Asian Cold Noodle Salad Recipe
Asian Noodle Salad is a nutrient-rich lunch or side dish that stays fresh up to 5 days, making it ideal for meal prep.
Asian Pasta Salad Recipe
“I was looking for lunch options and came across this recipe. I have made it several times and really love it. I double the recipe because I usually eat lunch with two other people and wanted enough to last a couple of days. Holds up well, and everyone loves it!!”
—Debbie
Since this Asian Noodle Salad recipe was first published several years ago, it has had more than a half million viewers from around the world!
So, it seems like many people are looking for a cold noodle salad that is packed with veggies. Many people have told me they use this for work lunches, by either doing meal prep in a big bowl and then dividing it, or building the salad in jars for easy transport.
Read on to discover why this recipe is not only a colorful feast for the eyes, but for the taste buds, as well
Why you’ll love this Asian Pasta Salad Recipe
- It’s a refreshing salad making it a perfect choice for a hot day or whenever you need a satisfying but light meal.
- Ideal for meal prep since it stays fresh for up to 5 days. You can even build it in jars for easy transport.
- Nutrient-rich, since it is packed with nutritious ingredients like edamame, bell pepper and carrots.
Asian Pasta Salad Recipe Ingredients
- soba noodles – these serve as the base of the salad, but I discuss alternative noodle options below.
- edamame – add a pop of vibrant green color, and protein.
- peanut butter – the emulsifier and nutty flavoring agent for the dressing.
- sambel oelek or sriracha – you’ll need one of these Asian hot sauces to add a spicy kick to the dressing.
- soy sauce – seasons the dressing and add umami.
- rice vinegar – adds a tangy note to the dressing and balances the richness of the peanut butter.
- olive oil – bulks up the dressing and makes it nice and smooth.
- black sesame seeds – adds a visually striking element and crunchy texture, but you can use white sesame seeds instead.
- green onions – gives the salad a a mild onion flavor and pop of green color.
- red bell pepper – adds sweetness and vibrant color. Any color of bell pepper works here!
- carrots – add a crunch and orange color.
- crunchy rice noodles – offer an extra layer of crunch!
How to make Asian Pasta Salad
- PREP. Prepare noodles and edamame according to their package directions. Rinse both under cold water and drain well.
- DRESSING. Whisk together the peanut butter, sambal oelek, soy sauce, vinegar, olive oil and sesame seeds.
- TOSS. Add the onions, bell pepper, carrots, noodles and edamame to the bowl with the dressing and toss everything together.
- SERVE. Serve immediately or refrigerate up to 5 days. Just before serving, sprinkle the salad with the crunchy rice noodles.
Asian Cold Noodle Salad Home Chef Tips
- Adjust the spice level by adding more or less sambal oelek or sriracha, according to your taste preference.
- Don’t overcook the noodles, or they’ll get very mushy when kept in the fridge. Cook them carefully, according to package instructions, so that they still retain their chewy texture.
- Make sure your peanut butter is at room temperature before making the dressing, so the dressing comes together easily.
How to Serve Cold Asian Noodle Salad
Serve Asian Pasta Salad in a Bowl
Toss this cold noodle salad together and serve it up right away in a big, beautiful serving bowl, or pack it into a tupperware container for your picnic tomorrow.
Asian Noodle Salad Recipe Meal Prep Option
Or, you can build the noodle salad in layers, in mason jars, to “meal prep” for your lunches throughout the week.
The dressing goes in the bottom of this Asian pasta salad jar.
Then, the noodles go in. That means the noodles basically marinate in the dressing as the jars sit in your fridge, making them super flavorful when you finally un-cap that jar and dump it into a bowl.
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The veggies sit on top of the noodles, staying crisp since they’re not covered in dressing.
To keep the rice noodle garnish crispy, simply put the rice noodles in a small ziploc bag, and either squeeze that bag into the jar above the veggies, or pack it separately.
