For a quick, healthy meal that will wake up your mouth and leave you satisfied, you’ve got to try these Soba Noodle Salad with Shrimp. Succulent shrimp, fresh green beans, tender noodles, and a savory dressing are sure to please.
A Refreshing Soba Noodle Salad with Shrimp!
This dish, you guys. I seriously love it. Asian food is always so good, but for many of us, making it at home seems a little intimidating. But if you’d like to make restaurant-worthy soba noodles in your own kitchen, then this easy recipe is for you!
Plus, soba noodle salad with shrimp is a winner for both taste and convenience. You only need about twenty minutes to pull it together, including the five minutes of prep. Say goodbye to takeout – this might be even faster, and it’s definitely healthier.
Why You’ll Love These Fresh, Healthy Soba Noodles
There’s so much to love about this recipe! Here’s why you’ll adore these savory noodles with shrimp:
- Quick and Easy: This recipe is perfect for those busy weeknights when you want a satisfying meal without spending hours in the kitchen. You can have this delicious dish ready in under 30 minutes.
- Nutritious and Balanced: Soba noodles are a healthier alternative to wheat-based pasta – they are lower in calories and contain more fiber, vitamins, and minerals. They’re also gluten-free.
- Bold and Flavorful: With scallions, shrimp, roasted sesame seeds, ginger, lime, maple syrup, and more, this is one mouthwatering dish.
Ingredients
To make this colorful, flavorful recipe, you will need to gather up these ingredients. (Be sure to check out the recipe card at the bottom of this post for ingredient amounts and complete instructions.)
For the Soba Noodle Salad
- Shrimp: Large, cooked shrimp, deveined and tails removed. I buy these frozen, and thaw them in the fridge.
- Soba Noodles: Dried, gluten-free soba noodles.
- Green Beans: Trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces.
- Carrot: Peel and grate up a carrot, or you can buy pre-grated carrots.
- Scallions: The white parts only, minced.
- Roasted Sesame Seeds: I like black roasted sesame seeds.
- Salt and Pepper
For Sesame Ginger Soy Sauce
- Lime Juice: Lemon juice would also work, or rice wine vinegar.
- Soy Sauce: Low sodium soy sauce, or tamari, or coconut aminos.
- Maple Syrup: Pure maple syrup is my favorite sweetener here, or you could use brown sugar or honey.
- Ginger: Fresh, grated ginger.
- Sesame Oil
- Chili Paste: This is optional, but nice for adding a spicy kick.
Are Soba Noodles Healthier Than Pasta?
Yes, soba noodles are often considered part of a healthy diet, and they do have some added health benefits compared to wheat pasta. Made from buckwheat flour, soba noodles are rich in fiber, and deliver lots of beneficial nutrients like manganese, thiamine, and magnesium. Soba noodles also have a lower glycemic index, which means they’re less likely to spike your blood sugar than other noodles. And, of course, since they are made from buckwheat instead of wheat, these noodles are gluten-free, which is great for people with gluten sensitivities or celiac disease.
How to Make Soba Noodle Salad with Shrimp
This is such a quick and easy recipe! Even if you aren’t an experienced cook, you can make this dish with no hassle. Here’s how.
- Cook the Noodles and Green Beans. First, bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Once it boils, drop in the soba noodles and let them cook according to the package instructions. For the final 2 minutes of cooking, add the green beans to the pot, so that they cook along with the noodles.
- Drain and Rinse. Use a colander or sieve to drain the noodles and green beans, and rinse with cool water.
- Make the Sauce. Take a medium-sized bowl, and whisk together the lime juice, soy sauce, maple syrup, ginger, sesame oil, and chili paste (together).
- Finish the Dish. Add the soba noodles and green beans to the bowl with the sauce, along with the shrimp, grated carrot, scallions, and sesame seeds. Toss well to coat.
- Enjoy! Taste the dish, and season it with salt before serving.
