Sesame Soba Noodles
Soba noodles are tossed in a sesame dressing and served with julienned cucumber for a refreshing dinner recipe that can be made in 15 minutes!
When I think of summer, I always look forward to a bowl of cold Asian noodles.
It’s always so refreshing on a hot night, and I have to admit that one of my favorite parts about making Asian dishes like this is how easy it is to bring together.
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 up something flavorful.
Leftovers also keep beautifully in the fridge for quick noshing!
How to Make Sesame Soba Noodles:
To get started, make the sauce by combining soy sauce, rice vinegar, mirin, sriracha, sesame oil, ginger, and sesame seeds:
Mirin should be pretty easy to find, but if you don’t have it, you can sub a touch of brown sugar.
Then it’s just a matter of cooking the soba noodles according to package instructions, and preparing the garnishes.
I always add scallions to my Asian noodle dishes, and you can always slice them thinly, or if you’re feeling fancy, make curly scallions.
Long ago I saw a video on how to do it, and basically you tear the scallions vertically and soak them in ice water until they curl up:
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.
Once the soba noodles have finished boiling, rinse them well with cold water, then toss in the Asian dressing along with the cucumbers, scallions, and some sliced chicken if you’re looking for some extra protein.
I keep this Crockpot Chicken Breast on hand in the fridge to add quick protein to meals like this.
Fresh Spring Rolls are another one of my favorite chilled Asian dishes to make in the summertime. Enjoy!
More Favorite Asian Recipes:
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
Instructions
- 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. Depending on how cold you want the noodles, either rinse the noodles with cold running water for 1 minute, or place them in a big bowl of ice water to chill, for about 30 seconds. Drain the noodles 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!
Nutrition
Post updated in July 2019. Originally published July 2013.
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!
My son and his wife have encouraged me to make noodle dishes and pho. Looking over this recipe, I need to grill some pork tenderloin. Looks great and just the dish for these hot, SE Texas evenings.
love these noodles, but can only splurge on them from time to time given my diet, (slow carb) but also love all of these other flavors and can even make them without the noodles (or not when I give myself a day off) and really like your protein suggestion, even used to pork with this recipe, thank you