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 ¾ cup chopped)
- ⅓ 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)
- ⅓ to ½ 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 you’d 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 you’re 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 you’d 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
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