Sesame-Ginger and Cucumber Soba Noodles
Soba noodles tossed with cucumber, scallions and a light yet creamy sesame-ginger-tahini sauce. This would be a great vegan potluck dish.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 29, 2024
Busy busy busy busy bzzzzz. Thatโs how Iโve been feeling lately. Juggling work deadlines and freelance projects, yoga class and happy hour, dinners with friends and family. Feeling busy can be overwhelming at times, but I feel unusually energized by my full calendar. Iโd guess that the spring in my step comes from connecting with a few more friends in this new city. Itโs nice to feel more connected with the community at large.
This recipe exemplifies how I eat when Iโm busy, or really, how I eat all the time. Iโm generally only feeding myself, so itโs hard to justify pulling out all the stops for every meal. I like to keep a big bowl of leftovers in the fridge and find that Iโm only motivated to cook again once Iโve emptied it. It begs mentioning that Iโve consumed almost every serving of every recipe on this blog. In other words, these are dishes that Iโve tasted for days in a row and believe are worthy of being cooked in your kitchen.
The idea for this recipe came to me when I was dining at a sushi restaurant in Minneapolis. My friend Grace ordered an appetizer of sliced cucumbers smothered in a delicious sesame-ginger sauce. They paired wonderfully together. As I was ordering my soba noodles, I wondered why I hadnโt tried mixing ginger into my favorite tahini dressing recipe, and this recipe was born.
This recipe is a flexible one and Iโve left room in the instructions for you to adjust it to taste. Feel free to toss in additional vegetables, like carrot ribbons (sliced with a vegetable peeler), chopped bell pepper or whatever strikes your fancy. If you love the creamy sauce, you might also like this peanut soba noodle bowl. If you prefer a lighter sauce, try my colorful soba noodle & raw veggie salad. Itโs a popular one that would go over well at a Fourth of July potluck.
Sesame-Ginger and Cucumber Soba Noodles
Soba noodles tossed with cucumber, scallions and a light yet creamy sesame-ginger-tahini sauce. This would be a great vegan potluck dish, but note that it is best when served promptly, as the salt will draw out the water from the cucumbers and dilute the flavors. Recipe yields 6 side servings.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces soba noodles (about 2 bundles) or spaghetti noodles of choice
- 1 large or 2 small English cucumbers
- 1 small-to-medium red bell pepper, chopped small (optional)
- 1 bunch scallions (green onions), chopped (about ยพ cup chopped)
- โ cup tahini
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
- 2 teaspoons reduced-sodium tamari or soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- Handful of fresh cilantro, chopped, plus extra leaves for garnishing
- Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional, for heat)
- โ to ยฝ cup water
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds (white or black)
- Salt, to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook the soba noodles until al dente, according to package directions (do not overcook them!). Drain and rinse under cold water, then set them aside.
- Use a vegetable peeler, or better yet, a julienne peeler, to slice the cucumber into long, skinny strips. Discard the super seedy interior strips.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the tahini, rice vinegar, ginger, tamari, sesame oil, cilantro and red pepper flakes (if using). Once blended, whisk in water until you reach your desired consistency.
- Toss the soba noodles in the sesame-ginger sauce (depending on how saucy you like your noodles, you may have some sauce left over). Toss in the cucumber strips, scallions, sesame seeds and extra cilantro if desired. Season to taste with salt or additional tamari until the flavors really sing. Garnish with a sprinkle of fresh cilantro if youโd like. Serve immediately.
Notes
Suggested equipment: Two tools worth owning: a Microplane for finely grating ginger (and citrus zest, chocolate, and Parmesan), and a julienne peeler for slicing long strips of cucumber (and apples, shoestring potatoes, etc.).
On leftovers: If your leftovers are watery, blame the cucumbers. Pour off some of the extra liquid and punch up the flavor with a light drizzle of sesame sauce and tamari/soy sauce. Leftover sesame-ginger sauce would make a light vegetable dip for carrots and bell pepper strips.
Freeze it: If you have leftover ginger, freeze it whole. When youโre ready to grate it for a dish, pull off a frozen chunk and grate it against a Microplane. No need to peel it, as the skin will stay on the top side of the Microplane.
Change it up: Spice up this dish with chili garlic sauce or sriracha if youโd like.
Make it gluten free: Buy gluten-free soba noodles and tamari.
2025 recipe edits: I removed the optional white miso (1 tablespoon) from the recipe since I greatly prefer it without. I also added optional red bell pepper, which offers some color and flavor.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionistโs advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
I made this last night โ and we LOVED it! It was delicious. My partner was not convinced when I told him what we were having for dinner, but he was blown away after trying it and asked me to make it for lunch the following day! Will become a regular I suspect. I added some edamame beans for a bit of crunch and also some Japanese pickles on the side which added a very nice savoury edge. It was also so pretty to look at, which is always a bonus! Thanks :)
This was REALLY easy to put together and extremely delicious! It took me less than 15 mins. total including prep. I liked adding little amounts of the sauce first b/c the recipe is generous. Pinned!
