This soba noodle dish might be just what you’re craving right now. It’s fresh, vibrant, and bursting with springtime produce, including carrots, sugar snap peas, and cilantro. Tender, nutty soba noodles complement the flavors in this unexpected pasta salad. Edamame offers plant-based protein, making this dish a hearty pack-for-lunch option.
Homemade ginger-sesame sauce brings this recipe together. I love combining veggie “noodles” with real noodles for a more balanced meal. This dish contains more veggies than noodles. It’s light and just right!
I’ve enjoyed this recipe since I originally shared it in 2014, and I’m hoping these new photos entice you to try it if you haven’t already.
How to Make This Recipe
This dish is simple to make once you have prepared the vegetables and whisked together the sauce. I recommend this julienne peeler for the carrots—it’s a fun tool that turns carrots (and zucchini and cucumbers) into thin vegetable noodles. If you don’t have one, use a vegetable peeler to make long strips of carrots.
Be sure to prepare your vegetables and sauce so they’re ready once the noodles are done cooking. Bring two pots of water to boil: one for the noodles, and another for the edamame and snap peas, which you’ll cook briefly before draining. Then you add the rest.
Check out the recipe notes to learn how to adjust this recipe to the seasons, and make this recipe gluten free and/or vegan.
Tip
Be careful not to overcook your soba noodles so they don’t get gummy. Always rinse the soba noodles well in cool water once they are done.
More Soba Noodle Recipes
Here are a few more of my favorite recipes with soba noodles:
Please let me know how your dish turns out in the comments! I love hearing from you.
Soba Noodles with Sugar Snap Peas and Carrots
This healthy, vibrant soba noodle recipe is full of fresh springtime produce. Feel free to trade in other seasonal vegetables for the sugar snap peas, like thinly sliced bell pepper. This recipe yields about 6 servings and the leftovers keep well for just 2 days, but you can store the dressing and salad separately to keep them for up to 4 days.
Soba noodles and veggies
Ginger-sesame sauce
- To prepare the vegetables: Use a chef’s knife to slice the peas in half lengthwise (or just roughly chop them). Slice the carrots into long, thin strips with a julienne peeler, or slice them into ribbons with a vegetable peeler.
- To make the sauce: Whisk together the ingredients in a small bowl until well blended. Set aside.
- Bring two big pots of water to a boil. In the meantime, toast the sesame seeds: Pour the sesame seeds into a small pan. Toast for about 4 to 5 minutes over medium-low heat, shaking the pan frequently to prevent burning, until the seeds turn golden and start to make popping noises.
- Once the pots of water are boiling: In one pot, cook the soba noodles just until al dente, according to package directions (probably about 5 minutes), then drain and briefly rinse under cool water. Cook the frozen edamame in the other pot until warmed through (about 4 to 6 minutes) but before draining, toss the halved peas into the boiling edamame water and cook for an additional 20 seconds. Drain.
- Combine the soba noodles, edamame, snap peas and carrots in a large serving bowl. Pour in the dressing and toss with salad servers. Toss in the chopped cilantro and toasted sesame seeds, and serve in bowls. This salad keeps well for 2 days in the refrigerator, covered. Serve leftovers chilled or gently warmed—you might like to wake up the leftovers with a splash of tamari or lime juice.
Notes
*Miso note: I used Miso Master brand’s reduced-sodium sweet white miso. It’s in the refrigerated section near the tofu. Omit if you can’t find it, but it provides a nice boost of flavor (add salt to taste if you’re not using miso).
Make it vegan: Sub maple syrup for the honey.
Make it gluten free: Buy certified gluten-free, all buckwheat soba noodles (or gluten-free spaghetti) and use tamari instead of regular soy sauce. Make sure your miso is gluten free, if using.
Change it up: Substitute other seasonal produce for the sugar snap peas, or skip them altogether for less prep work. Very thinly sliced bell pepper strips would be a nice addition this summer.
Nutrition
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