What kind of noodles do I use for this Asian pasta salad?
My absolute favorite kind of noodles to use for this Asian noodle salad recipe is Ka-me brand Soba Stir-Fry Noodles. I love their flavor and texture. They have a bit of a chew to them and don’t get too mushy, even after being tossed with dressing for a few days.
The noodles I use for this Asian noodle salad recipe are shown in their packaging in a photo in this post, which I hope will make it easier for you to find them in the Asian section of your grocery store.
The Ka-me noodles are packaged and sold fully cooked, and need just a few minutes in the microwave to loosen them up before tossing with the rest of the salad ingredients.
If your store doesn’t carry these noodles, you can use dried soba noodles or whole wheat spaghetti for this cold noodle salad. I recommend 8 ounces of dried noodles, prepared according to package instructions.
Why use peanut butter for this Asian noodle sauce? Can I substitute something else?
I frequently use peanut butter as an emulsifier in salad dressings. The flavor works especially well in Asian-style salads. The peanut butter allows the oil and vinegar in this Asian noodle sauce to come together into one harmonious substance.
Tahini (sesame seed paste) is another good option in place of the peanut butter for these Asian noodles.
What is sambal oelek? Can I use sriracha instead?
Sambal oelek is an Asian chile paste made with raw red chiles, vinegar and salt.
It’s found in the Asian food aisle of most grocery stores, right near the sriracha. If you can’t find sambal oelek, you can use the same amount of sriracha to make the dressing in this Asian noodle salad recipe.
Don’t be nervous about buying a jar of sambal oelek for these Asian noodles – it’s a super versatile ingredient!
Asian Noodle Salad Storage
How long does this Asian Cold Noodle Salad last?
This Asian noodle salad recipe stays fresh up to five days in the fridge. I highly recommend sprinkling the rice noodles on JUST before you eat.
Cold Asian Noodle Salad Recipe FAQs
If you’d like a dressing without any spiciness at all, you can simply leave the sambal oelek out of this Asian noodle sauce. However, if you do this, the dressing might be a touch on the too sweet side from the peanut butter.
So if you are leaving out the sambal oelek, I recommend adding 1 teaspoon of grated fresh ginger to the cold noodle salad dressing to balance out the peanut butter flavor a little bit in this Asian pasta salad.
Sure! I recommend adding roasted or grilled chicken, sautéed shrimp, or cubed tofu if you’d like to add more protein to this salad.
Snow peas or sugar snap peas are a great substitute for edamame in these Asian noodles. If you like eating these types of peas raw, you’re welcome to add them raw to this Asian pasta salad.
Or, you could quickly cook (blanch) them to make them a bit more tender. To do that, I recommend following this how to blanch and freeze sugar snap peas tutorial, steps 1 – 4 (you just won’t be freezing them!).
Cut snow peas or sugar snap pea pods in half crosswise before adding to the salad, for easier eating.
You’ll also (hopefully) find these in the Asian aisle of your supermarket. I used La Choy brand Asian-style crunchy noodles for this Asian noodle salad recipe.
You can also look for chow mein noodles, which are a little thicker, but just as crunchy and delicious.
Alternatively, you can top this cold noodle salad with chopped up peanuts for crunch, and skip the crunchy noodles altogether.
As long as you ensure that whatever brand of soba noodles and crunchy rice noodles you buy are vegan, this cold Asian noodle salad recipe is vegan!
At the time of this writing, to my knowledge, the Ka-Me noodles and La Choy crunchy noodles I’ve recommended above for these Asian noodles are vegan, but please double check the packaging before purchase.
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Asian Noodle Salad Recipe (Easy Meal Prep!)
Ingredients
- 1 package soba stir-fry noodles (see Home Chef Tip) 14.2 ounces
- 1 cup frozen shelled edamame
- ¼ cup peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons sambal oelek or sriracha
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons black sesame seeds
- 4 green onions thinly sliced
- 1 red bell pepper thinly sliced
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- ½ cup crunchy rice noodles
Instructions
- Prepare noodles and edamame according to package instructions. Rinse under cold water and drain well.
