I love this salad!

Here’s what I love about soba noodles: they’re a bit nutty and sweet. In this salad, served cold and mixed with earthy greens, they help to transform a simple salad into one that’s hearty enough for a meal. It’s the kind of salad that doesn’t take much thought or effort, the ideal healthy meal.

I make this salad pretty often. It’s one of my lunchtime go-tos, especially when I want to eat well with a minimal amount of effort! The soba noodles cook quickly and immediately go into a bowl of ice cold water to stop the cooking process. While the noodles cool, I whip up a ginger-garlic-soy dressing to pour over the noodles and the fresh baby spinach leaves that also are a part of the salad. Spinach leaves are earthy and hearty, and that flavor balances well against the soba noodles and the umami dressing.

For a little bit of crunch, I like to add in chopped English cucumber. The English cucumber matters, here. It’s firmer and less watery than your typical cucumber. I like the firm bite that it brings to the salad experience.

All of this – the cold noodles, baby spinach, cucumber, and the dressing – is tossed together to chill in the fridge for an hour. This gives the noodles time to absorb the amazing dressing and for a cool crispness to take over the salad. Your decision is whether you want to eat this with a fork or a pair of chopsticks! Soba Noodle Salad is one I come back to again and again, it’s THAT good!

This recipe is featured in our online cooking class, Salad Party Part 2.

Click the link above to watch the step-by-step video of how to make this recipe!

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