Sesame Basil Soba Noodles

Jeanine
Donofrio

Phoebe
Moore

Updated: Nov 28, 2022

There are times when I cook that I like to pack in every vegetable and also the kitchen sink. And then there are nights when I just crave something simple. This is the latter, obviously, and it’ll take you only ten minutes to make.

The ingredient combo here is a little strange, but hear me out – soba noodles, sesame oil and good parmesan cheese all have a delicious nutty flavor in common. Basil and fresh peas are sweet which offer a nice simple balance. I love the subtle flavor of fresh peas here, if you don’t have any, just skip them in lieu of using frozen peas. And since there are only a few ingredients here, they need to be good ones – good cheese, fresh basil, good sesame oil, and good noodles.

I made this for dinner along with some salmon, but if you want to add more veggie protein here – go for it – add some edamame or baked tofu.

Save the leftovers for lunch the next day!

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Sesame Basil Soba Noodles

rate this recipe:

5 from 3 votes

Prep Time: 5 minutes mins

Cook Time: 10 minutes mins

Total Time: 15 minutes mins

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Ingredients

• ▢ 4-6 ounces soba noodles
• ▢ 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• ▢ 3/4 cup fresh peas
• ▢ 1 tablespoon tamari, or soy sauce, more to taste
• ▢ 1 packed cup fresh basil
• ▢ 1/4 - 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• ▢ pinch of red pepper flakes
• ▢ freshly ground black pepper
• ▢ lemon, big squeeze

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Instructions

• Cook the soba noodles according to the package directions (usually around 6-9 minutes). When they're done cooking, scoop out the soba noodles, leaving the water boiling for your peas. Drain the noodles and lightly rinse them. Place them in a large bowl and toss with the sesame oil. Set aside.
• Prepare a bowl of ice water and place it near your boiling pot of water. Boil the peas for about 1 minute, then drain and place into the ice water. Drain them well, then toss them into the bowl with the noodles.
• To your bowl, add tamari, basil, cheese, red pepper flakes and freshly ground black pepper. Toss and add more tamari to taste, squeezes of lemon and another grating of cheese.

Notes

This is a great side dish for fish (sesame crusted tuna or salmon).

To add veggie protein: use edamame instead of peas, or baked tofu.

If you skip the cheese: add toasted sesame seeds and diced avocado

To make this gluten free, use 100% buckwheat soba noodles or brown rice noodles. My favorite brand right now is King Soba because the texture of their noodles is perfect. Also, be sure to use tamari and not soy sauce.