Cooked cold soba noodles and veggies on a white plate, with 3 dipping sauces in individual bowls to the right side of the plate.
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Cold Soba Noodles with 3 Dipping Sauces

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This cold soba noodles recipe includes easy steps to make 3 delicious dipping sauces: Cold Dashi Stock, Tahini Dressing, and Thai Peanut Sauce. Quickly stir them up and enjoy with chilled soba noodles, your favorite veggies, and just about any protein you like for a refreshing and satisfying meal!

Cooked cold soba noodles and veggies on a white plate, with 3 dipping sauces in individual bowls to the right side of the plate.
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Cold soba noodles are one of my favorite things to eat when it’s hot outside and I want a light but still filling lunch. The dipping process kind of forces you to eat slower so you can have a nice leisurely meal and feel full when you’re done. And with these 3 homemade dipping sauces – Cold Dashi Stock, Tahini Dressing, and Thai Peanut Sauce – you are sure to really take your time and savor each bite.

Now, I am under no delusions that this is a traditional recipe, it’s simply my version using the ingredients I and most Western cooks can find locally. I buy the store-bought soba noodles and have found an array of yummy sauces I like to dip these in. I also like to make these when I have leftover vegetables or meats I am not sure what to do with. For example leftover sliced chicken or leftover roast asparagus. Of course you can make sides specifically with this dish, I like it best with fresh veggies like cucumbers and carrots. But make it your own with what you enjoy or have on hand! 

Recipe History

The origin of this dish is Japan. Soba noodles are a traditional Japanese staple, made with just two ingredients (buckwheat flour and water). Its history goes all the way back to Japan’s Edo period (1603-1868) served in neighborhood soba shops in many Japanese neighborhoods. It remains a staple of Japanese food to this day, still largely served in the same traditional way, chilled with dipping sauce!

Sadly, here in the US and most places outside of Japan, traditional soba is pretty hard to find. Most packaged noodles aren’t the simple buckwheat and water noodles. And in Japan most soba places will cut and boil the noodles fresh in front of you. If you would like to know more about traditional soba making and serving, look into LA based chef Sonoko Sakai, a Japanese woman trying to bring the art of soba to the US. She is featured here in this NPR article.

3 dipping sauces, each in individual bowls.

Recipe Ingredients

For the Dashi Stock:

  • Dash Stock Powder
  • Warm Water
  • Mirin
  • Soy Sauce
  • Ice

Tahini Dressing:

  • Tahini
  • Sesame Oil
  • Soy Sauce
  • Rice Vinegar
  • Water

Thai Peanut Sauce:

  • Peanut Butter
  • Soy Sauce
  • Rice Vinegar
  • Sriracha
  • Lime Juice
  • Garlic
  • Ginger
  • Brown Sugar
  • Water

Noodles. Choose your preferred packaged brand, either thick soba or slightly thinner soma noodles.

Olive Oil. To stir-fry the veggies.

Chopped Vegetables and Proteins. Include any hearty fresh or canned veg and proteins you like! This recipe is great with cooked chicken, beef, pork, shrimp, or tofu.

Unopened package of organic soba noodles.

How to Make Cold Soba Noodles with Dipping Sauces

Here you’ll find easy steps to make a trio of delicious sauces that are great to pair with perfectly tender soba noodles.

Dashi Sauce: Mix the dashi powder and water until fully combined. Stir in soy sauce and mirin. Store in the fridge until noodles are ready. Put a small scoop of ice in the sauce right before serving to ensure it stays nice and cold!

Ingredients to make dashi stock sauce.

Tahini Sauce: Put tahini in a serving bowl and give a quick stir to make sure it’s smooth. Stir in the sesame oil, soy sauce, and vinegar. Refrigerate until ready to use. Before serving, slowly add water a teaspoon at a time and stir to desired consistency.

Ingredients you need to make tahini sauce.

Thai Peanut Sauce: Add peanut butter into a serving bowl and stir until smooth with no lumps. Slowly stir in all wet ingredients until fully combined. Mix in the garlic and ginger. Taste and adjust seasoning as you go. Place in fridge until ready to use. Before serving, slowly add water a teaspoon at a time and stir to desired consistency.

Ingredients you need to make peanut sauce.

You can prepare the dipping sauces a day or so ahead of time, and keep in the fridge until ready to serve.

When you are ready to cook the noodles, first prepare veggies and meats of your choice cut into bite size pieces.

