Cold Noodle Salad Sesame-Ginger (Printable)

A refreshing blend of chilled noodles, crisp veggies, and zesty sesame-ginger dressing for warm days or light bites.

# What You'll Need:

→ Noodles

01 - 8.8 oz dried soba noodles (or rice noodles)

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 medium carrot, julienned
03 - 1 small red bell pepper, thinly sliced
04 - 1 cucumber, seeded and julienned
05 - 3 spring onions, finely sliced
06 - 1.8 oz red cabbage, thinly shredded
07 - 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

→ Sesame-Ginger Dressing

08 - 3 tbsp soy sauce
09 - 2 tbsp rice vinegar
10 - 2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
11 - 1 tbsp honey or maple syrup
12 - 1 tbsp fresh ginger, finely grated
13 - 1 garlic clove, minced
14 - 1 tsp Sriracha or chili sauce (optional)
15 - 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

→ Toppings

16 - 2 tbsp roasted peanuts or cashews, roughly chopped
17 - 1 tbsp additional sesame seeds

# How To Make It:

01 - Boil noodles according to package directions. Drain, rinse with cold water, and set aside to cool completely.
02 - Julienne carrot and cucumber, thinly slice red bell pepper and spring onions, shred red cabbage, and chop cilantro. Set aside.
03 - In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, rice vinegar, toasted sesame oil, honey or maple syrup, grated ginger, minced garlic, optional Sriracha, and toasted sesame seeds.
04 - Place cooled noodles, prepared vegetables, and cilantro in a large bowl. Pour dressing over and toss thoroughly to coat evenly.
05 - Divide salad into serving bowls. Garnish with roasted nuts and extra sesame seeds. Serve immediately or refrigerate for 1 hour to enhance flavors.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It comes together in 30 minutes, most of which is just waiting for noodles to cook and cool.
  • The sesame-ginger dressing tastes complex enough to impress, but it's just five ingredients whisked together.
  • It actually tastes better the next day, so you can make it ahead without guilt.
02 -
  • Rinse your noodles thoroughly under cold water until they're completely cool, or they'll keep cooking and turn mushy.
  • Don't dress the salad more than an hour before eating, or the vegetables release water and dilute the dressing by the next day.
  • The dressing should taste bold and assertive when you taste it plain—it mellows once it coats all those noodles.
03 -
  • Toast your own sesame seeds in a dry skillet for 2-3 minutes before using; they go from faint to nutty-sweet and worth the extra step.
  • If the dressing tastes too sharp, add a drizzle more honey; if it's too mild, add more rice vinegar a teaspoon at a time until it makes you pause.
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