Korean Soba Noodle Salad with Sesame Recipe
A light yet filling salad with buckwheat soba noodles, crunchy vegetables, and an aromatic sesame–soy dressing. It’s a bit like an Asian stir-fry noodle dish, but served cold or at room temperature. Perfect as a work lunch or a dinner on a warm day.
This salad combines the nutty flavor of buckwheat soba with a fragrant sesame–soy dressing and crunchy vegetables, giving you a balanced meal that’s light but satisfying. It’s easy to pack, tastes great cold, and keeps its texture well, making it ideal for meal prep.
Chef's tips
Rinse the soba thoroughly after cooking to remove excess starch and prevent the noodles from sticking together. If you’re making the salad ahead, you can toss the noodles with a teaspoon of sesame oil before adding the vegetables and dressing so they stay loose. Adjust the saltiness by choosing low-sodium soy sauce if needed.
How to serve
Serve in deep bowls, topped with extra toasted sesame and a few fresh cucumber slices. You can add a wedge of lime on the side for squeezing over just before eating. For a more substantial meal, serve with a small bowl of miso soup or a simple seaweed salad.
Ingredients
- soba noodles - 200 g
- cucumber - 1 piece
- bell pepper - 0.5 pieces
- carrot - 1 piece
- tofu - 150 g
- sesame seeds - 10 g
- soy sauce - 30 ml
- rice vinegar - 20 ml
- sesame oil - 10 ml
- honey - 10 g
- garlic - 1 clove
- spring onion - 2 pieces
Preparation
- Cook the soba noodles according to the package instructions, usually 4–6 minutes in salted water. Once cooked, drain, rinse under cold water to stop the cooking, and drain very well.
- Slice the cucumber into thin half-moons or matchsticks. Cut the bell pepper into thin strips. Peel the carrot and grate it on a coarse grater or cut into thin matchsticks.
- Cut the tofu into cubes of about 1.5 cm. If you use firm tofu, you can briefly pan-fry it in a little oil until lightly golden; smoked tofu can be added straight in.
- Slice the spring onion. Toast the sesame seeds in a dry pan over low heat for 2–3 minutes, stirring often, until fragrant and lightly golden.
- In a small bowl, mix the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, honey, and finely chopped garlic. Stir until the honey dissolves.
- In a large bowl, combine the noodles, vegetables, tofu, and most of the spring onion. Pour in the dressing and gently toss, preferably with gloved hands or tongs so the noodles don’t break.
- Sprinkle the salad with the toasted sesame seeds and the remaining spring onion. Set aside for 5–10 minutes to let the flavors meld, then serve at room temperature or slightly chilled.
Storage
Sałatka dobrze znosi przechowywanie w lodówce, ale makaron może lekko wchłonąć sos. Przed podaniem możesz dodać odrobinę wody, sosu sojowego i oleju sezamowego, żeby ją „odświeżyć”.
