Soba Noodle Salad with Edamame Pesto (Vegan + GF)

Last updated - July 15, 2021; Published - April 29, 2017 By Rhian Williams 2 Comments

This Soba Noodle Salad with Edamame Pesto is full of flavour, so satisfying and super healthy! It makes an excellent quick dinner but is also great for packed lunches or picnics.

My recipe for Vegan Edamame Pesto was featured in the UK national newspaper The Guardian as it was one of the winning entries to their pesto recipe competition. You can read the article here.

The journalist Dale Berning Sawa said "the combination of lemon juice and soy sauce gives it a wonderfully satisfying ponzu kick", and, because of all the delicious Japanese flavours in here, I decided it would be great served with soba noodles as a salad!

Where can you buy edamame?

You can find edamame in the frozen aisles of most supermarkets - they are usually sold as "soy beans".

What are soba noodles?

Soba noodles are made of buckwheat and are a staple of the traditional Japanese diet, often used to make noodle soups such as Kitsune Soba, or eaten cold with a soy sauce-based dipping sauce.

They have a deliciously nutty flavour and chewy texture, and being full of protein and fibre, they're naturally very healthy too.

Are soba noodles gluten-free?

Although buckwheat is gluten-free, a lot of soba noodles do have wheat flour mixed in as a binding agent. You can buy 100% buckwheat soba noodles though, so if you need to eat gluten-free, make sure to check the ingredients carefully.

Where can you buy soba noodles?

You should be able to find soba noodles in the Asian food section of your local supermarket, but if not you can find them at local health stores, Asian supermarkets or online.

Why you'll love this Soba Noodle Salad:

it's perfect for hot summer days where you want to do minimal cooking
the edamame pesto is nutty and creamy
it's packed with veggies
it's healthy and nutritious
it's filling and satisfying
it's fragrant and flavourful
it's great for packed lunches and picnics
it's vegan and gluten-free
it's oil-free
it's nut-free
it's a good source of protein and fibre
it can easily be customised depending on what you have on hand
it's a great way to clear out the fridge
it's super easy to make
it's ready in 20 minutes!

How to make the Edamame Pesto

Scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe.

Cook the edamame according to instructions on the packet.

Place in a food processor or blender (or hand-held stick blender) with all the other ingredients.

Whizz until smooth.

Tip: Add little splashes of water to help it blend together until you achieve your desired consistency.

How to make the Soba Noodle Salad

Cook the soba noodles according to instructions on packet.
Drain and rinse with cold water.

Mix edamame pesto with the soba noodles.
Add desired vegetables and toppings.

How long does this Soba Noodle Salad keep for?

This Soba Noodle Salad keeps covered in the fridge for up to a day. As it's best eaten cold (as mentioned earlier, soba noodles are often served cold in Japan), it works well for packed lunches or picnics!

Substitutions you can make to this recipe:

You can add whatever vegetables you want - I went for peppery radishes and sweet, crunchy red peppers, but you can also add purple cabbage, pickled ginger, spring onions, thinly sliced sugar-snap peas, carrots, cucumber, avocado, anything really!
You could also add fruits - mango or pomegranate could work!
If you want to add some extra protein, you could add almonds, pine nuts, cashews, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds or walnuts to the pesto.

What else can you use the Edamame Pesto for?

The pesto also works well as a dip for crackers or vegetable crudités.

More delicious vegan noodle recipes:

If you try out this recipe or anything else from my blog, I’d really love to hear any feedback! Please give it a rating, leave a comment, or tag a photo @rhiansrecipes #rhiansrecipes on Instagram! Thank you.

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