- In large bowl, whisk together peanut butter, sambal oelek, soy sauce and vinegar. While whisking, slowly drizzle in olive oil until all oil is incorporated. Stir in sesame seeds.
- Add onions, bell pepper, carrots, noodles and edamame to bowl with dressing; toss until well combined.
- Serve immediately or refrigerate up to 5 days. Just before serving, sprinkle salad with crunchy rice noodles.
Notes
- Home Chef Tip: I use Ka-me brand soba stir-fry noodles, which are sold fully cooked, and need just a few minutes in the microwave to loosen up before tossing with the rest of the salad ingredients.
- If your store doesn’t carry these noodles, you can use dried soba noodles or whole wheat spaghetti. I recommend 8 ounces of dried noodles, prepared according to package instructions.
It’s delicious! I’m curious on the portions/suggested nutrition facts as I meal prepped this salad in jars for 4 servings and had to use quart jars to fit all of the noodles (entire box, divided by 4) and vegetables. It doesn’t seem accurate – I calculated 589 Calories.
Hi Marla – I don’t have a ton of control over the nutrition calculations. I put the ingredients into a software system and it does the calculations. I suggest using whatever nutritional software you trust the most!
I love this type of salad, but since I need to eat low carb it won’t be happening for me. By the way, sambal oelek is from the island of Java in Indonesia.
Hello Lori!
Wow these tasty and yummy jars are looking very delicious, I hope all the readers will love this interesting and amazing article. Thanks for sharing this article with all of us
My boyfriend absolutely loves this recipe! The spicy peanut dressing is delicious and works perfectly with the soba noodles. Thanks for the amazing recipe!
Thank you so much, Lexi! The dressing is my favorite part 🙂
Just wondering how good you are in those recipes. I layered some shredded chicken between the noodles and veggies for extra protein, and stored the crispy chow mien noodles in a separate container so they didn’t get soggy. Well, Thanks for sharing!
I prepped this recipe for the week and oh my goodness I am obsessed. I subbed crushed peanuts in lieu of crunchy rice noodles (couldn’t find them at the grocery store), and ate it within 5 minutes! I loved how veggie-heavy it was without using greens as a base, the soba noodles helped to keep it a little more interesting than a standard salad
I am so glad to hear that, Jess! Now you’re making me want to make this for lunches next week 🙂
This is one of my favorite recipes to prep for the work week. I love how everything stays fresh and crisp! I usually add a bit of fresh garlic to the dressing along with some sesame oil. Thanks for posting!
Yum! Sometimes I add sesame oil, too 🙂 So glad these jars help you get through the work week, April!
Hi. For the dressing I always use tahini (sesame paste) as emulsifier – which is on texture the same as peanut butter and make dressing nice thick. You can also buy sweetened Tahini with honey as well.
Love the tahini idea, Anumati!
What is sambal oelek? I am seeing it when I google as a hot sauce … would siracha work in its place?
Sambal oelek is made by the same brand that makes the most famous sriracha. But yes, sriracha will work in place of sambal in this recipe!
Do you think powdered peanut butter would work?
Hi Jen – I’ve never tried it with powdered peanut butter, so I’m not sure. I know that in the original recipe, the peanut butter acts as an emulsifier in the dressing between the oil and the vinegar. I’m not sure if powder would function the same way.
These were fantastic! Will definitely make them again. I double the recipe and made them in quart size mason jars (instead of pint size) and added mixed greens on the top to buff it up a little. Thanks for posting!
Hi Madeline – So glad these were a hit for you. Thanks for stopping by!
What can I sub for the Soba noodles? Not a big fan of noodles. I like the dry noodles though.
Hi David – this recipe was really created with noodles in mind. How about zucchini noodles?