Sesame Soba & Zoodle Salad
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This Sesame Soba & Zoodle Salad is filled with healthy veggies, a savory sauce and flavorful tofu. A quick vegan lunch or dinner!
There is nothing like a quick recipe that is savory AND sneaks in plenty of veggies. I love using a combo of soba noodles and shredded zucchini (here is the vegetable peeler I used). It bulks up this salad and you honestly won’t even notice all of the extra veggies. You can also leave the veggies and tofu raw, or quickly cook them up in a pan like I did. Lots of options!
How to make Sesame Soba & Zoodle Salad
Start out by cooking up the soba noodles. They will cook quickly! And since this is served cold, you can drain them and rinse them in cold water while you prep everything else.
Next, mix up the sauce, cut the tofu and prep the veggies. Once everything is ready to go, you can either give the tofu and zucchini a quick fry on the stove, or add them to the salad raw. I like a slightly warm element in this salad, but it is totally up to you.
If you are going to fry them, add some sesame oil to a pan and add the tofu. Cook for a couple of minutes, then add a couple tablespoons of sauce. Cook for a 1-2 more minutes, then set aside. Place the pan back on the stove and cook the zucchini noodles for 1-2 minutes. You don’t want to overcook them otherwise they will release water and get mushy.
Now, let’s assemble.
How to serve Sesame Soba & Zoodle Salad
Add the warm zucchini noodles, cool soba noodles, fresh carrots, tofu and sauce to a big bowl. Use tongs to toss everything until combined. Add cilantro – optional if you can’t stand the taste. Serve it at room temperature, or place in the fridge to cool.
Serve up the salad with sesame seeds, more cilantro & green onion. This salad can be made ahead of time for quick lunches! You can also add some spinach to the mix for even more greens.
Need more recipe inspo? Check these out:
Sesame Soba & Zoodle Salad
Ingredients
FOR THE SAUCE
- 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce or tamari for GF
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce optional
- 1 tbsp chili garlic sauce
- 2 tbsp agave
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp vegan oyster sauce or sub hoisin sauce
- 3 cloves garlic diced
- 1 inch fresh ginger diced
- 5 green onions diced
FOR THE BOWLS
- 2 bundles soba noodles approx. 6 oz
- 1 14-ounce package firm tofu drained, pressed and cubed
- 2 tbsp sesame oil separated
- 2 zucchini shredded or spiralized
- 2 carrots shredded
- 2 tbsp cilantro plus more for serving
- sesame seeds for serving
Instructions
- Add all of the sauce ingredients to a bowl and stir to combine. Set aside.
- Cook the soba noodles according to the package instructions. Drain and rinse with cold water.
- Heat 1 tbsp of sesame oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the tofu and allow to crisp up for 2 minutes.* Add 2 tbsp of the sauce to the pan and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes. Transfer the tofu to a bowl and place the pan back on the stove.
- Add the shredded zucchini and remaining tbsp of sesame oil to the pan. Toss to cook for 1-2 minutes.** Transfer to a large bowl.
- In a large bowl combine the zucchini, carrots, soba noodles, tofu, remaining sauce and cilantro. Toss to combine. Serve salad at room temperature (or chilled) with sesame seeds and more cilantro.
Video
Notes
This post may contain affiliate links. If you click on one and make a purchase I will receive a small percentage of the sale. Please know I would never link a product unless I have personally used it and loved it!
If you make any of these recipes be sure to snap a photo + post it + and tag #thissavoryvegan and @thissavoryvegan!
I could eat this everyday!!!
Thanks Kristin!