010 / 75 · Cold Meals for a Break

Cold Soba with Edamame and Sesame-Citrus Dressing

2 chilled noodle portions · Active 20 min · Total 1 hr 20 min

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These cold soba noodles are dressed with orange, rice vinegar and toasted sesame oil, giving them a bright coating rather than a heavy sauce. Shelled edamame supplies texture and substance, while cucumber stays cool and crisp. Soba can clump as it cools; rinsing thoroughly and dressing it while the strands are loose makes a bigger difference than adding more oil. This is a fork-and-container meal that needs refrigeration but no reheating.

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Cold soba noodles with edamame, cucumber and sesame-citrus dressing.

Rinse away the surface starch

After boiling, soba needs a thorough rinse under cold running water. Lift and separate the strands gently with clean fingers or tongs until the water runs clear and the noodles feel cool. Drain well: water trapped between the strands will dilute the small amount of dressing. If the noodles stick together later, loosen them with a fork and a teaspoon of cold water rather than drowning them in extra sesame oil.

Cut the cucumber for a clean bite

Remove a watery seed center if your cucumber has one, then slice the flesh into thin half-moons. Fine scallion rings spread their flavor more evenly than long sections. The sesame seeds go on last so a few stay on the surface. Use plain frozen shelled edamame and cook it according to its package directions; the freezer does not turn a product into a ready-to-eat ingredient.

Ingredients

  • 5 oz dried soba noodles containing wheat (140 g)
  • 1 cup frozen shelled edamame (150 g)
  • 1/2 English cucumber, thinly sliced (150 g)
  • 2 scallions, thinly sliced
  • 3 tablespoons fresh orange juice (45 ml)
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar (15 ml)
  • 1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce (15 ml)
  • 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil (10 ml)
  • 1 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
  • 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds

Set out

Medium saucepan, Colander, Large mixing bowl, Small whisk

Allergens

Wheat, Soy, Sesame. Check labels and substitutions.

Make it

  1. Cook the edamame in boiling water according to its package instructions. Lift out with a slotted spoon and cool promptly in a shallow dish in the refrigerator.
  2. Cook the soba in the same saucepan of water according to the noodle package, usually 4–6 minutes. Drain and rinse thoroughly under cold running water until cool. Drain very well.
  3. Whisk orange juice, rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil and ginger in the mixing bowl.
  4. Toss in soba, chilled edamame, cucumber and scallions until the strands are evenly coated.
  5. Divide between two lunch containers and scatter sesame seeds over the tops. Refrigerate immediately.

Dress lightly, then pack

A leakproof container matters even for a lightly dressed noodle salad. Leave a little headspace so you can lift and turn the noodles before eating, redistributing dressing that has settled at the bottom.

Timing

Total includes an estimated 60 minutes of refrigerator chilling; wait until the cooked components are fully cold before packing, even if that takes longer.

A useful detail

Buckwheat does not guarantee that soba is wheat-free. Check the noodle ingredients; this base recipe assumes a wheat-containing product.

Another way

  • Use thin rice noodles prepared to their package instructions, and gluten-free tamari, for a version without wheat ingredients.
  • Replace cucumber with finely sliced sugar snap peas, blanched briefly and chilled before adding.

Keep it well

Keep at 40°F/4°C or below for up to 2 days. Refrigerate promptly after preparation. Carry the salad in an insulated bag with two cold sources and use a workplace refrigerator if available. Do not leave it at room temperature through a shift.