This easy one bowl recipe is my summer go-to for when it’s too hot to cook. All you need to do is make the noodles, stir in the tahini sauce, chop up veggies and herbs, et voila! You will love these noodles even more when chilled in the fridge. Make a big batch and stay as cool as a cucumber.

I love that this only takes about 15 minutes to make at most. Once you’ve got everything prepped, assembly is simple, and boiling water for the noodles is the only cooking you need to do. There are so many variations of this cold noodle dish depending on what vegetables and herbs you have on hand. I use lots of fresh basil, cilantro, mint, and scallions for garnish, colorful sweet bell peppers, cucumbers, carrots, purple cabbage, and ribbony tofu skins or “yuba” for extra texture and protein. Boost the flavor of the tahini sauce with citrusy lime, ginger, and this crazy good black garlic umami sauce I found near the bottles of coconut aminos soy sauce at Whole Foods. This noodle dish also goes well with any chili sauce or sambal. Add a handful of cashews if you want, go for it! Give a good squeeze to extra slices of lime upon serving, it adds that pop to the chili and ginger.

You’ll find this dish chilling in my fridge all summer long because it’s perfect for those days when I don’t feel like cooking but still want something healthy and satisfying. Plus, the leftovers are meant for the fridge, so if you make a big batch at once you can enjoy them throughout the week. We’re in the heat of July here in California and my family eats up the whole big bowlful, so I’ve had to make this recipe twice for the past two dinners in a row. I wanted to use all the fresh basil and mint besides. I added some dandelion greens to mine as well, so feel free to improvise.

I made my first Instagram reel to show you how quick and easy making my favorite cold tahini noodles can be. I’d like to make more recipe reels for Instagram to go with every recipe here, and just maybe I’ll revive my forgotten YouTube channel. Check out Plantfull Kitchen on Instagram and let me know if you made this recipe.

Cold Tahini Noodles

Make this easy cold tahini noodle recipe:

Ingredients

• 8 ounces soba noodles (or any sort of long pasta noodle)

• 1 bunch basil, chopped

• 1 bunch scallions, chopped

• 1 bunch cilantro, chopped

• 1/2 bunch fresh mint, chopped

• 1-2 cucumbers, peeled and sliced

• 1/2 head purple cabbage, shredded

• 1 cup carrots, shredded

• Lime slices, for serving

• Sesame oil, for drizzling

• 1 package tofu skins, slice into ribbons (optional)

Tahini Sauce

• 3 tablespoons tamari soy sauce, to taste

• 3 tablespoons sesame oil

• 1 cup tahini

• 2 limes, juiced (can sub with lemons)

• 1/4 cup filtered water, to thin the sauce

• 1 tablespoon almond butter (optional for nut-free)

• 1 garlic clove, minced

• 2- inch piece fresh ginger, grated or finely minced (add more to your liking)

• 1 teaspoon chili-garlic paste (sambal), more as desired

Instructions

1. Make the tahini sauce by either whisking or blending in a food processor (for smoother sauce) the tamari, sesame oil, tahini, lime juice, almond butter (optional if nut-free), garlic, ginger and chili-garlic sauce in a bowl. If it’s too thick, add a few tablespoons of water until thin enough to toss noodles. Set aside.

2. Cook the soba noodles (or any other optional noodles— I also like thick spaghetti or gluten-free chickpea noodles) according to the package directions or until al dente. Please do not overcook! You don’t want gummy cold noodles. Drain and rinse under cold water then add the noodles into an ice bath for a few minutes. Once chilled, drain in colander and drizzle of sesame oil in a large bowl to keep them from getting sticky. Set aside in fridge. (I use my Le Creuset pot to chill the noodles in because it keeps it nice and cold.)

3. In a large bowl, add the tahini sauce to the noodles and toss. Drizzle with sesame oil and tamari soy sauce and toss again. You can season with chili oil or sambal sauce if you want spicier noodles. Taste and add the remaining sauce as desired.

4. Add the veggies and toss.

5. Garnish with extra cucumber slices, purple cabbage, and all of the herbs and scallions.

6. Serve with lime slices and extra chili and soy sauce on the side.

*note: vegan kimchi can be found in gourmet markets (like Whole Foods) and works well as a topping to this cold noodle dish.

Did you make the recipe? I want to see!
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