Soba noodle bowl with Asian flavors becomes a flavorful noodle salad with the sesame dressing. Strong soy and ginger aromas give the partly baked or briefly blanched and still crunchy vegetables their taste with the nutty buckwheat noodles. When I think of Asian noodles, I always think of a hot, steaming bowl of soup, but for the coming summer we need a cool and refreshing noodle salad. An Asian soba noodle salad with sesame dressing is just what you need to satisfy your taste buds.
This salad bowl is a healthy, light and delicious meal made with fresh seasonal vegetables. You can easily vary and swap out the vegetables depending on the season.
We’ve been eating a lot of pasta dishes lately and we’re always trying to make meals healthier. Japanese flavors with soba noodles are an excellent choice. Soba noodles are made from buckwheat flour, which gives the noodles a nuttier flavor. Soba noodles are a great alternative to egg-based noodles. Also, soba noodles are ready to serve in less than 5 minutes. Saves time. Saves energy.
ginger dressing
Savory and sweet dressings add a nice touch to typical spicy recipes. This Sesame Ginger Dressing gets strong, bold flavors from a blend of fresh garlic, spicy ginger, salty soy sauce, sesame oil and rice vinegar. I added some spicy Korean chili paste (gochujang) to the dressing. Sriracha also gives a slight spiciness if you like that. I love a slight tingle of sharpness, but not so much that it’s uncomfortably sharp.
I did my best to pack as many mostly green, crunchy, and healthy veggies into this soba noodle salad as possible. Edamame, beans, snow peas, green asparagus, avocado are a nice mix but feel free to add any veggies to your liking. This salad is a beautiful eye candy that is quick and easy to make. The noodles are ready in minutes and you can bake and cook everything effortlessly. I took some leftovers to work the next day. I kept the dressing separate from the noodles overnight so it wouldn’t get absorbed by the noodles.
If you like our Soba Noodle Salad, you may also be interested in these dishes:
- vegan asian cabbage rolls
- vegan mediterranean chickpea salad
- Velvety pumpkin and mushroom ragout with pasta and co.
- Macaroni pasta salad vegan
- Vegan pasta salad with spring asparagus
- Ayurveda bowl with radish pickles and tahini miso drizzle
What are soba noodles?
Soba noodles are Japanese, dried and lightly brown noodles made from buckwheat flour. They have a nice, subtle, nutty taste, are strong and tender. These noodles do well with heavy dressings like the one in this salad or the peanut dressing in this soba noodle salad . They are most commonly used in stir-fries, hot soups and cold salad dishes. You can get them gluten-free, but be careful when you buy them, as many also contain wheat flour.
Soba noodle bowl with Asian flavors
Ingredients Â
Salad ingredients:
- 250 grams soba noodles* Rice noodles or gluten free noodles
- 300 grams green asparagus Thai asparagus
- 200 grams Peas
- 1 broccoli or broccoli
- 100 grams Edamame
- 100 grams baby spinach
- 1 avocado
- 2 spring onions
Baked Ginger Tofu:
- 300 grams tofu
- 2 tbsp. Sesame oil*
- 3 tbsp. Soy sauce*
- 1 tbsp. miso paste*
- fresh ginger* walnut size
- 1-2 Garlic cloves
- 1 tbsp. Mirin*
- ½ tsp gochuyang* optional
Sesame Dressing:
- 5 tbsp. native olive oil*
- 2 tbsp. Sesame oil*
- 5 tbsp. Soy sauce*
- 2 tbsp. rice wine vinegar*
- 2 tbsp. Brown sugar or coconut sugar, palm sugar, syrup
- ½ tbsp. gochuyang* or sriracha
- fresh ginger* walnut size
- 2 Garlic cloves
toppings:
- sesame black/white*
- small Bunch of coriander or mountain coriander
InstructionsÂ
Bake Ginger Tofu:
- Preheat the oven to 180°C.
- Cut the tofu into cubes 2x2x1 cm. Place the tofu on kitchen paper and dab it off. Gentle squeezing releases even more liquid.
- Place the tofu on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- For the marinade:
- Peel and finely chop the garlic and ginger.
- Mix the remaining ingredients with the garlic and ginger until smooth. Spread the marinade thickly on all sides of the tofu. Optionally, you can sprinkle some sesame seeds on top.
- Bake the tofu for about 30 minutes or longer if you want it to be crispier.
- Set aside to cool later.
Cooking Soba Noodles:
- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook the noodles according to package directions. As a rule, soba noodles do not take longer than 3 to 4 minutes.
- Drain the pasta and cool under cold running water, drain well and set aside.
Prepare vegetables:
- Clean the broccoli and divide into small florets. Drizzle with a little olive oil and bake with the tofu for the last 20 minutes.
- For the peas, edamame and asparagus, bring lightly salted water to a boil.
- Cut off the woody ends of the asparagus.
- Blanch the vegetables in the boiling water for about 1-2 minutes. Drain and stop the cooking process again with cold running water. Drain well and set aside.
Ginger Dressing:
- Peel and finely chop the garlic and ginger.
- Mix all the ingredients for the dressing with the chopped garlic and ginger in a bowl.
Arranging and serving:
- Wash baby spinach carefully and spin dry.
- Wash the spring onions and cut into fine rings.
- Arrange all the ingredients with the cooked noodles on plates or in bowls.
- Pit the avocado and peel off the skin. Cut into wedges and spread on the bowls.
- Pour the dressing over and add a few cubes of the baked ginger tofu.
- Serve bowls with roasted sesame, coriander or herbs.