would dress the Noodles in about half of the sauce to prevent sticking, and then top with the remaining sauce on the day of 🙂
The soba noodle salad with peanut sauce was AMAZING! Thank you!!! This has become one of my easy dinners to make after work (with cooked chicken added) and to bring as a side dish to an event.
I love this recipe, it is so so delicious and so healthy! Have made it four times now, so good for lunches during the week. Thank you!
Amazing! Thanks for the review, Frances!
I love love looove peanut sauce, and probably would eat it more often if it wasn’t for the fat in the peanut butter. Instead of peanut butter, I used PB2, It was delish, the lime and cilantro really brought everything together. thank you!
I couldn’t find Soba noodles so I used olf fashioned Bowtie pasta, came out great!
Glad to hear it, Bethany!
Can’t find a gf soba and wondering if it would taste good with rice noodles?
Yes, though the rice noodles may stick together with time.
My boyfriend and I LOVE this recipe! It is so simple and the sauce is amazing—I have also made the sauce a little thicker and used it as a dip for summer rolls, and it was perfect!
So glad to hear that, Jane!
Super yummy dressing! I added a little sesame chili oil to it, because I like spicy. So good! I also added some sauteed shiitake mushrooms and shelled edamame to the veggies for a filling main dish. I will make this again and again. Thank you!
Could I replace the peanut sauce with something else like almond butter, or is there something else you would recommend because I haven’t been blessed with the taste buds to like anything peanut related
Yes, almond butter will work great!
A must-try! WOW—this has become a meal prep go-to in my house for myself and my non-vegan boyfriend, and a friend of mine has started making this regularly as well! It’s ALWAYS so good and can easily be modified for whatever you have on hand.
4/5 stars. I made this without the soba noodles and cilantro, because I didn’t have them on hand. One thing I think I did wrong is add too much water to the dressing, you definitely need to keep it thicker to dress the veggies nicely. I had a lot of watery dressing on the bottom of my bowl. If I had to change one thing, it would be to leave out the cucumbers. They cucumbers got soggy by the next day. I’d recommend something hearty like a bell pepper instead.
Overall, thanks so much for your creative recipes! I really enjoy your site.
So, so, SOOOO good!
Being vegetarian (and not having any coconut sugar hehe) I tried the dressing with a teaspoon of honey! It tasted a-m-a-z-i-n-g. Still can’t get over how delicious yet easy this dish is! I also added in some red onion to the salad!! Such a versatile recipe, will defs make it again.
Loving this! I am exploring veganism for the first time and should have no problem with tasty recipes like these (plus Thai/Vietnamese noodle salads are one of my favorite foods ever). This is delicious and I’m looking forward to my next 2 days of lunch! Thank you for easy, affordable, and delicious recipes!
I appreciate that your blog introductions are not five miles long, talking about every single event that led to the creation of the recipe. Your intros are quick, informative, and to the point, which I love!
This soba noodle salad is excellent! Next time, I think I’m going to add more greens such as lettuce or kale, because I love my veggies! Personally, I love lime so I used two ? Absolutely simple and delicious! Caitlin is the queen of salad dressings ??
Thank you Claire! I loooove lime too 😉 If you want to really amp up the flavor you could also add some lime zest to the dressing! And hey, the more veggies the better in my opinion 😀
One of the most unique and delicious meals I’ve ever had! The flavors of cilantro, lime, and peanut butter pulled together were incredible. I enjoy making Caitlin’s recipes because they are quick and easy, but taste like they are from a 5 star restaurant. I am a medical student and health is my priority, so I am constantly on the look out for nutrient dense vegan meals and Caitlin’s recipes all pass the test. If you want the jackpot of recipes, make sure to buy her new e-book!
Thank you so much Whitney! I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe 🙂
This recipe was DEVINE. The flavors and the textures really complimented each other, not to mention, it was very easy to look at. Made a batch as part of my meal prep this week and it was a welcomed addition. Thanks for a great recipe, Caitlin!
So glad you enjoyed it Jenni! 🙂
If I use ginger powder instead how much should I use?
I would start with 1/2 teaspoon, then add more to taste
Oh WOW this was freakin’ DELICIOUS! I ate this for three days straight and am still loving it! I think the lime really makes this recipe, because it adds an extra depth to the dressing. I didn’t have red cabbage, but used Chinese cabbage instead, which worked really nicely in this salad. It’s a super light meal but at the same time really filling, which I love. Thanks for the inspiration and this great recipe!
I’ve been watching you channel/following you for over a year now and never ever commented, but this time I had to! Haha
Keep up the great work! Best wishes from Weimar, Germany 🙂
This is such a great review! Thank you so much Laura, I really appreciate it 🙂 I agree that the lime makes the dressing!
Oh goodness, I don’t know if I can do ANY leftovers cold. Chilled roasted vegetables and even certain curries taste pretty decent, but I need to have everything else warmed! I actually do like the taste of cake out of the freezer sometimes XD anyways, soba noodle salads are definitely something I enjoy cold, especially buckwheat soba (which sounds really tasty right now)! This looks so delicious, and I was really shocked as to how high in protein buckwheat soba noodles are! It’s amazing!