Vegan Sesame Soba Noodle Salad

When it’s hot out, and you don’t have much energy for elaborate cooking, cold sesame soba noodles make the best no-fuss meal. 

This Vegan Sesame Soba Noodle Salad is my go-to summer meal for either lunch or dinner. It’s made with whole food ingredients, tastes delicious, and is easier to make than a pie recipe on Pinterest. 

This soba noodle salad also comes with my favorite protein option: tempeh. Don’t be afraid of tempeh’s strange looks either. It’s made from fermented whole soybeans, making it a nutrient-dense, protein addition. (If you’re not into tempeh but love tofu, go ahead and use tofu instead.)

Just season and pan-fry the tempeh, ta-da! This sauce is a little zingy, but don’t be shy, it will add extra flavor to the noodles. I often use both cashew butter and sesame tahini together, but if you can’t find cashew butter, peanut or almond butter will work. 

I hope you enjoy this recipe for Sesame Soba Noodle Salad, and if you make it, please comment below, tag me on Instagram, and pin me on Pinterest. 

Ingredients 

• 8 ounces buckwheat soba noodles 

• Sauce (recipe below) 

• Tempeh (recipe below)

• 2 large carrots, peeled and shredded

• ½ cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped

• 1 bunch scallions, sliced, separate green and white parts 

• 1 sweet bell pepper, chopped fine

• 1/4 red cabbage, shredded

• 2 cucumbers, sliced thinly

• chili flakes, garnish (optional, to taste)

• toasted sesame seeds, garnish 

Sauce

• ¼ cup cashew/almond/peanut butter

• 4 tablespoons sesame tahini paste

• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

• 2 teaspoons tamari or soy sauce 

• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil 

•  2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

• 4-inch piece fresh ginger 

• 2 cloves garlic 

Tempeh 

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil or grapeseed oil 

• 8 ounces tempeh (or tofu), cut into ½-inch slices

• 3 teaspoons tamari or soy sauce

BRING LARGE POT OF WATER TO BOIL. 

ADD SOBA NOODLES & COOK UNTIL BARELY TENDER, ABOUT 3-5 MINUTES. DRAIN AND RINSE WITH COLD WATER. 

TRANSFER TO LARGE BOWL. ADD 3 TBL SESAME OIL.

TOSS UNTIL COATED. SET ASIDE IN FRIDGE.

PAN FRY TEMPEH (OR TOFU) AND SET ASIDE.

IN FOOD PROCESSOR, BLEND REMAINING SESAME OIL, SOY SAUCE, APPLE CIDER VINEGAR, SESAME TAHINI PASTE, NUT BUTTER, LIME JUICE, GARLIC, SCALLIONS (WHITE PART), AND GINGER. 

THIN SAUCE WITH ADDITIONAL LIME JUICE, TAMARI SOY SAUCE, OR A SPLASH OF WATER FOR DESIRED TEXTURE. 

TASTE SAUCE FOR FLAVOR BALANCE & SALTY/SPICE LEVEL.

POUR OVER NOODLES, MIX EVENLY AND TOSS UNTIL COATED. ADD ALL VEGGIES & TEMPEH (OR TOFU).

TOSS LIGHTLY. GARNISH WITH TOASTED SESAME SEEDS, SCALLIONS (GREEN), CILANTRO, TOASTED SESAME SEEDS, CHILI FLAKES.

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