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This quick and delicious Cold Soba Noodle Salad is satisfying, rich in veggies, and tossed in a simple peanut sauce. Vegan, Gluten-free, Oil-free option, Nut-free option.
This Soba Noodle Salad is made with chewy buckwheat noodles and crunchy vegetables all tossed together in a creamy, umami-rich peanut sauce. It’s packed with healthy plant-based ingredients, yet guaranteed to satisfy any eater.
Table of Contents
All About this Soba Salad
While I’m known to love a classic kale salad any day of the week, this spin on the traditional lettuce based dish still meets all the requirements of a delicious salad. Crunchy veggies? Check. Flavorful dressing? Check. Served cold? Check.
It’s also equally as quick and easy as your favorite salad – ready in 20 minutes or less with just 11 fresh ingredients.
Try this recipe for lighter weeknight dinners or a refreshing summer lunch. It also makes a great addition to the meal prep rotation as it will keep all week long.
Ingredients for Soba Noodle Salad
In addition to soba noodles you’ll need a mix of crunchy vegetables and 6 simple ingredients to make our homemade peanut dressing. Here are a few key salad components you won’t want to skip:
- Fresh veggies: Crunchy red cabbage, carrots, sliced cucumber, and fresh cilantro are my personal go-to ingredients, but don’t be afraid to switch things up. Zucchini, green onion, edamame, lima beans, snap peas or sautéed mushrooms.
- Peanut butter: Natural, creamy peanut butter is essential. Avoid any store-bought peanut butters that are made with added sugars, preservatives, or additives of any kind. The only ingredients should be peanuts and salt.
- Lime juice: The acidity in fresh lime juice brightens the dressing. For an added flavor boost, add a teaspoon of fresh lime zest, too!
- Soy sauce: Adds an umami, salty component that is addicting. For a lower sodium version try low sodium soy sauce or coconut aminos. For gluten-free, use tamari.
- Ginger: Nothing beats the freshness and spiciness of fresh ginger. For an even spicier peanut dressing add sriracha, chili paste or chili flakes to taste.
How to Make Soba Noodle Salad
- Cook the soba noodles according to package instructions in a large pot of salted, boiling water until tender. Drain, then rinse with cold running water until completely cooled. Set aside.
- Whisk the peanut butter, lime juice, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, sugar, sesame oil, and water together until smooth.
- In a large bowl, toss the cooked noodles with half of the peanut sauce. Add cabbage, carrot, cucumber, cilantro, and remaining sauce. Mix well until evenly distributed.
- Serve immediately at room temperature with sesame seeds or chill in the fridge for 15 minutes and serve chilled.
Caitlin’s Cooking Tips
- Double the peanut sauce for meal prep. If you’re planning on prepping this cold salad for weekday lunches, I recommend preparing a double batch of the creamy peanut sauce. Pack a side of additional peanut sauce with the salad and drizzle overtop just before enjoying. This will keep it flavorful and creamy!
- Use a runny, natural peanut butter. The best natural peanut butter will be pourable and made from just peanuts. If your peanut butter is extra thick, you will likely need additional water to thin the sauce out. This will dilute it’s creamy, nutty flavor but will work in a pinch!
Serving Suggestions
This cold crunchy salad makes the perfect light dinner, satisfying lunch or afternoon snack. Serve alone or with additional sides such as Edamame Salad with Smashed Cucumbers, Vegan Summer Rolls with Braised Tofu, or Creamy Mushroom Dumplings. I’d highly recommend serving with a refreshing beverage such as Peach Bubble Tea (Milk Tea) or an Iced Chamomile Matcha Latte.
If you’re looking for more delicious salad recipes featuring fresh veggies, you’ll also love this Fresh Thai Inspired Salad with Tempeh, this Cooked Ramen Noodle Salad with Kimchi and this Crunchy Ginger Cabbage Slaw Recipe!
How to Store Soba Noodle Salad
Store leftover vegan soba noodle salad in the fridge for up to 5 days. For best preservation, store this salad in airtight containers such as a glass mason jar or Tupperware with a tight fitting lid.
Freezing is not recommended.
Substitutions and Variations
- Gluten-free option: Buckwheat soba noodles are typically gluten-free, but not always. Always read the ingredients before purchasing. To make this recipe gluten-free, you’ll need soba noodles and tamari instead of soy sauce. If you cannot find a gluten-free brand, you may enjoy this similar recipe: Zucchini Noodle Salad with Peanut Sauce.
- Oil-free option: Omit the toasted sesame oil from the homemade peanut sauce.
- Add extra protein: If you’re looking to make this cold soba noodle salad recipe even heartier, I’ve got several options to choose from! Try Easy Baked Tempeh, Baked Sweet Chili Tofu, or the Easiest Crispy Tofu. You can even make my Stovetop Peanut Tempeh for an even saucier salad.
- Peanut butter substitute: If you’re looking for a milder, creamy sauce, try a more neutral nut butter such as almond butter or cashew butter.
Recipe FAQs
Soba and udon noodles are Japanese noodles that share many similarities, yet differ on a few key points. Soba noodles are darker in color (typically brown/gray) and bolder in flavor. Udon noodles are closer in color to Italian pasta but are often wider and thicker. Soba noodles are also usually gluten-free whereas udon is wheat-based. For more in-depth information, check out this article.
If the noodles and veggies are tossed adequately in the sauce they should remain fairly creamy, but you can always make a second batch of sauce to drizzle over top leftovers and make them extra creamy again.
These Japanese noodles are typically found in the Asian/International section of most grocery stores, but you can also purchase them online.
Readers have shared good luck using a variety of noodles, including bowtie pasta, rice noodles, and chickpea rotini.
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!