Name: Sesame Soba Noodles
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: ¼ cup rice vinegar; 2 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce (plus more for serving); ½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil (plus more for serving); 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger; 1 garlic clove (grated); ½ teaspoon maple syrup or honey; 6 ounces soba noodles; Lemon wedge (for squeezing); 2 avocados (sliced); 2 cups blanched snap peas; ¼ cup edamame; 1 watermelon radish (or 2 red radishes, very thinly sliced); ¼ cup fresh mint leaves; Sesame seeds

Never cooked soba noodles? Follow the tips in this post to make a foolproof soba noodle salad that's loaded with veggies and great for weekday lunches!

Jeanine Donofrio

Phoebe Moore

Updated May 11, 2026

Jump to recipe

These sesame soba noodles are one of my go-to easy weeknight dinners and healthy lunches. I toss the cold Japanese buckwheat noodles with a tangy, nutty sesame dressing. Then, I round out the noodle bowls with edamame, fresh herbs, and crisp spring veggies.

This soba noodle recipe is incredibly flavorful, yet quick and easy. It comes together in about 20 minutes! I’ve been making it for years now—ever since our first trip to Japan. Most often, I make it as written, but it works well with all sorts of different proteins and veggies too. Find my favorite variations below!

What are soba noodles?

Soba noodles are Japanese buckwheat noodles that are served hot or cold. Jack and I fell in love with them on our first trip to Japan, and we’ve been cooking them at home ever since. Made with buckwheat flour, these noodles have a wonderful nutty flavor and chewy texture. One of my favorite dishes I’ve eaten in Japan is traditional zaru soba or mori soba, cold soba noodles served with green onions, daikon, and a flavorful dashi dipping sauce. At home, I love tossing soba into noodle salads like this one.

Traditional soba is made with only buckwheat flour and water, so it’s easy to make soba noodle recipes gluten-free: despite its name, buckwheat has no relation to wheat! However, because 100% buckwheat noodles can be fragile and difficult to work with, you’ll often see dried soba that contains a mix of buckwheat and wheat flours. These are the noodles I usually choose—they still have the buckwheat’s yummy flavor, but they’re easier for tossing in a noodle salad like this one.

If you’re gluten-free, be sure to seek out 100% buckwheat soba. Both varieties are readily available in Asian markets or in the Asian section of regular grocery stores.

How to Cook Soba Noodles

If you’ve never cooked soba before, there are a few things you should know before starting this recipe. It’s easy for a package of soba to turn into a big gummy mess, but if you follow these tips, you’ll have soba success!

First, unlike regular pasta, it’s essential that you cook your soba in unsalted water.
Make sure not to overcook them! Don’t forget to set a kitchen timer for the time listed on the package.
When your noodles are ready, drain them in a colander and rinse them thoroughly with cold water to remove starches that cause clumping.
Finally, toss them with a drizzle of sesame oil to keep them fresh until you’re ready to eat!

Soba Noodle Recipe Variations

This soba noodle recipe is delicious as written, but there are all sorts of ways you can change it up! Here are a few ideas to get you started:

Try another protein. Sub baked tofu, sesame tofu, or baked tempeh for the edamame. You could even top the noodles with a soft-boiled egg!
Change up the veggies. Add sliced cucumber or use blanched broccolini in place of the snap peas. Or stir in some sautéed mushrooms or baby bok choy!
Experiment with the herbs. Swap in cilantro or Thai basil for the mint.
Spice it up. Top your bowl with a squirt of sriracha or a spoonful of chili crisp.

Have fun making a bowl of soba noodles you love!

Make-Ahead Tip

This recipe is one of my favorite meal prep lunch ideas. You can assemble it ahead of time and store in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Just wait to add the avocado and herbs until right before you eat. That way, they’ll stay nice and green.

More Japanese-Inspired Recipes to Try

If you love these noodles, try one of these Japanese-inspired recipes next:

Sesame Soba Noodles

rate this recipe:

4.92 from 269 votes

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 10

Total Time: 20

Serves 2 to 4

Save Recipe Print Recipe

These soba noodles are a quick and easy dinner or healthy lunch! I toss them in a bright sesame dressing along with edamame, crisp veggies, and fresh herbs. Find variations in the blog post above.

Ingredients

Sesame Dressing

¼ cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce, plus more for serving
½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil, plus more for serving
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 garlic clove, grated
½ teaspoon maple syrup or honey

For the Soba Noodles

6 ounces soba noodles
Lemon wedge, for squeezing
2 avocados, sliced
2 cups blanched snap peas
¼ cup edamame
1 watermelon radish, or 2 red radishes, very thinly sliced
¼ cup fresh mint leaves
Sesame seeds

Instructions

Make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, tamari, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, and maple syrup. Set aside.
Bring an unsalted pot of water to a boil and cook the soba noodles according to the package directions. Drain and rinse well in cold water. This helps to remove starches that cause clumping. Toss the noodles with the dressing and divide into 2 to 4 bowls. Squeeze fresh lemon juice onto the avocado slices and add to the bowls along with the snap peas, edamame, radish, mint, and a sprinkle of sesame seeds. Drizzle with more tamari or sesame oil, if desired.

Notes

Nutrition facts calculated for 1/4 recipe.

Make this vegan by using maple syrup instead of the honey.

Make this recipe gluten-free by using 100% buckwheat noodles and certified gluten-free tamari.

Show Nutrition Facts Hide Nutrition Facts

Nutrition Facts

Sesame Soba Noodles

Amount Per Serving

Calories 361 Calories from Fat 144

% Daily Value*

Fat 16g25%

Saturated Fat 2g13%

Polyunsaturated Fat 2g

Monounsaturated Fat 10g

Sodium 867mg38%

Potassium 876mg25%

Carbohydrates 49g16%

Fiber 9g38%

Sugar 4g4%

Protein 12g24%

Vitamin A 802IU16%

Vitamin C 47mg57%

Calcium 78mg8%

Iron 3mg17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

This post contains affiliate links.

167 comments

4.92 from 269 votes (173 ratings without comment)

Sesame Soba Noodles

What are soba noodles?

How to Cook Soba Noodles

Soba Noodle Recipe Variations

Make-Ahead Tip

More Japanese-Inspired Recipes to Try