Healthy 4-Element Soba Noodle Salad

Published on February 22, 2022 in All Recipes, Mains

This Healthy 4-Element Soba Noodle Salad is crisp, fresh and delicious! Served with my Easy 15-Minute Thai Peanut Coconut Sauce it’s a match made in heaven.

Fresh, shredded Napa Cabbage, crisp bean sprouts, shredded carrot, cilantro, peanuts and Soba noodles make up this hearty and healthy salad. Grilled chicken or shrimp is optional, but so delicious!

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A balanced approach to better nutrition

If you’re looking to make some sustainable changes to your daily nutrition, a healthy, well-balanced power bowl can be a great recipe for success. So, what goes into a balanced power bowl? There are four elements that go into building the perfect power bowl every time – whole grains, veggies, lean proteins and fats. This recipe for Healthy 4-Element Soba Noodle Salad ticks all the right boxes.

GRAINS – A 1/2 cup serving of whole grains is all you need to begin building your perfect power bowl. If I’m meal prepping at home, I often use farro and quinoa, but if you prefer barley, brown rice or some other grain use them instead. Another great whole grain alternative is Soba noodles made from buckwheat. Choose your favorites and you’ll be more likely to stick to your nutrition goals. This recipe utilizes Soba noodles as a whole grain option.

VEGGIES – Veggies should make up approximately 50% of your power bowl. Fresh veggies deliver that satisfying crunch and texture we all crave in our food. They also provide lots of flavor, fiber and the nutrients our bodies need. There are so many fresh and crisp veggies in this salad.

LEAN PROTEIN – If you’re already physically active or have just begun a new exercise program, your body needs protein to rebuild muscle. A general rule for a serving of plant-based protein such as beans is 3/4 cup and 4-6 ounces for animal-based proteins such as eggs, chicken or fish. There are enough peanuts in this salad to keep me satisfied, but for a heartier main course, add grilled shrimp or chicken to this dish.

FATS – You need a little fat in your diet. Fat helps our bodies absorb important vitamins such as A, D and E. Nuts, seeds, avocados and flavor-packed sauces round out a good power bowl. Aim for 1 Tbsp. of oils and 1/4 cup for solid items like nuts or avocados. In this recipe, let the sauce serve as a fat.

Building this Healthy 4-Element Soba Noodle Salad

Traditional Soba noodles are a Japanese noodle made from buckwheat. Because buckwheat is a gluten free whole grain, it can make the noodles more difficult to work with. For this reason, many Soba noodles contain some percentage of wheat flour (80 percent buckwheat to 20 percent wheat flour is a common ratio) to make the dough more easy to work with. I recommend reading the ingredients list carefully so you know exactly what you’re getting – especially if you’re looking for a completely gluten free option.

One of the things I love about this salad recipe is that it is completely scalable. The recipe is portioned for two, but can easily be doubled or even quadrupled depending on how many people you are serving.

You can also prep all the fresh ingredients and the dressing in advance. So, if you’re serving this at a party, it’s a great recipe for spending less time in the kitchen and more time with your guests.

A Quick Note on the Sauce

This Easy 15-Minute Thai Peanut Coconut Sauce is a great dipping sauce for grilled chicken or vegetables, but my absolute favorite way to enjoy this sauce is over warm Soba noodles and a mile high salad. I like the juxtaposition of the warm noodles and warm sauce over a cool, crisp salad, but it’s also good served completely chilled. One recipe will easily dress 4 – 6 salads.

One key ingredient in this recipe is fish sauce. I prefer Red Boat Fish Sauce. This fermented sauce adds significant depth and flavor to this condiment. So, don’t be tempted to skip it.

Another important ingredient is the soy sauce. I prefer the Japanese Tamari Soy Sauce by San-J. I find it has a smoother, more complex flavor. However, while developing this recipe I tried different soy sauces and found all acceptable. Use what you have in a pinch, but do try Tamari when you get a chance.

I hope you give this Soba Noodle Salad and Easy 15-Minute Thai Peanut Coconut Sauce a try. They come together in no time, and are a fresh and delicious salad or entree! Blessings and enjoy!

Let’s Get Social!

Thank you for visiting MOstly Bakes! I hope you enjoy this soba noodle salad recipe. If you’re looking for more delicious ideas to add to your power bowl rotation, check out my recipe for Healthy 4-Element Power Bowls. Don’t forget the pickled onions and avocado buttermilk dressing. They really make this bowl sing.For more delicious recipes and creative baking ideas, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on social media via Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest. Thank you again, for visiting and I look forward to connecting with you there!

Healthy 4-Element Soba Noodle Salad

Recipe by Maria Ostrander Course: EntreeCuisine: AsianDifficulty: Easy

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

A hearty and healthy salad of fresh, shredded Napa Cabbage, crisp bean sprouts, carrot, cilantro, peanuts, your favorite protein and Soba noodles.

Ingredients

1 cup cooked soba noodles, divided into two portions
1 cup fresh bean sprouts
2 cups napa cabbage, shredded
1/2 cup fresh carrots, shredded
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
4 Tbsp. fresh scallions, sliced thin
2 Tbsp. dry roasted peanuts
1/3 – 1/2 cup Easy 15-Minute Thai Peanut Coconut Sauce. Serve as the dressing.

Directions

Cook the soba noodles according to package instructions. Once completely cooked, drain the noodles and rinse them in cold water. Allow the noodles to drain while you prepare the vegetables.
Set aside two bowls for building your salads.
Prepare the vegetables as directed above.
Begin building the base for your salad by dividing the cabbage and cilantro between the two bowls.
Add the sprouts and carrots next as shown above.
Add the soba noodles and top with peanuts and scallions. The noodles can be dressed in the peanut sauce before adding to the salad, or you can serve the sauce on the side if desired.