Cold sesame-cucumber noodle salad with soba, carrots, spring onions and sesame seeds
Japanese-inspired Recipe

Cold sesame-cucumber pasta salad

For this pasta salad, rinse soba thoroughly cold after cooking. Tahin, sesame oil, soy sauce, lime and chilli make a dressing that is stirred with pasta water until smooth.

4.5 out of 5 from 2 ratings
Jump to recipe View ingredients
Share
Total time 26 min
Calories 430 kcal
Servings 4 servings
Difficulty Easy
By the Published Updated Editorially approved

Why this recipe works

soba noodles loose and keep the sesame dressing creamy

Soba give off a lot of starch and stick together quickly without cold rinsing. Wash them under running water after draining until they are completely cold. First, the dressing should have a somewhat liquid effect, because the pasta absorbs moisture during the drawing and binds the sesame seeds more strongly.

Quick Dinners Vegetarian Dinners Lunch Summer Recipes

Recipe

Cold sesame-cucumber pasta salad

Cool soba noodles, cucumber and carrot meet a creamy sesame dressing with soy sauce and rice vinegar. The salad tastes fresh, nutty and slightly spicy.

Ingredients

4 servings

Method

  1. 1

    Cutting vegetables

    Cut cucumber in half lengthwise, remove watery seeds with a spoon and cut into thin crescents. Cut carrots into fine sticks, spring onions into rings.

  2. 2

    Scarcely cook soba

    Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the package, usually 5 to 6 minutes, al dente. Remove 80 ml of cooking water before draining.

  3. 3

    Rinse pasta cold

    Place soba in a sieve and move it in cold water with your hands until it is cold and no longer starchy. Drain very well.

  4. 4

    Stir in the sesame dressing

    Mix tahini, soy sauce, rice vinegar, lime juice, sesame oil, honey and chilli. Gradually add 4 to 6 tablespoons cooking water until the dressing flows creamy.

  5. 5

    Finish salad

    Mix the pasta and vegetables with the dressing, leave to stand for ten minutes, season again and serve with spring onions and roasted sesame seeds.

Kitchen know-how

Tips for Cold sesame-cucumber pasta salad

Do not oil soba

Oil would prevent the dressing from sticking to the pasta. Cold rinsing and thorough draining are sufficient to prevent sticking.

Seed the cucumber

For very juicy cucumbers, the core area dilutes the dressing. Remove the soft seeds and use the firm pulp.

Variations

How to adapt this recipe

Fry 250 g of diced natural tofu until crispy and put it out with 1 tbsp soy sauce. When cooled, it makes the salad more protein-rich.

Replace tahini with creamy peanut butter and sesame seeds with chopped peanuts. The dressing may need a tablespoon more water.

Nutrition per serving

430kcal
58.0 gCarbohydrates
15.0 gProtein
16.0 gFat

Values are estimates and may vary depending on the ingredients, brands, portion size and preparation method used.

Frequently asked questions

FAQ about Cold sesame-cucumber pasta salad

They were not rinsed off thoroughly enough after cooking or left to dry for too long. Mix them with the dressing as soon as they are drained.

Yes, up to a day. Return some dressing and stir it in with a dash of water before serving, because soba will absorb liquid.

Only soba made from 100% buckwheat is gluten-free. Many products contain wheat flour, so make sure to check the ingredients list if necessary.

Thinly sliced peppers, edamame or blanched pak choi complement the salad. Mix in vegetables that are very rich in water just before eating.

Keep cooking

Related recipes and topics

Similar recipes

30 min · Summer Lemon Orzo with Spinach and Feta Orzo is cooked with onion in vegetable stock and then finished with spinach, feta, lemon and herbs until creamy. Stir frequently and dose the liquid as needed, because Orzo gives off starch; spinach and feta are only added at the end. 30 min · Summer Pasta with cherry tomatoes and burrata Cherry tomatoes are broken up with garlic in olive oil, then mixed with firm pasta, pasta water and burrata. Do not cook the burrata, but open it on the hot pasta first; this way the core remains creamy. 37 min · Italian Summer frittata with zucchini and tomatoes Courgette, cherry tomatoes, feta and herbs make this frittata a quick summer meal. It is started in the pan and gently finished in the oven. 30 min · Mediterranean Bean and tomato salad with feta Green beans, sweet tomatoes and salty feta make a satisfying summer salad. A mustard-herb dressing combines the vegetables without weighing them down. 40 min · Summer Pepper-feta pasta from the oven Roast peppers, cherry tomatoes, feta, garlic and olive oil in a casserole dish and then mix with the pasta and basil. Boil the pasta just a little and reserve a little cooking water to make a creamy sauce out of feta and roasted vegetables. 35 min · German Spaetzle and mushroom skillet Fry mushrooms in a wide pan. Add onion and butter and fry until translucent.