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Home » Recipes

Soba Noodle Salad with Summer Vegetables

Published: Aug 30, 2020 · Modified: Sep 16, 2023 by Yuto Omura

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This soba noodle salad is perfect for summer. Made with seasonal vegetables and chilled buckwheat noodles topped with a tasty miso-flavored meat sauce, it is easy to make, refreshing, and delicious!

Soba noodle salad with summer vegetables served on a black plate

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Jump to:
  • What is Soba Noodle Salad?
  • Ingredients and Substitution Ideas
  • Step-by-Step Process
  • Storage
  • Other Japanese Summer Noodle Recipes
  • Soba Noodle Salad with Summer Vegetables
  • FAQ

What is Soba Noodle Salad?

Soba salad is a type of noodle salad made with Japanese buckwheat noodles. The noodles are known for their distinctive greyish-brown color and firm texture.

While they can be enjoyed both hot or cold, soba noodles are a summer staple in Japan and are often enjoyed chilled on a bamboo tray and served with a simple dipping sauce as zaru soba.

Soba noodles are less starchy than other noodles, which means they don't tend to stick together even after cooling. This makes them a perfect addition to salads!

How I Developed This Recipe

In my exploration to develop the perfect soba salad recipe, I was met with a delightful problem: the inherent versatility of the dish. The possibilities were boundless, with no set guidelines or traditional rules tethering the concept of a soba salad.

With their unique texture and flavor, Soba noodles seamlessly pair with various vegetables and dressings. Yet, boldly, I chose to deviate from the conventional dressing route, introducing a robust miso meat sauce to the mix.

While this creation may not align with a typical salad image, the fusion of flavors is delicious. Have a try in the summer!

Summer vegetable soba noodles

Ingredients and Substitution Ideas

To make my soba noodle salad with summer vegetables, you will need the following ingredients:

  • Soba noodles - either dry or frozen work well for this recipe. Simply boil, drain, and cool with ice before assembling the salad.
  • Tomato - adds a subtle sweetness and a refreshing taste to the dish. Use large tomatoes or mini tomatoes, depending on your preference.
  • Eggplant - This classic summer vegetable adds great texture and absorbs the flavor from the miso sauce. I use Japanese eggplants, but other mild varieties work too.
  • Okra - This unique vegetable has a sticky texture and mildly grassy flavor with a hint of bitterness. Another refreshing addition to this dish!
  • Ground beef - adds a rich flavor to the miso meat sauce. This could also be substituted with ground pork, chicken, or even a plant-based substitute.
  • Soy sauce - If you are looking for something reasonably priced, you can't go wrong with Kikkoman soy sauce. Please see our complete soy sauce guide to learn more about how to choose soy sauce in Japanese cuisine.
  • Mirin - When purchasing mirin, it is recommended to look for "hon mirin" (本みりん) for the best flavor. I recommend Hinode Hon Mirin as a high-quality and affordable option. See my 20 Most Useful Condiments and Seasonings for Japanese Cooking post for more recommendations.
  • Miso paste - awase (yellow) miso paste works best for this recipe. Make sure to use vegan miso paste if adapting the recipe for a plant-based diet.
  • Sesame oil - used both for cooking and garnishing to add a deep, nutty flavor. I often use Kadoya sesame oil.
  • Green onion - also known as naganegi, long onion, scallion etc. Finely chopping them and sprinkling them at the ends both a refreshing touch and eye-catching color.
Japanese Pantry Ideas

I have listed my recommended Japanese condiments, tools, and ingredients in the Sudachi Recipes Amazon shop. If you want to keep making various Japanese foods at home, please check it out!

Make it your own!

Feel free to customize the vegetables to suit your tastes! Other great vegetable additions or substitutions include:

  • Cucumber
  • Zucchini
  • Bell peppers
  • Edamame
  • Corn
Summer vegetable soba noodles

Step-by-Step Process

STEP
Cook the noodles

Boil your soba noodles according to the instructions on the packaging. Once cooked, drain the water and place them on a bamboo zaru (or in a sieve) and mix in a few ice cubes to cool them quickly.

chilling cooked soba noodles with ice on a bamboo tray
STEP
Prepare the vegetables

Thinly slice the tomato and roughly cut the eggplant and okra.

Sliced tomato and chopped eggplant and okra on a wooden chopping board
STEP
Cook the meat

Heat a frying pan on medium. Once it's hot, add sesame oil and ground beef with a pinch of salt and pepper. Fry until sealed.

ground meat in a wok
STEP
Cook the eggplant

Once the meat is cooked, add the eggplant and stir fry until slightly softened.

Eggplant and cooked ground meat in a wok
STEP
Make the sauce

Add soy sauce, mirin, and miso paste and mix until evenly distributed.

Adding miso paste, soy sauce and mirin to make miso meat sauce
STEP
Add the okra

Add the okra and stir-fry everything together for a few minutes or until slightly thickened.

adding okra to the pan
STEP
Serve

Transfer the noodles to serving plates and divide the miso meat sauce between each portion by placing it on top of the noodles. Lay the tomato slices on the side of the plate.

dishing up soba noodle salad with summer vegetables and miso meat sauce
STEP
Garnish

Sprinkle with chopped green onions and a drizzle of sesame oil.

drizzling the final soba noodle salad with sesame oil

Enjoy!

