Cold Soba Noodle Salad with Peanut Sauce

This Cold Soba Noodle Salad with Peanut Sauce is a healthy, gluten-free and vegan recipe that comes together in 20 minutes. It’s made easy to make and a great dish to meal prep. For more noodle salads try this Thai Peanut Noodle Salad next.

If you’re craving something light, fresh, and flavour-packed, this Cold Soba Noodle Salad will hit the spot. It’s made with buckwheat soba noodles, crisp veggies, fresh herbs, and a sesame-soy dressing that’s tangy, nutty, and just a little addictive. This salad has become one of my go-to lunch recipes along with my Southwest Quinoa Salad, Quinoa Edamame Salad and Kale Pasta Caesar Salad.

As a busy mom, I lean hard on meals that are quick to prep, nourishing, and toddler nap–friendly (aka quiet in the kitchen!). What makes this salad extra special is the soba noodles: they cook in minutes and offer a unique nutty flavour you don’t get with rice noodles or spaghetti. Plus, it’s totally versatile, you can load it up with your favourite veggies or toss in some crispy air fryer tofu or edamame for extra protein.

Key Ingredients

• Soba Noodles: These noodles are made from buckwheat making them naturally gluten-free. Just make sure to check the label, as some brands also include wheat flour. If needed you can also use rice noodles like I use in these easy sesame noodles.
• Cucumber: I use a spiralizer to cut the cucumber into “noodle” shapes. You can also just cut the cucumber into rings or chop it into small pieces.

Ways to Modify This Salad

• Peanut-Free: Use sunflower seed butter or tahini in place of peanut butter for a nut-free sauce, or use the sesame dressing recipe from my Thai Crunch Salad.
• High-Protein: Add baked peanut butter tofu, edamame, chickpeas or for a non-vegetarian option chicken or shrimp to boost the protein.
• Veggie-Packed: Toss in bell peppers, snap peas, radishes, or leafy greens like spinach or kale. You can really customize with any veggies you love.

How To Make A Cold Soba Noodle Salad

Step 1: Add the peanut butter sauce ingredients to a mixing bowl.

Step 2: Mix to combine.

Step 3: Add the cooked soba noodles and veggies to a salad bowl.

Step 4: Pour the sauce onto the salad and mix.

Step 5: Optionally top the salad with some sliced scallions and sesame seeds and serve.

How To Store

Store this soba noodle salad in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days. This salad stores well after it’s been dressed, but can also be stored separately from the peanut sauce for optimal freshness.