Cold Soba Noodle Salad with Mango and a Perfect Spicy Dressing

I think Asian food is wonderful.

It's tasty, vibrant, colorful, fresh, and easy to prepare.

However, it has one distinct disadvantage: it can be very high in calories.

The reason is usually the sauce that accompanies any self-respecting Asian dish.

The sauce is typically based on vegetable, meat, or fish stock combined with soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, coconut oil, sesame seeds, and/or peanut butter. These combinations give the dish a wonderful flavor but also dramatically increase the calorie count.

A serving of noodles combined with a rich, delicious sauce can easily exceed the 700 kcal mark per serving and even reach 1000 kcal if the dish includes fried components.

My advice: if you're eating out, ask for the sauce on the side and add just a tablespoon or two to your dish.

If you want to eat at home, especially in hot and humid weather, you can make this cold soba noodle salad with mango and a spicy soy-based dressing.

I especially love cold and spicy noodle salads because they are easy to take to the office or to a dinner party with friends, and I particularly love soba noodles.

I like them because they are made from buckwheat, are gluten-free (depending on the type), contain protein, and have a delicate, wonderful flavor.

A bit about cold soba noodle salad

I used soba noodles, but you can use any other noodles you like: ramen, bean thread, or any other type.

The dressing doesn't have a very long list of ingredients: if you don't like one of them, simply leave it out. No big deal 🙂

The salad contains edamame as a protein source and a variety of vegetables I had in my fridge. Feel free to swap the vegetable components as you like.

To add flavor, interest, and a bit of fun, I added half a cup of ripe mango I had in the kitchen. You can replace it with lychee, kiwi, papaya, or any other tropical fruit you love. Don't skip it, it's the best part!

Want another Asian dish? How about a vegan curry?

Nutritional values by clinical dietitian and fitness trainer Noam Bachar:

A 400g serving of soba noodle salad with mango and vegetables contains:

• 400 kcal
• 19g protein
• 12g fat
• 54g carbohydrates

Made the dish? Don't forget to tag me so I can see and share! 🙂

Cold Soba Noodle Salad

Prep time 5 minutes

Cook time 6 minutes

Servings 1 serving

Ingredients

• 80 g soba noodles, uncooked approx. 120g after cooking

For the dressing

• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• juice from half a lime (or lemon)
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 tsp ginger
• 3-4 slices of hot chili for spicy lovers
• 1/2 green onion, sliced

For the salad

• 100 g cooked edamame (soy beans)
• 1/2 cup mango 80g - diced
• 1 cucumber sliced
• 1 bok choy sliced (including the white part)
• 3-4 mushrooms sliced
• 1 bunch sprouts
• 1/4 tsp sesame seeds 1g - for garnish

Instructions

1. Boil water in a large pot.

2. Add the soba noodles and cook for 5-6 minutes until softened.

   

3. Drain the boiling water and rinse well with cold water to prevent sticking.

4. In a small bowl, mix all the dressing ingredients.

   

5. Transfer the soba noodles to a deep bowl.

6. Add all the salad ingredients and pour the dressing over them.

7. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and enjoy!