Storage

Once assembled, this soba salad should be eaten as soon as possible.

Store the meat sauce separately and mix before eating if prepared in advance. The meat sauce can be stored in the fridge in a sealed container for 2-3 days.

Soba noodles can also be stored after boiling. However, they will start to dry out and stick together. If storing, divide them into individual portions and wrap them with plastic wrap, then store them in an airtight container in the fridge. Boiled soba noodles should be chilled and eaten within 2-3 days.

Storage summary

Room temperature - Not recommended.

Refrigerated - 2-3 days.

Frozen - Not recommended.

Other Japanese Summer Noodle Recipes

Check out my other chilled noodle recipes!
  • Zaru udon
  • Zaru soba
  • Hiyashi chuka
  • Hiyashi tanuki udon
  • Chilled somen noodle soup
Summer vegetable soba noodles close up

I hope you enjoy this delicious Soba Noodle Salad recipe! If you try it out, I'd really appreciate it if you could spare a moment to let me know what you thought by giving a review and star rating in the comments below. It's also helpful to share any adjustments you made to the recipe with other readers. Thank you!

soba salad thumbnail

Soba Noodle Salad with Summer Vegetables

Yuto Omura
How to make delicious Soba Noodle Salad with Summer Vegetables! Chilled soba noodles topped with a tasty miso-flavoured meat sauce topping mixed with aubergine and okra, then garnished with fresh tomato and spring onions.
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Prep Time 5 minutes mins
Cook Time 10 minutes mins
Total Time 15 minutes mins
Course Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine Japanese
Servings 2 large portions

Ingredients
 
 

  • 200 g dry soba noodles - 100g per portion
  • ice
  • 30 g okra
  • 100 g tomato(s)
  • 100 g eggplant(s)
  • 1 tsp sesame oil - for cooking
  • 100 g ground beef - or pork
  • 1 ½ tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp mirin
  • 1 tbsp miso paste - I used awase/yellow miso
  • sesame oil - garnish
  • finely chopped green onion(s) - optional garnish
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Instructions
 

  • First, boil 200 g dry soba noodles as instructed on the packaging. Once cooked, drain and wash the noodles under cold water. Place on a tray with ice to cool.
    chilling cooked soba noodles with ice on a bamboo tray
  • Wash and dry your vegetables. Thinly slice 100 g tomato(s), roughly cut 100 g eggplant(s) and cut 30 g okra into thick pieces.
    Sliced tomato and chopped eggplant and okra on a wooden chopping board
  • Heat a frying pan on medium. Once hot, add 1 tsp sesame oil and 100 g ground beef.
    ground meat in a wok
  • Once the meat is cooked through, add the eggplant and stir fry until slightly softened.
    Eggplant and cooked ground meat in a wok
  • Add 1 ½ tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp mirin and 1 tbsp miso paste, and mix thoroughly.
    Adding miso paste, soy sauce and mirin to make miso meat sauce
  • Add the okra and continue to stir fry until the liquid has reduced and thickened. Once thickened, remove from the heat.
    adding okra to the pan
  • Divide the soba noodles onto serving plates and top with the miso meat sauce. Place the sliced tomato on the side and top with finely chopped green onion(s).
    dishing up soba noodle salad with summer vegetables and miso meat sauce
  • Drizzle with sesame oil and enjoy!
    drizzling the final soba noodle salad with sesame oil

Video

Notes

Make it vegetarian-friendly by using vegan miso paste and switching the meat out for tofu or a plant-based alternative.
Feel free to customize the dish with other summer vegetables such as bell peppers, zucchini or cucumber, etc!
Click here to add your own private notes.

Equipment

Bamboo Zaru
Keywords cold soba noodles, Cold soba recipe, soba noodle salad, soba salad, summer soba
Tried this recipe?Let us know what you thought!

FAQ

What are soba noodles made of?

Soba noodles are made from mainly buckwheat flour, wheat flour, and water.

Are soba noodles gluten-free?

Soba noodles are often made with buckwheat flour and wheat flour, meaning many are not gluten-free. However, if the soba noodles are 100% buckwheat flour, they're gluten-free. Check the packaging carefully to be sure.

What is the difference between soba and udon noodles?

Soba are greyish brown, the thickness of spaghetti, and made with buckwheat flour, contributing to their nutty and earthy taste. Udon, on the other hand, are thick, chewy and made with wheat flour so they have a less distinct flavor.

Can vegans eat soba noodles?

The noodles themselves are vegan. In this recipe you can replace the ground meat with soy meat and use vegan miso paste to make it completely plant-based.

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Thanks for visiting Sudachi Recipes. My name is Yuto and I'm a Japanese guy with a passion for food. Here I share tasty and accessible recipes so that you can bring a taste of Japan to your own kitchen.

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