Cold Soba Noodles With Miso Dressing

If you want bursting with flavor, Soba Noodles With Miso Dressing is a satisfying and nutritionally balanced dish that satisfies. Especially on a warm day when you don't want to heat up the kitchen, this dish make the perfect lunch or light dinner served cold or at room temperature.

This easy and refreshing cold soba noodles recipe with edamame for protein is perfectly balanced and tastes great too! Buckwheat soba noodles are a source of carbs that cook in less than 7 minutes. Cellophane noodles or rice noodles also work great and are a bit lighter.

Why Make Soba Noodles?

You'll love this fabulous Asian-inspired soba noodle salad with a tasty ginger miso salad dressing. We added carrots and cucumbers and shelled edamame for plant-based protein. Make a big batch and you'll have a great pack-and-go lunch for a few days. Our cold soba noodles are also great as a light dinner or even a healthy snack 🙂

Ingredients for Cold Soba Noodles

• Buckwheat Soba Noodles. Any type of soba noodles or pasta will work, but be sure to read the labels if you want them to be gluten-free. Even though soba noodles are made with buckwheat flour, which is gluten-free, most brands also contain wheat flour. Find them in the Asian section of your grocery store.
• Shredded Carrots. For a shortcut, buy pre-shredded carrots in a bag. If you want to shred your own, a box grater or food processor are the perfect tools.
• Frozen Shelled Edamame. A great source of plant-based protein.
• Persian Cucumbers. These cucumbers have a thin skin, less water content, and a mild flavor. Persian cucumbers are small and mostly seedless.
• Chopped Cilantro. If you don't cilantro you can use parsley or basil instead.
• Sesame Seeds. Added crunch gives a great nutty flavor to this dish. Use white, black, or both types of sesame seeds.
• Homemade Miso Dressing.

How to Make Soba Noodle Salad

First, you will cook the noodles and drain them in a colander. Next, you will toss them with chopped and diced vegetables. Mix your dressing in a blender and then toss the noodles and vegetables with the miso dressing. That's it! Your food is ready to eat or you can chill it for a bit to have cold noodles before serving.

Soba Noodles Vs. Udon Noodles

A funny thing happened when I went to re-test this recipe and take new pictures. I accidentally bought Udon noodles instead of Soba noodles. The good news is you can use these noodles interchangeably in most recipes.

Cook soba noodles according to the package directions. It usually takes 7-8 minutes to cook them. Set a timer and be sure not to overcook your soba or they will become very gummy and stick together. Drain the noodles and dump them in a bowl of cold water to stop the cooking process.

What Are Soba Noodles?

Soba noodles are made with buckwheat flour and are shaped similarly to spaghetti. Serve soba noodles hot or cold in a sauce, broth, stir fry, or salad. You might see them called buckwheat noodles.

Types of Soba Noodles

• Nihachi Soba. This is the most common type found in American supermarkets and usually contains 20% wheat, 80% buckwheat.
• Juwari Soba. A more rustic version of soba noodles made from 100% buckwheat.
• Sarashina Soba. These are made from the internal endosperm of the buckwheat seed and look completely different than regular soba.
• Inaka Soba. This whole-grain form of soba is made from unhulled buckwheat.
• Cha Soba. For this noodle, buckwheat is blended with green matcha tea for a distinct color and flavor.

What Are Udon Noodles?

Udon noodles are thick, Japanese noodles made from wheat flour. Udon noodles recipes are similar to soba noodle recipes.

Ingredients for Homemade Miso Dressing

• White or Red Miso Paste. You can find miso paste in the refrigerated section of Asian food stores or the Asian section of your supermarket, and of course online. White miso paste has a milder flavor than red miso.
• Lemon Juice. Bottled lemon juice is no match for freshly squeezed lemon juice and you will only need one lemon.
• Rice Vinegar. This vinegar adds a little sweet and sour flavor.
• Toasted Sesame Oil. For a dash of intense flavor.
• Orange Juice. For brightness and flavor.
• Fresh Ginger. You will need a 3" piece of raw ginger and you can either grate it with a box grater, Microplane, or use a food processor.
• Maple Syrup. For all-natural sweetness and flavor. You could use honey or agave as a substitute.

What is Miso?

Miso paste is made from fermented soybeans and rice or barley. It's salty and slightly tangy and adds great umami flavor to any Japanese-inspired dish. 

There are many varieties of miso. The most commonly found in stores in the US are white and red miso varieties. Their color and flavor depend on the ingredients used, and the length of fermentation time. White miso has a sweeter flavor, while darker red miso has a more intense and salty flavor.

How to Make Miso Dressing

To make your miso dressing you just need to put all the ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend them together.

What to Serve With Sesame Soba Noodles

Your noodle bowl can be the main dish and works perfectly well on its own as a light lunch, dinner, or snack. If you want to add more to it, you could serve it with tofu, or pickled vegetables on the side. You can also serve cold soba noodles as a side dish alongside almost any meal.

FAQ

Do I have to rinse my soba to remove starch?

Rinsing your soba noodles in cold water after cooking them has two functions. First, it does remove excess starch to help prevent the noodles from gumming up. Second, it stops the cooking process.

Where Did Udon Noodles Originate?

Japan.

How Are Udon Noodles Typically Served?

Udon noodles are most often seen in a hot broth-based soup. Udon noodles work well as part of a stir fry dish or recipe or simply with dipping sauce.

Are Soba Noodles Gluten Free?

Sometimes. The main ingredient of soba noodles is buckwheat. Buckwheat does not contain gluten. However, many brands of noodles also include wheat as an ingredient precisely because of the gluten content in wheat which strengthens noodles. So if you are gluten-free or have celiac disease, you definitely need to read all labels and make sure your Soba noodles are in fact gluten-free.

Variations We Enjoy

• Dicing green onions, especially the greens, and adding them fresh to the top of your noodles is delightful.
• Add or subtract veggies according to which types of vegetables you will enjoy raw in this dish. Sugar Snap Peas, diced red bell peppers, and grated radish would all be perfect.
• Add chopped cilantro or avocado for garnish.
• A drizzle of soy sauce, tamari, or coconut aminos is the perfect way to adjust for salt at the table.
• If you prefer warm soba noodles, you can heat the dish in a skillet.
• Blanche or sauté vegetables, garlic, and mushrooms and add them to the dish.
• A small amount of sesame oil drizzled will add depth of flavor. Use only a little at a time since it has a strong flavor.

More Noodle Recipe Ideas

• Thai Noodle Salad
• High Protein Singapore Noodles
• Black Bean Noodles with Butternut Squash Sauce
• Sweet Potato Noodles Stir Fry with Peanut Sauce

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