Sesame Soba Noodles
When I think of summer, I always look forward to a bowl of cold Asian noodles.
Can you think of a dish that’s more refreshing? I can’t. Cold noodle salads win the shiny crown!
I have to admit that one of my favorite parts about making Asian dishes like this is how easy it is to make. With soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and sriracha in my fridge, and a knob of ginger always in my freezer, I know I can always whip something flavorful together.
Aside from the pantry staples, you only need to add a few fresh ingredients to this. I always add scallions to my Asian noodle dishes, but this was my first time making the scallions curly. I recently watched a video from my friend Jaden on how to do it. Isn’t it fun?
Basically you cut the green onion vertically and tear long strips apart, and soak them in ice water until they curl. They make the noodles look so fancy!
The other fresh “must” is to throw in a ton of grated cucumber. I strongly recommend using an English cucumber instead of the Kirby variety. The English cucumbers have a much better flavor for this dish.
Cook the soba noodles in boiling water, then toss in the Asian dressing along with the cucumbers, scallions, and some sliced chicken if you’re looking for some extra protein.
Enjoy, and stay cool out there!
Sesame Soba Noodles Recipe
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp mirin (or brown sugar)
- 1 tbsp sriracha
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1/4 tsp freshly grated ginger
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
- 12 oz package soba noodles
- 1 english cucumber, grated
- scallions, for garnish
- sliced chicken breast or boiled eggs, optional
Directions:
- To make the dressing, whisk to combine the soy sauce, rice vinegar, mirin, sriracha, sesame oil, ginger, and sesame seeds. Set aside.
- Bring a big pot of water to a boil and season the water with enough salt for it to taste like ocean water. Cook the soba noodles according to the time on the package, checking a few minutes before to see if the soba noodles are done. When the soba noodles are al dente, immediately drain the noodles and place the noodles in a big bowl of ice water to chill, for about 30 seconds. Drain the noodles from the ice water and transfer to a bowl.
- Toss the soba noodles with the Asian dressing and mix with the grated cucumber, scallions, and chicken breast. It is best to eat either at room temperature or after it has chilled in the fridge. The noodles are best eaten within a day or two. Enjoy!
I agree with you! Nothing better than some cold noodles in the summer. I also love cold ramen noodles as well. Your dish looks delicious – I could easily slurp it right up!
Ooo cold ramen sounds great! I have only had the hot kind.
There’s a salad that I always purchase at a local carry-out shop that sells something almost identical to this – they add red bell peppers to it. Thanks for sharing the recipe, now I’ll make a batch to have on hand rather than purchasing it.
Sometimes I add red bell peppers and carrots, depends on the mood! I guess it’s good to add more veggies whenever possible =)
This recipe looks yummy but what is “sriracha” and can I get this in the market?
Hi Debi, I see that you got my reply on Facebook! If you find chile oil you could also use that instead. It’s just nice to add a spiciness to the noodle salad if you’re fond of it.
Thanks for the fancy onion tip!! I love that. And yes I look forward to this type of eating all year long. It’s easy easy, no fuss…perfect for a lazy summer of eating.
Such a great family meal!
It’s winter here – would it be a sin to eat this now? 🙂
You had me at Sesame Soba Noodles, ha! This looks so good! I’ve really been into the sesame/rice wine vinegar/soy sauce/scallions flavor combination lately. The curly onions are fun for sure. 🙂
Mmmm…..this looks really good!!! Do you have to use soba noodles, or could you replace it with some other type of Asian noodle?
Hi Myrtle, you can definitely use other noodles. Sometimes I actually use regular pasta (linguine) which I love!
I tell ya, Joanne. I am just not feeling warm, comforting casseroles and the usual stuff this time of year. I want meals like this! These noodles look so light and flavorful – perfectly refreshing for beating the sweltering Austin heat!
Made this today and came out delicious I might have to add more brown sugar as the sauce was a bit spicier than expected. I had trouble trying to curl the scallions though :/ GREAT RECIPE THOUGH!
Hi Jourdan! Yes, it’s spicy with the sriracha (which you could reduce or leave out next time if you’d like). Glad you enjoyed the noodles!