Recipe: Garlicky Soba Noodle Bowls

Christine Gallary
Christine GallarySenior Recipe Editor at The Kitchn
I grew up in a Chinese food-loving family, eating my first restaurant meals in Oakland's vibrant Chinatown. My love of food but lack of cooking experience led to me Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, where I graduated with a Diplôme de Cuisine in French cooking. After culinary school, I learned how to test and edit recipes in test kitchens at Cook's Illustrated and CHOW, falling in love with the process of rigorously testing recipes to make sure they were foolproof for the home cook. I've worked with thousands of recipes over the past 15 years, including developing recipes for the James Beard-award winning Mister Jiu's in Chinatown cookbook. Living in the delicious diversity of San Francisco, I never get tired of finding new ingredients or cuisines to try. My favorite type is Cantonese home cooking — I'm on a quest to recreate the dishes my grandmother used to make. All the food I test at home is eagerly tasted and enjoyed by my husband, Hayden, and daughter, Sophie, while our little dog, Mochi, looks wistfully on.
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updated May 1, 2019
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Credit: Jenny Huang
This quick cooking vegetarian noodle bowl is made with soba noodles, cucumbers, greens, and a light chili garlic sauce.

Serves3 to 4

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(Image credit: Jenny Huang)

Noodle salads are a great way to have a meal that contains all the food groups in just one tasty bowl. This weeknight-friendly noodle bowl has chewy, earthy soba noodles, crispy cucumbers, and tender baby kale all tossed in a garlicky, savory sauce built from easy-to-find Asian sauces and condiments. It also comes together lickety-split: In the time it takes to cook the Japanese buckwheat noodles, you can whisk together the dressing, prep the veggies, and, if you’re feeling ambitious, poach some eggs for some extra protein and a runny yolk to mix into each bowl.

These noodle bowls are great at room temperature and can last a few days in the refrigerator, making them a nice make-ahead lunch option. While we like the combination of refreshing cucumber and baby kale leaves, you can really use whatever vegetables or greens you like. Try shelled edamame, arugula, baby spinach, or halved cherry tomatoes. Make it vegan by skipping the poached eggs, and keep it gluten-free by using tamari and making sure there’s no wheat in the soba.

(Image credit: Jenny Huang)
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Garlicky Soba Noodle Bowls

This quick cooking vegetarian noodle bowl is made with soba noodles, cucumbers, greens, and a light chili garlic sauce.

Serves 3 to 4

Nutritional Info

Ingredients

  • 8 to 9 ounces

    dried soba noodles

  • 3

    medium scallions, thinly sliced

  • 2 tablespoons

    rice vinegar

  • 2 tablespoons

    soy sauce or tamari

  • 2 teaspoons

    Asian sesame oil

  • 2 teaspoons

    sambal or Asian chile-garlic paste

  • 1 clove

    garlic, minced

  • 1/2

    English cucumber, halved lengthwise, then thinly sliced

  • 2 ounces

    baby kale (about 2 1/2 packed cups)

  • Poached eggs, for serving (optional)

Instructions

  1. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add the soba and cook according to package directions. Meanwhile, prepare the dressing and vegetables.

  2. Whisk the scallions, vinegar, soy sauce or tamari, sesame oil, sambal, and garlic together in a medium bowl; set aside. Place the cucumber and baby kale in a large bowl; set aside.

  3. When the soba is ready, drain in a colander. Run cold water over the noodles until cooled, then drain well again. Transfer the noodles to the bowl of vegetables, add the dressing, and toss to combine. Divide among bowls and top with poached eggs if using.

Recipe Notes

Gluten-free: To make the recipe gluten-free, make sure the soba only contains buckwheat, and use tamari instead of soy sauce.

Storage: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Filed in:
asian
dinner
easy
Gluten-Free
greens
Lunch