Cold Asian Noodle Salad with Sesame Dressing
Make this easy Asian noodle salad with Kewpie sesame dressing at home! You can use somen, soba, or whatever noodle you like. Scale the recipe up or down as needed to serve as an entree or side. It’s also a great cold noodle dish to bring to potlucks!
What is a Noodle Salad?
The Midwest has pasta salads; Asia and Hawai’i have noodle salads! While middle America might be more used to their cold carbs being served with European pastas like macaroni, fusilli, or other round-ish shapes, Asian pasta salads tend to use long, skinny noodles. American pasta salads also tend to have creamy dressings, whereas cold Asian noodles and noodle salads frequently use thinner dressings with main ingredients of vinegar, fish oil, or spicy chili oils.
However, you can find some creamier Asian noodles that contain peanuts, or in this case, sesame!
Asian Noodle Salad Ingredients
This particular noodle salad recipe isn’t from any specific country, so it’s really more Asian-ish. But there’s a lot of freedom making Asian-ish foods. Mix and match ingredients from a variety of cuisines to your tastes. No one can judge you.
For the noodles, I suggest somen or soba noodles. You can use vermicelli as well, but vermicelli does not keep as well as leftovers.
For the vegetables, use whatever you like! Here are some ideas:
- Red Cabbage
- Napa Cabbage
- Lettuce
- Edamame
- Cucumber
- Carrots
- Shredded Omelette
- Radish
- Green Onion
- Sesame Seeds
- Imitation Crab
- Ham
Keep it vegetarian or add in some meats; it’s really up to you.
Sesame Dressing for Cold Noodles
The one thing that really pulls this noodle salad together is the sesame dressing. For that I use the ever popular Kewpie sesame salad dressing. It’s a Japanese brand store-bought dressing that you can find in most Asian markets or on Amazon. I cannot stress enough that this salad dressing is AMAZING. Use it on shredded cabbage, salad, tofu, noodles… Someone once asked me if I have a homemade version, but I don’t mess with perfection.
Keep a bottle of this in your fridge, some noodles in your pantry, and whenever you have leftover veggies to use up, you’ll have everything you already need!
More Noodle Recipes
Looking for more easy Asian noodle and pasta recipes? Check these out!
- Easy Spicy Chinese Noodles
- Vegan Chinese Rice Noodles
- Hawaiian Somen Salad
- Japanese Hawaiian Macaroni Salad
- Furikake Kewpie Tuna Macaroni Salad
Cold Noodle Salad with Sesame Dressing
Ingredients
- 3 bundles somen noodles, or other noodle, see notes
- 1 cup frozen shelled edamame
- 1/2 head red cabbage, shredded
- 1 cucumber, julienned
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 3 radishes, thinly sliced
- 2 green onions, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup Japanese sesame salad dressing, such as Kewpie brand
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add frozen edamame and somen (or other noodle of choice) and cook according to package instructions. Note: somen usually cooks in 2 minutes, which is perfect for the frozen edamame. Soba takes a bit longer, so you can wait and add the edamame in the last minute or two of cooking.
- Drain noodles and edamame and immediately put in ice water to cool.
- Prepare your vegetables if you haven't already, slicing them thinly.
- Assemble your salad by placing drained noodles and edamame at the bottom of a large bowl. Arrange your sliced and shredded toppings on top of the noodles (in any pattern or formation you like).
- Top with sesame salad dressing and mix. This noodle salad is best served the same day its made, but leftovers can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge. You may need to add more dressing to leftovers as the noodles will absorb it.
Video
Notes
- This recipe works with a large variety of noodles; my favorites are somen and soba.
- The salad toppings are completely customizable; the ones listed in this recipe are just suggestions. Other potential toppings include egg omelette, napa cabbage, lettuce, bell pepper, and more.
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