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Soba Chicken Noodle Salad with Ginger Peanut Dressing

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By Jenn Segal
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This Asian-inspired noodle salad is everything you want a summertime meal to be: flavorful, light, and totally satisfying.

Plate of soba chicken noodle salad with ginger peanut dressing.

Photo by Johnny Miller (Clarkson Potter, 2021)

Years ago, I wrote a salad column for the popular food site, Serious Eats. Among my contributions, the most popular was this Asian-inspired noodle salad. It marries chicken and veggies with a punchy dressing flavored with soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and peanut butter. The salad is perfect summer fare: full of fresh flavors, light on the palate, and totally satisfying. For the chicken, I’ve provided cooking instructions, but if you’re looking for a shortcut, this recipe is perfect for using up leftover chicken or a store-bought rotisserie. If you opt for the latter, you’ll need 2 cups of cooked, shredded chicken.

A heads-up about the dressing: it might seem a bit sharp and salty on its own, but that’s intentional. The noodles absorb a lot of flavor, so it’s important to over-season the dressing slightly. While you can prepare the dressing ahead of time, I’d suggest cooking and tossing the noodles just before serving to keep them from becoming soggy.

Soba noodles, similar in appearance to spaghetti, are made from buckwheat and hail from Japan (indeed, “soba” translates to “buckwheat” in Japanese). They are available at Asian markets and most grocery stores. However, if you can’t find them, spaghetti makes an excellent substitute.

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Soba Chicken Noodle Salad with Ginger Peanut Dressing

By Jenn Segal

This Asian-inspired noodle salad is everything you want a summertime meal to be: flavorful, light, and totally satisfying.

Servings: 4

Ingredients

For the Chicken

  • 2 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts (see note)
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Salad

  • 10 ounces soba noodles (or spaghetti)
  • 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced into bite-sized pieces
  • 4 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
  • ½ cup chopped salted peanuts
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 tablespoon sesame seeds

For the Dressing

  • 6 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 3 tablespoons seasoned rice wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons peanut oil
  • 1 tablespoon Asian/toasted sesame oil
  • 1½ tablespoons creamy peanut butter
  • 2 small garlic cloves, roughly chopped
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger (see note)
  • 1 tablespoon sugar

Instructions

  1. Cook the chicken: Preheat the oven to 350°F and set a rack in the middle position. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place the chicken breasts on the prepared pan. Rub the skin with the vegetable oil and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until the chicken is just cooked. Set aside until cool enough to handle.
  2. Begin the salad: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the noodles according to the package instructions, stirring occasionally so they don't stick. Drain and rinse well under cold water.
  3. Make the dressing: Meanwhile, in a small food processor or blender, combine the soy sauce, vinegar, peanut oil, sesame oil, peanut butter, garlic, ginger, and sugar; blend until smooth.
  4. Finish the salad: Remove the skin from the chicken breasts and shred the meat into bite-sized pieces. In a large bowl, toss the shredded chicken with the noodles, bell pepper, scallions, peanuts, cilantro, sesame seeds, and dressing. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve immediately.
  5. Note: If you'd like to use leftover chicken or a store-bought rotisserie, you'll need 2 cups of cooked, shredded meat.
  6. Note: Check out easy guidance on how to peel, grate, and chop fresh ginger here.

Nutrition Information

Powered by Edamam

  • Per serving (4 servings)
  • Calories: 708
  • Fat: 36g
  • Saturated fat: 6g
  • Carbohydrates: 67g
  • Sugar: 7g
  • Fiber: 3g
  • Protein: 37g
  • Sodium: 2099mg
  • Cholesterol: 56mg
Nutritional Data Disclaimer

This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.

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  • This recipe was a tremendous hit with my family. The only changes I made were using spaghetti noodles & adding in some leftover shredded carrot,cabbage ,& peas. I’ve had to make double batches of the peanut dressing because it’s that addictive.

  • Made this salad this evening. It was delicious! Didn’t change one thing and was thoroughly enjoyed.

  • I am allergic to nuts so I avoid peanut butter! What could I substitute it for? Many thanks.

    • Hi Vi, you could just omit the peanut butter, or if there is another type of nut-free butter that you use, you could try replacing it with that. Hope you enjoy!

    • I know this is really late but a little bit of tahini sauce has worked for me to substitute in savory sauces using peanut butter, like this one—tahini has that nutty flavor without the allergy risk unless you are allergic to sesame too (I have multiple kids with nut allergies). Hope this helps!

      • — Ro on December 21, 2023
      • Reply

  • Another FANTASTIC recipe! My local grocery didn’t have soba noodles, so I used spaghetti, and my family all really loved it. I admit I was afraid I wouldn’t care for the chopped peanuts in it, but they were good. The flavors were well-balanced, and the salad was easy to put together.

  • Let me first start by saying that it drives me crazy when I read a review and someone says something like, “the recipe called for a French baguette but I used a frozen Totino’s pizza instead”. I did substitute shrimp for the chicken and used rice noodles because that’s what I had on hand. I made the sauce exactly as the recipe called for (with a lot less sesame oil) and was a little worried because it was a little salty – but – I trust Jenn and went for it. It was delicious and everyone loved it. This will be a part of our dinner rotation. Thanks Jenn!

  • Another delicious recipe which I will definitely make again. I used Eden Foods Organic Soba Pasta which is 70% wheat and 30% buckwheat. I used unsweetened peanut butter and reduced the sugar in the dressing to 2 teaspoons.

  • Hello Jen,
    Is there an Asian Sesame Oil that you recommend? I’ve tried a couple of different ones and the flavors were over powering. If I use it, it’s just a drop or two. When I read recipes that call for tablespoons, I usually steer clear.
    It could just be my palette, but I’d be willing to give it another try.
    Thanks!

  • Amazing

  • Hi Jenn:

    Any suggestions for Christmas side dishes?

    Thanks,
    Cynthia

    • Hi Cyntha, Yes, check under my recipe index under “Holidays.”

  • Hi Jenn:

    I’ve bought all the ingredients for this amazing looking salad, however I absolutely hate cilantro, do you use a subsitute or just leave it out?

    Thanks!
    C

    • Hi Cynthia, Just leave it out — it will still be delicious 🙂

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