I love a cold noodle salad in the Summer. I used to treat myself to the packaged cold sesame noodles at the grocery store and spruce them up with some veggies and things at home. Turns out they’re super easy to make yourself and way more delicious!
Whole grain noodles with blanched kale, crunchy cucumber, and edamame all get tossed in a slightly creamy, ginger-y, sesame, soy dressing. These noodles hold up really well in the fridge and taste even better the next day.
Ingredient highlight
Edamame! AKA soybeans are great sources of plant-protein, iron, calcium, and fiber. They also contain B vitamins, vitamin E and folic acid. Buy the shelled frozen edamame – all you have to do is simmer them in some water or cook in the microwave for a quick protein addition!
Servings 4 People
Prep Time 15 minutes 
Cook Time 12 minutes Ingredients
- 8 oz noodles (soba, brown rice, whole wheat, regular)
- 2 bunches lacinato kale, stems removed
- 1 large or 2 small cucumbers, peeled, thinly sliced (about 2 heaping cups)
- 1 bunch scallions, green parts only, thinly sliced*
- 10-12 oz frozen shelled edamame, cooked (about 1 ½ – 2 cups)
- Sesame seeds, for garnish
Sesame Ginger Dressing:
- ¼ cup soy sauce or tamari
- 2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp tahini
- 1 tbsp grated ginger (or sub 1 tsp ground ginger)
- 1 tsp sriracha or other hot sauce, optional
- *Save the white parts of your scallions and use them anywhere you would use onion (soups, stir-fry’s, etc…)
- Pro tip: to save on dishes, remove the noodles with tongs from the boiling water and transfer into a colander, then add your frozen edamame to the boiling water and cook for 3-5 minutes. Rinse edamame with cold water.
Instructions
- Add about 4 quarts water to a large pot over high heat, season with salt, and bring to a boil. Add the kale, using tongs to submerge them into the boiling water. Cook for 1 minute, or until the kale softens. Use the tongs to transfer the kale to a large bowl, shaking off the excess liquid. Set aside to cool.
- Add the noodles to the boiling water and cook according to the package instructions. Drain the noodles in a colander and rinse with cold water until noodles are cold. If cooking edamame, remove noodles with tongs (see “pro tip”).
- To make the dressing, add all ingredients to a medium bowl and whisk to thoroughly combine. The dressing shouldn’t be super thick. If too thick (depends on thickness of your tahini), whisk in a splash of water.
- Once the kale has cooled enough to handle, use your hands to squeeze as much water out as you can (like wringing out a towel), place on a cutting board, and slice thinly. Loosen the kale up into pieces (it will probably be all stuck together from squeezing). Drain the excess water from that large bowl and add the noodles, kale, cucumber, ½ of the scallions, edamame, and dressing and toss to coat. Serve topped with remaining scallions and sesame seeds.
Items you can prep ahead (optional)
- Remove stems from kale
- Cook 8 oz noodles + blanch kale
- Thaw/cook 10-12 oz edamame
- Thinly slice green parts of scallions
- Prep cucumber
- Make Sesame Ginger Dressing
Substitutions:
- To make gluten-free, use tamari and gluten-free noodles.
- You can substitute any nut or seed butter for the tahini. If your nut or seed butter is very thick, thin the dressing out with some water.
- Skip the edamame and use tofu or chopped grilled or shredded chicken instead.
Storage:
- Store leftover noodle salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Leftovers + Repurposing:
- Enjoy these noodles straight out of the fridge or room temp.
- Top leftovers with a fried egg
- Enjoy as a side with grilled chicken