Cook noodles according to package instructions. Strain and immediately run under cold water. Carefully stir noodles around with your hand under the cold water until cooled (let the water cool the noodles a bit before you touch them – or scoop some ice in first). Once cooled, drizzle a bit of olive oil over the noodles and toss to ensure the noodles won’t stick together. Stir in your veggies and meats.

Cooked cold soba noodles and veggies on a white plate, with 3 dipping sauces in individual bowls to the right side of the plate.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best veggies to stir-fry?

The heartier the better! Thick vegetables that aren’t leafy are best. Try slices of zucchini or yellow squash, carrots, chopped bell peppers, mushrooms, onion, broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus… You can’t go wrong!

Why do you eat soba noodles cold?

While you can eat them hot, soba noodles are a great option for chilled dishes. They keep a nice sturdy texture when cooked and cooled, and absorb sauces very well.

Are cold soba noodles healthy?

Yes, they are. The noodles are made with buckwheat, which is quite nutritious. Plus all 3 dipping sauces are very simple and healthy!

Can you keep leftover soba noodles?

Cooked and cooled noodles will keep well in the refrigerator for up to a week. Store the dipping sauces in separate airtight containers and keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

More Recipes to Try

Cold Soba Noodles with Three Savory Dipping Sauces

Recipe by Hannah Saadallah
Servings

1

Prep time

20

minutes
Cooking time

0

minutes
Calories

485

kcal
Total time

20

minutes

This cold soba noodles recipe includes easy steps to make 3 delicious dipping sauces: Cold Dashi Stock, Tahini Dressing, and Thai Peanut Sauce. Quickly stir them up and enjoy with chilled soba noodles, your favorite veggies, and just about any protein you like for a refreshing and satisfying meal!

Cook Mode

Keep the screen of your device on

Ingredients

  • soba noodles

  • olive oil

  • chopped vegetables and proteins

  • Dashi Stock:
  • 1 tsp 1 dashi stock powder

  • 1 cup 1 warm water

  • 1/8 cup 1/8 mirin

  • 1/8 cup 1/8 soy sauce

  • ice

  • Tahini Dressing:
  • 1/2 cup 1/2 tahini

  • 1 tbsp 1 sesame oil

  • 1 tbsp 1 soy sauce

  • 1 tbsp 1 rice vinegar

  • water to thin

  • Thai Peanut Sauce:
  • 1/4 cup 1/4 peanut butter

  • 1 tbsp 1 soy sauce

  • 1/2 tbsp 1/2 rice vinegar

  • 1 tsp 1 sriracha or to taste

  • 1 tbsp 1 lime juice

  • 1 tbsp 1 chopped fresh garlic or 1/4 tbsp garlic powder

  • 1 tbsp 1 grated fresh ginger or 1/4 tbsp ground ginger

  • 1/2 tbsp 1/2 brown sugar

  • water to thin

Directions

  • Dashi Sauce: Mix the dashi powder and water until fully combined. Stir in soy sauce and mirin. Store in the fridge until noodles are ready. Put a small scoop of ice in the sauce right before serving to ensure it stays nice and cold!
  • Tahini Sauce: Put tahini in a serving bowl and give a quick stir to make sure it's smooth. Stir in the sesame oil, soy sauce, and vinegar. Refrigerate until ready to use. Before serving, slowly add water a teaspoon at a time and stir to desired consistency.
  • Thai Peanut Sauce: Add peanut butter into a serving bowl and stir until smooth with no lumps. Slowly stir in all wet ingredients until fully combined. Mix in the larlic and ginger. Taste and adjust seasoning as you go. Place in fridge until ready to use. Before serving, slowly add water a teaspoon at a time and stir to desired consistency.
  • Prepare veggies and meats of your choice cut into bite size pieces.
  • Cook noodles according to package instructions. Strain and immediately run under cold water. Carefully stir noodles around with your hand under the cold water until cooled (let the water cool the noodles a bit before you touch them – or scoop some ice in first). Once cooled, drizzle a bit of olive oil over the noodles and toss to ensure the noodles won't stick together. Stir in your veggies and meats.
  • To eat this is pretty simple – use your utensil of choice to get a small amount of noodles/veggies, dip in your favorite sauce, slurp up and enjoy!

Notes

  • You can prepare the dipping sauces a day or so ahead of time, and keep in the fridge until ready to serve.
  • Cooked and cooled noodles will keep well in the refrigerator for up to a week. Store the dipping sauces in separate airtight containers and keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Nutrition Facts

  • Calories: 485kcal

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