I just found your recipe last night (searching for soba noodle recipes) and made it. It was DELICIOUS! I also added the white miso and think it made a big difference. Iโm going to try this with other veggies too. Thanks for an awesome recipe!
I made the sesame-ginger soba noodles and they were delicious. I used a yam soba noodle, as I prefer these (when I can find them), I also used a Japanese cucumber and Japanese sesame paste (instead of tahini, not sure there is much difference, but we have a Japantown near us, so we can shop from there) . Since the noodles were a little sweeter, I had to add a little more low- sodium soy sauce. But the dish was perfect, and far exceeded another soba sauce recipe that we had been using from a very good vegan cookbook. You knocked this out of the park. Thanks.
I just finished these for dinner and best thing sliced bread! It was my partners and first time ever having soba noodles and we loved them, everything complimented each other so well..we both wish we had another bowl!
I love to prepare as much as possible in advance. Cab this be made earlier in the day?
This post is 3 years old, but Iโm just coming upon it now by way of Pinterest. The recipe looks great and I just bought some soba noodles last night, so Iโm in business.
I just want to comment one one thing: You mention a bunch of alternative preparations at the bottom, on of which is, โMAKE IT SOY FREE: Just use tamari in place of regular soy sauceโ.
I want everyone to know that TAMARI IS MADE FROM SOY. Iโm not yelling, I just want this to stand out to anyone who looks through the posts. This is apparently a common misconception. I am not allergic to soy, but have a good friend that is. We were at a dinner and she asked if one dish was soy-free. The chef said no and she had an allergic reaction. At the end of the meal, we asked for the ingredients, and sure enough . . . there was tamari. I was appalled that the chef had no idea that tamari IS soy sauce; it is usually wheat-free, but certainly not soy-free. There are differences between the two sauces, but not having to do with soy.
Yikes! Youโre right. That note shouldnโt have been there. Thank you for pointing that out. It probably was supposed to be โmake it gluten free,โ but soba noodles arenโt gluten free, either. I just removed it.
If I make this and bring to my friendโs house who lives an hour away, will it still be tasty?
Hi Dani! Iโd wait to toss the sauce with the cucumber and soba noodles until you get to your friendโs house. Otherwise, the cucumbers will start losing their moisture too soon.
This is soooo delicious! And simple to make. Iโve made it three times in three weeks for guests. The only problem is, thereโs never any left over! I donโt think I need to make a larger amount. I DO need to make some just for my husband and I to enjoy alone AND have some leftover!
Yes, not having leftovers can be disappointing. But, happy they were such a hit! Thanks so much for the comment and review, Koriander.
My boyfriend and I LOVE this recipe! Thanks for posting it!
Thatโs wonderful! Thanks, Lydia.
I love the flavor of this recipe which I tried for the first time after searching for the best soba salad recipe . However I decided to serve it cold on a hot summer evening and the texture changed to gloppy once chilled. Any idea how to keep it more slippery ( not sure thatโs exactly the right word) when served cold?
Hmmmโฆ you could possibly reserve some of the sauce and add it in. When noodles are colder, they do tend to be more stiff and this is meant to be served warm. Possibly heat just enough to soften the noodles, or let come to room temperature before consuming right after making.
DE-LI-CIOUS
Thank you!
Simple, practical and deliciousโฆItโs nice to feel more connected
Thank you!
I made this and it was a huge hit; now it is a highly requested dish in my home. The sauce is so darn good I make extra to add to just about anything. It seems like no matter how much I make it disappears within a day or two! Thanks!
Happy to hear that, Garrett!
This was delicious! I made this on a hot summerโs day (Iโm in the Southern Hemisphere). I added a carrot, a red bell pepper and a boiled egg. I served it cold and it was โgloppyโ like a previous reviewer mentioned, but delicious nonetheless. The leftovers tasted great the next day too. The sauce is a revelation!
Iโm glad you loved it! Thanks for the review.
I wish i could email/message the recipie
Sesame-Ginger and Cucumber Soba Noodles. they contrast to thick wheat noodles, called udon. Soba making has long been a popular hands-on activity for domestic as well as international travelers.
So delicious! Have never cooked with tahini before, but absolutely loved the flavor. Such a great recipe and relatively quickโฆI am now looking for more tahini and soba recipes now!
Fantastic! We loved this. Added softboiled eggs for protein.
Delicious salad!! Thank you :-)
Youโre welcome, Adele!
It was very easy to make and tasted good! A perfect cold dish for a summer day. It reminded me of Hiyashi Chuka (cold ramen), so next time I will add eggs and tomatoes.
Thank you for sharing, Aka!
I really enjoyed these flavours and added fresh veggies from the garden- spiralized zucchini and beet.
I would recommend making the dressing first and after rinsing and draining the noodles, toss right away with the dressing while you prep the veggies. My noodles sat too long and were a big clump that was difficult to separate. Fortunately it still tasted delish and I will make again.
Glad you hear you are going to make this again, Stephanie! I appreciate your review.
I saw this recently in a Gif Recipe. Looks soooo good. I will give your recipe a try.
Great to hear, D! Thank you for sharing.