Helpful Tips
For the best soba noodle salad, follow these helpful tips for success. Read on, and happy cooking!
- Added Veggies: For extra flavor, you can add vegetables like bell peppers, snap peas, or mushrooms while cooking the noodles.
- Perfect Balance: Adjust the sweetness and saltiness of the dish by adjusting the amount of maple and soy sauce to suit your taste preferences.
- Cooking the Noodles: Be careful not to overcook the soba noodles, as they can become mushy if overdone. Follow the package instructions for the perfect texture.
- Hot or Cold: I like to serve this dish cold, but you can also heat it up in a skillet for a minute or two for a hot dish. Be sure not to overcook it, or the shrimp will become tough and the other ingredients will be too soft.
Serving Suggestions
I think soba noodles are fantastic as a main course, but they also make a great side dish for a larger meal. Wondering what to serve with this dish? Here are some ideas:
- Additional Veggies: Try adding a savory vegetable side, like Roasted Bok Choy, to round out your meal.
- Stir-Fry: If you’re using the soba noodles and shrimp as a side, then this Paleo Chicken Stir Fry would make a fabulous main course.
- Pumpkin Soup: This ultra-creamy, ultra-flavorful Immune Boosting Pumpkin Ginger Coconut Soup is a great match for soba noodles with shrimp!
Storing the Leftovers
To store leftovers (if you are lucky enough to have some!), you can store them for one or two days in your refrigerator. Keep the dish in an airtight container or zip-top bag, so the noodles and shrimp stay as fresh as possible.
Serve cold, or heat the dish up, whichever you like. To reheat, place the noodles and shrimp in a covered skillet over low heat until warmed through. Don’t overheat, or the shrimp will be tough!
Can I Freeze Soba Noodle Salad?
While it’s possible to freeze this dish, I don’t recommend it. Freezing can cause the noodles to become mushy upon thawing, and the shrimp may lose some of its tenderness. However, if you do decide to freeze it, use a freezer-safe container, and thaw the dish out in the fridge before serving.
Soba Noodle Salad with Shrimp
Ingredients
- 8 oz Shrimp cooked large with cleaned with tails removed (you can buy in the frozen section and thaw)
- 8 ounces gluten free soba noodles
- 2 cups green beans trimmed and cut into bite size pieces
- 1 medium carrot peeled and grated (or you can buy pre-grated carrots)
- ½ cup scallions white parts minced
- 2 tablespoons black roasted sesame seeds
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste
Sesame Ginger Soy Dressing
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- ½ tablespoon chili paste optional
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and add soba noodles. Cook according to package instructions adding the green beans 2 minutes before the end of cooking time.
- Drain noodles and green beans in a strainer and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process.
- In the bottom of a medium bowl, whisk together the vinaigrette: lime juice, soy sauce, maple syrup, ginger, sesame oil, and chili paste if using
- Add the soba noodles and green beans to the bowl with the vinaigrette along with the cooked shrimp, grated carrot, scallions, and black roasted sesame seeds.
- Toss well to coat and season with salt and pepper to taste before serving.
Notes
- Added Veggies: For extra flavor, you can add vegetables like bell peppers, snap peas, or mushrooms while cooking the noodles.
- Perfect Balance: Adjust the sweetness and saltiness of the dish by adjusting the amount of maple and soy sauce to suit your taste preferences.
- Cooking the Noodles: Be careful not to overcook the soba noodles, as they can become mushy if overdone. Follow the package instructions for the perfect texture.
- Hot or Cold: I like to serve this dish cold, but you can also heat it up in a skillet for a minute or two for a hot dish. Be sure not to overcook it, or the shrimp will become tough and the other ingredients will be too soft.
- Storing: To store leftovers (if you are lucky enough to have some!), you can store them for one or two days in your refrigerator. Keep the dish in an airtight container or zip-top bag, so the noodles and shrimp stay as fresh as possible.
